Don’t know what to say to your professors during office hours? Follow these tips to maximize your time and increase opportunities for yourself by building a positive and productive relationship with your professors during office hours.
Build a Relationship
Start by asking your professor questions. For example; "How is your week (or semester) going?" Always show appreciation and thank them for their time at the beginning and close of the conversation. For example, "Thanks so much for making the time to meet with me, I appreciate it."
Schedule Time to Meet
Reach out to your professor via email, always including your full name and the class you are in. Include a brief description of what you are hoping to achieve from office hours. Request availability, or if they have regular weekly office hours, just confirm that it would be okay for you to attend. Here’s a sample message:
Dear Professor,
I hope this email finds you well. My name is _________ and I am currently enrolled in your _________ class. I have a few questions on the last lecture and exam and was hoping to get help during your office hours. Could I stop by on Thursday at 2:30 p.m., during your normally scheduled hours? If you already have other students, would you be available during another time to meet?
Thank you for your time and support in advance!
Sincerely,
_________
Be Prepared
Don’t show up unprepared at office hours. Make sure you have a few questions to discuss in advance. Here are some sample topics, preparation strategies, and sample questions to help you get started:
| What to Discuss |
How to Prepare |
Sample Questions |
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Class Content
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- Review the course syllabus and highlight areas of confusion or where you need clarification.
- Review readings or topics that you are interested in to discuss.
- Review recent lecture topics and identify areas where you feel you struggle the most with understanding.
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- How could I be successful on _________ assignment?
- I really enjoyed reading _________. Could you recommend some other readings that I could look into to expand my knowledge?
- I’m struggling to understand the concept of _________. Could you re-explain the _________ portion of your lecture?
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Homework Assignments or Test Questions
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- Select 2-3 homework problems that you are struggling to solve.
- Review your test if it’s made available to you and identify questions that you struggled to understand.
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- Could you walk me through these problems?
- Where is the best place to start when I’m solving _________ type of problems?
- I struggled with this question on the test. Where did I go wrong?
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Study Strategies for Success
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- Review the syllabus and jot down a few ways you think you could be successful in the course. Ask your professor for insights.
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- After reviewing the syllabus, here’s how I think I could be successful in the course. (Share your thoughts.) What strategies do you feel I could add or implement to ensure my success?
- Could you connect me with other students in the class to form a study group?
- What is the best way I can reach you if I need help? Do you prefer email or scheduling office hours?
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Career/Internship/Research Opportunities
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- Learn about your professor’s projects and research endeavors.
- Reflect on your own career or internship goals to discuss.
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- I’m interested in the research you conducted. Could you share with me other opportunities?
- I’m interested in _________ career path. What would be your advice in pursuing this?
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