6 steps to asking professors for feedback

Having useful, timely, and consistent feedback from professors can be a big help in ensuring your success as a first generation or low income college student. Feedback is your opportunity to learn valuable information abut professors' expectations, to improve on your areas of weakness, and make yourself a better student--and possibly a better person. The really awesome professors will build feedback into a class and it will feel seamless.

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Unfortunately, not all professors are really awesome like this. This means that you might have to work to get their feedback on your own. So, how do you go about asking your professors for feedback? Follow these 6 steps:

1. Butter them up first. Go to their office hours and start by telling your professors your favorite parts of the class or otherwise complimenting them. Yes, flattery will get you everywhere.

2. Offer up your own feedback first. Mention something that will help you do well in the class, like improving your understanding of key concepts, learning the vocabulary better, or better integrating the readings with the lectures.

3. Be direct. Just flat out ask for feedback to help you do well in the class. Don't be shy about it or beat around the bush.

4. Take notes. As your professor is doling out feedback, write it down so you have it forever and ever. Don't rely on your memory, no matter how awesome you think it is.

5. Say thank you. No matter what happens, always, always, always thank your professors for taking the time to give you feedback (or hear you out if they don't).

6. Reveal your master plan. After you've said your thank you's, this is also a good time to mention how you intend to put their feedback into action.

Your request might sound something like this, "Professor Doe, I am really enjoying your developmental psychology class, especially learning about child behavior. I think I could work on learning the vocabulary better--I can never keep enuresis and encopresis straight. Other than that, I was wondering if you had any feedback for me so that I can excel in your class." (Whip out your notebook to take notes!)

Hopefully you get some useful feedback from your professors, to which you can reply, "Thank you very much Professor Doe. I appreciate your feedback. I am really going to try (fill in the blank) this week. Thank you again. I'll see you in class tomorrow."

Getting feedback is your first step to improving yourself as a student, so go for it and have a great day of academic achievement.