One of the best things you can do to help yourself as a first generation or low income college student is to take advantage of professors' office hours and build a relationship with professors. Office hours are your chance outside of class to ask questions and talk to professors.
The following 4 tips can help you prepare for office hours, get the most out of them, and make a lasting impression with your professors:
Be prepared. Make a list of any questions you want to ask about and leave yourself room for notes. If you have questions about a reading or material, make a summary of what you do understand in addition to the questions you have about what you don't understand. This can be especially helpful if you are nervous about speaking with a professor.
Ask good questions. The list of questions that you bring should be thoughtful questions that you cannot find the answer to on your own. When asking questions about stuff you're confused about, start with what you do get. You might ask "I understand X, but I am confused about Y. Can you help me understand Y? What am I missing?"
Find out more. After getting your questions addressed, always ask if the professor knows of any additional resources that might be useful to you. You might say "Thank you Professor Awesome for your help with understanding Y. Could you recommend any other resources about Y to help me understand Y better?" Professors love it when students who ask for more resources because you are going above and beyond your average college student.
Not just class material. Beyond asking about readings, lectures, and assignments, use office hours to talk about current events or research related to the class material and ask questions about graduate school. It's also fair game to ask the professor about his or her own academic path.
These tips will help you do well in classes, build relationships with professors, and otherwise be a successful college student.
Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.
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