How can I ask my professors about their academic path?

A reader writes:

"From your post about "Making the most of office hours," it is recommended to ask the professor about his or her own academic path, and I was wondering what would be a good way to ask about this? Something that sounds better than, "Would you tell me about your academic path?""

First, it's great that you are looking for ways to connect with your professors! It can certainly be intimidating or awkward if you are not sure what to say, but asking your professors about their academic path is a great way to build a relationship with them.

Here are some suggestions for asking your professor about his or her academic path:

• "I'd be interested to hear about how you got into ___________"
• "When you were an undergraduate, did you have any particular experiences that made you want to get into ___________?"
• "You talk a lot about your research in ___________. How did you get into that?". 
• "What sparked your interest in ___________?"
• "I read your article on ___________. What inspired you to do that research?"

Really, all of these suggestions are variations on a theme, so pick one and re-work it into your natural language and you'll be all set to getting to know your professors. Good luck!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Help! I can't ask my professor questions

A reader writes:

"Is it rude to ask questions during a class about important details that you don't understand when a professor rushes through things and doesn't fully cover them? The other students don't speak up at all, even when they don't understand what she's covering either (some don't care, others hope the assignments will just "go away" if she doesn't discuss them). Recently this professor, who is head of the AA program I'm in, has reacted negatively to me on 2 occasions when I tried to clarify details regarding a course project and intern assignment.  

Unfortunately, I don't have a chance to speak to her after class as the student push and run up to her in a line (they're very competitive), and I have to leave to quickly get to daycare before it closes. I am unable to visit her during office hours which are during the time I'm at my job. I've tried emailing her, but I usually don't get an answer until after the course is done or the project is finished.

I don't want to cause any trouble with her, but it seems like she just flies through the schedule, doesn't give us assignment dates, gives us homework a day before it's due, and if she gives us 3 days notice when we have 8-10 assignments all due the same day (each take about 1-2 hours to complete).

I'm working very hard on this health care degree - it's an AA (I am a good student with a 3.6 average), but get frustrated as I feel I have to teach myself. If I wasn't so far through this program, I would quit, as it's very difficult having this teacher for 80% of my classes. Any advice you could give me would be appreciated."

No, it is not rude to ask your professor questions and no reasonable professor would think so. However, it doesn't sound like your professor is reasonable.

That being said, check out these previous posts about how to deal with professors who hate you, both Part 1 and Part 2. Both of these posts have some good advice about dealing with difficult professors. 

You might also consider seeking out another professor in the same department to see if you can get some of your questions answered. It might also be useful if you can get tutoring. If your campus offers free or cheap tutoring, try to sign up for it. I wouldn't recommend paying for tutoring unless you absolutely can afford it and can't get it any other way.

However, because this professor is the head of your major department, I'm not sure there is any real way for you to resolve this without escalating it and reaching out to someone above the professor, like a Dean.

Regardless of what you do, please take care of yourself!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Take ownership of your grades, part II

Last semester I taught a class for first generation and low income college students on preparing for graduate school. Teaching this class also meant that I was grading students. I had a student (not-so-tactfully) disagree with some feedback I gave on an assignment.

But dealing with my student pales in comparison with an email one of my colleagues received. Check it out:

"Is there anyway you can possibly give me a high grade? I did try very hard in class but it was not able to translate my hard work onto the practicals.. I'm not asking for anything big, but to be raise to a C+ or a solid C please? I hope you have a great winter break as well. They will not accept me into Physical therapy school if I don't have a strong GPA. Please consider doing it out of the kindness of your heart."

EPIC. FAIL. Welcome to college, where you are expected to act like an adult and take ownership of your grades. This kind of behavior is totally out of line.

Professors and instructors do not give out grades, students earn them. As I've said before, you are responsible for your grades and what you did (or didn't do) to earn them. If you are in academic trouble or worried about how you're doing, work to prevent academic difficulty or deal with it appropriately.

As an instructor, I don't expect students to be happy with poor grades, but this email takes the cake... Please don't do this. EVER.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

How to deal with professors who hate you, part II

After reading the previous post "How to deal with professors who hate you," a reader writes:

"How do you handle the situation of being cornered in a room with the professor, then they begin yelling and screaming at you? In my case she continues to make me cry, and talking doesn’t seem to help. I have talked many time with this professor only to think the problem is solved. When returning to class again she does the same things, always singling me out. There seems to be no end to whatever this professor's problem is. I refuse to quit and I have only one semester to go before I graduate, so it is either try and make amends or have a nervous breakdown, which is not a option. I willing to try anything at this point."

Wow. I am so sorry to hear you are in this situation--a situation no student should ever be put in. What your professor is doing is totally inappropriate on so many different levels and nothing should excuse such behavior. This professor has also forfeited the right to "make amends" and I feel that you need to escalate this situation by reporting the professor.

Because this is an extreme case, you must, repeat MUST, do these things immediately to protect yourself:

First off, if you feel you are on the verge of a nervous breakdown, please get help to deal with those feelings as soon as possible. Try to reduce any stress in your life. Look for both on- and off-campus resources.

Next, avoid this professor as best you can. If you absolutely have to interact with the professor, do not go alone. Bring a friend with you.

You must absolutely tell someone, like a trusted advisor, a higher-ranking faculty member, or someone in the dean's office. As I've said before, sharing your side of the story is a good way to protect yourself. When you tell that someone, make sure you discuss what you have done to try to remedy the situation and that it has been an ongoing problem. Be specific about the ways the professor makes you uncomfortable.

Definitely figure out what your rights and responsibilities are concerning professor conduct and what your next steps should be. Find out if there is a formal complaint process, a student advocate, review board, or ombudsman at your campus. Then you should engage that process and make it official.

Consider talking to your classmates about this too. Chances are that a professor who behaves so inappropriately with one student also behaves poorly with other students. It even sounds like this may be happening openly in the classroom, in full view of other students. If that is the case, I bet other students feel really uncomfortable with this professor too. There can be power in numbers if multiple students are joining your grievance. It also helps to have a support network in place to help you along in this process.

If you are not comfortable taking this most extreme step, honestly, I can't see any other viable option. As you've mentioned, talking to this professor doesn't work, which is what necessitates this extreme step in my opinion.

Again, I'm really sorry to hear about this. I really hope this works out for you! You should never have been placed in this situation in the first place.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Making the most of office hours

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.

How to build relationships with professors

Sometimes you love your professors and sometimes you hate them. Sometimes they love you as a student and sometimes they don't. No matter how you feel about professors it is important to build relationships with professors.

Why? Because when you need a letter of recommendation for a scholarship or graduate school application, you need to have a healthy professor-student relationship to get a strong letter. Because when professors need student assistants or know about cool internships, they often go to the students they know first.

On top of that, professors can be awesome if you get to know them and let them get to know you. Here are 5 tips to help you build strong relationships with your professors:

Know your interests. Before you can make nice with your professors, you need to know what you are interested in. Think about what you might want to study in graduate school, what kind of career would you like to pursue, and what your personal philosophy about education.

Find out more. Now that you know your interests, seek out professors with similar research interests, career experiences, or personal philosophy. You can find out more about professors by looking at department websites and reading any of their published work like articles or textbooks. Take classes with professors you might want to connect with and go to their office hours to learn about their philosophy.

Keep it up. Don't just go to office hours once or twice and think you have a strong relationship. To keep your relationship with your professors alive, you should stay in contact with professors throughout the semester or quarter. Email professors for suggestions of articles or books to read and after you've read whatever they suggested discuss it with them. Ask them about research or internship opportunities. You have to work to maintain the relationship.

Not just professors. Don't forget about about your Teaching Assistants (TAs) or Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs). They will be professors some day and are often easier to relate to than professors. And if you aren't as close to your professors but have a good relationship with TAs and GSIs, they can help you get to know your professors better.

By the numbers. To get the most out of your relationships with professors, you should maintain at least three strong relationships with professors at your school. If you are a transfer student, you should be maintaining relationships with both professors at your previous school and transfer institution.

Put yourself out there and build strong relationships with your professors.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

How to deal with a professor you don't like

We've talked about dealing with professors that you suspect hate you, but what can you do when you don't like the professor? This can be a professor you disagree with on some topic or one with a personality you just don't get along with.

But, it's your professor. Your grade and well-being as a college student count on you making it work. Here are 4 tips to help you deal with a professor that you don't like:

Think about it. Figure out what it is, specifically, that you don't like about the professor. Is it a matter of teaching style, personality, attitude, or something else? Once you know what it is, think about ways you can minimize it.

Stay positive. Focus on the things you do like instead of dwelling on how much you dislike the professor. Is the subject interesting, do you like the textbook, are the assignments cool? Just find something besides the professor to focus your positive energy on.

Seek and you shall find. Look to other sources of information, like old test or teaching assistants, to supplement what you are getting from the professor. knowing you don't have to rely solely on a professor you dislike will help.

Don't go it alone. Another great tactic to help you stay on your academic game is creating a study group with your classmates. Again, having other sources of information will be to your benefit when dealing with a professor you dislike.

You can't always control whether or not you like a professor, but you can control how you approach the situation.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Can I record lectures?

A reader writes:

"I've seen other students using recorders in lecture. Whats that all about? Can I record lectures? What would I do with the recordings and would it help me?"

Recording lectures is a great study tool for folks who learn best by hearing things or want to review the lecture later. Here are a few other things to keep in mind when you want to record lectures:

Get the OK. Double check your school's policies on recording lectures and always, always, always ask the instructor's permission first.

Get the right equipment. If you are going to buy your own recording device, get something that meets your needs and fits your budget. Also check if your campus offers any recorder check-out services before you buy one. You can also see if something you already own can do the job, like an mp3 player or laptop capable of recording; Once you have your recorder, make sure that you know how to use it well before bringing it to class to avoid any technical difficulties.

Use it wisely. Listen to recorded lectures when you are reviewing your notes and use them to fill in any blanks you may have missed the first time. It is also handy to keep track of when key topics come up in the recording and mark the time in your notes.

Recording lectures is a great study option, especially if you tend to learn things better from hearing it or feel like you are missing information during lectures. Happy recording!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

How do you address professors and TAs in emails?

A reader writes:

"This is my 1st semester in college. When your not sure if a professor has a PhD or not, what do you address them as on an email? Will a professor with a PhD be offended if you don't use Dr? And what about TAs, how do you address them? Whats the right thing to do?"

I'm glad to hear you are concerned with email etiquette as a first generation and low income college student. A lot of students don't think it matters, but they are wrong about that. Poor email etiquette is one of those things that professors hate.

When addressing professors in email you can use the title Professor and their last name, like Professor Doe. Even using the abbreviation Prof. is okay. Taking this route will usually not offend professors with or without or doctoral degree. Also, generally speaking, professors will let you know if they prefer Dr. or something else, like being called by their first name or whatever.

As for addressing Teaching Assistants (TAs) in emails, you can usually just use their first names without a problem. Just like professors, if TAs have preferred ways to be addressed, they will let you know.

Happy email writing!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Take ownership of your grades

At this point, you probably have your fall semester or quarter grades. Some of you are proud of your academic performance, but some of you may not be happy with those grades. This is always the time I hear some students complain about how a professor gave them a grade...

While it is entirely possible that a professor hates you and gave you a bad grade, this is usually NOT the case. In fact, most of the time when you are surprised by a bad grade, it usually means you are doing something that professors hate.

If you are genuinely surprised by a bad grade, the best thing you can do is go to the professor's office hours and ask for feedback about your grade. Don't try to argue for a higher grade or make excuses because that will only make it worse...

Instead of blaming your professors for your bad grades, use it as a learning experience to help you prevent this in the future and improve your other grades.

What it boils down to is stop playing the blame game when it comes to your grades. They are your grades, which you earned. You are responsible for them and what you did (or didn't do) to earn them. Please be an adult and take ownership of your grades.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Do I have a right to get an extension?

A reader writes:

"I have a 10 page paper due for my composition class this Friday. I planned to work on it over Thanksgiving and the weekend, but my grandfather passed away this morning. My family knew he had a few days to live, so all week I have not been able to focus on writing my paper. 

Because my grandfather passed away, do I have a right to ask my professor if I can have a day or two of extended time to hand in my paper? Or will I not have any rights in asking that?"

I'm sorry that you lost your grandfather. I know it is difficult losing someone in your family.

Now, do you have a right to an extension? As a first generation or low income college student, it is important to know your rights and responsibilities as a college student. In this case, it will probably depend on the individual professor as well as the rules and regulations at your school. Chances are you can absolutely ask for an extension, but it is totally up to the professor whether or not you are granted an extension.

But if you don't ask, you won't get it. There is no harm in asking for an extension, you probably just don't have an express right to be given one. So be prepared not to be given an extension and take the consequences of that like an adult.

Also, if you are having an understandably difficult time concentrating after the death of a loved one, I would suggest visiting the counseling center at your college. This has two main advantages. One, you can get some support to help you grieve this loss. Two, It can help your case when asking for that extension.

One more caution, be aware that having a grandparent die is one of the most common lies that college students tell professors when asking for an extension. It boils down to being prepared to prove you did in fact lose a grandparent. Harsh, but sometimes required because of all the liars and cheaters that came before you. Good luck.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

How to deal with professors who hate you

Apparently, a handful of folks have found Ask an Advisor by searching "how to deal with professors who hate you" and landing on the things professors hate post... Well, your need has not gone unnoticed, so let's talk about how to deal with professors who hate you.

Photo credit: http://iwillgraduate.com/

This can be a sinking feeling that you suspect your professor doesn't like you all the way to a professor being openly hostile toward you. Whatever your situation, these 7 tips can help you deal with a professor that hates you:

Talk it out. Don't assume that a professor hates you. If you really want to know, take the adult route and ask the professor about it during office hours. It'll be kind of like asking a professor for feedback...

Behave yourself. When someone is giving you grief, don't give them a reason to lash out at you by always being on your best behavior. A model student is much harder for a professor (even a mean, evil one) to hassle.

Make friends. Collaborate with other students in your class on projects and assignments (without cheating, of course!). Other students that your professor doesn't also hate, that is. It can come in handy to have students on the professor's good side on your side, too.

Tell someone else. If your professor is really hostile, consider telling a trusted advisor, another faculty member, or someone in the dean's office. Sharing your side of the story is a good way to protect yourself.

Document everything. Keep any notes, emails, and returned assignments and make a log of incidents. You need to have evidence of the professor's evil deeds.

Empower yourself. This is the perfect time to figure out what your rights and responsibilities are concerning professor conduct and what your next steps should be.

Take it to the next level. If all of the above steps don't help you deal with that evil professor, follow the process outlined in your research of your rights and responsibilities. This is the most extreme step you can take, so be very sure about it and have a support system in place to help you through it.

Hopefully, you never have to deal with a professor who hates you... But if you do, now you know what to do about it.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

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.

Photo credit: www.ubsu.org.uk

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.

Things professors love

We talked about what professors hate, but what do they love to see from students? You might not know as a first generation or low income college student, so here's some things that melt professors' academic-loving heartstrings:

• Visiting professors during office hours.

I am a HUGE fan of steering students to office hours. Remember, it was one of the ways you can start the academic year of right. It's also one way to take some initiative and be proactive about your own education, which brings me to our next professor love...

• Asking for help more than a day before a test or an assignment due date.

Professors love students that recognize they might need some help or additional support, and ask for it! This is the adult way to show that you are taking responsibility for your own education.

• Reading the assigned readings and actively participating in class discussions.

Professors love a well-prepared student who is engaged in any discussions. It shows that you care about the class and are interested in the content. You can only fully participate in class by being prepared, and that means preparing yourself before class.

• Asking good questions during class.

This is yet another way you can show your professors that you are engaged in class and that you are thinking about the material. But, it is a fine balance between asking good questions and annoying your professors by asking too many or irrelevant questions. If you have a lot of good questions, office hours might be a better place than class if you've got more than, say, 5 questions or so.

With this list, you are sure to make a good impression on your professors. More importantly, you are sure to set yourself up to do well in class!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Things professors hate

As first generation and low income college students, you might not know what to expect from professors. Well, professors are human, and they have pet peeves just like everyone else. If you are doing any of the following bad behaviors, please, please, PLEASE, stop them immediately. These are things that professors hate, usually with a burning passion... and you don't want to have a burning passion of hate aimed at you, do you? (If your answer is yes, we need to talk!)

And now, the hate list:

• Asking "Is that going to be on the test?" or "Is that important?" 

Um, really? Just assume that everything that is covered in class and in textbooks is important and will be tested in some way. Asking this question shows that you are a minimalist trying to get away with doing as little as possible. Don't be a minimalist!

• Asking "How many pages do you want this paper to be?"

Chances are that the answer is in the syllabus anyway. Again, this is a question by a minimalist...

• Coming to class late or leaving early all the time.

Trust me, professors notice this sort of thing. If you must come to class late or leave early, let you professor know beforehand, apologize profusely, and sit close to an exit. Don't make a habit of it.

• Making excuses for your performance.

Remember, you're an adult. Act like it and admit when you're in the wrong. And, most importantly, work to correct it.

• Poor email etiquette. 

This means having too many typos, emailing your professors at the last minute, expecting immediate responses, and being overly casual in your emails. Although emails feel casual, think of them as professional correspondence, so spell check it, give your professor an appropriate amount of time to respond, and keep it professional.

• Eating noisy and smelly food during class.

Professors realize that sometimes you have to eat in class. It's a fact of life, just don't advertise it. Just say no to chips, pretzels, fish, or anything else that others can hear or smell. And this includes the packaging.

Like all the lists that I put together, this is by no means an exhaustive list of professor pet peeves. Some will hate more and some will hate less. Just act like an adult and be courteous and respectful, and you should be just fine.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Read textbooks BEOFRE class

After yesterday's study tips courtesy of College Lifestyles, I thought about one more very important piece of advice that a very wise man once gave me and a bunch of other first generation and low income college students during a summer bridge program that I attended before starting college: Read your textbooks before class.

Photo credit: www.darton.edu/

Chances are in high school and even at community college if you are/were a transfer student that you could get away with reading the chapters from the textbooks covered in class after class. Change this (bad) study habit immediately! The syllabus should lay out what chapters are being covered when, so plan accordingly and read before class.

There are some awesome advantages of reading before class--and some professors will expect you to anyway, even if they don't say it or it's not clear from their syllabus. First, you will already have a familiarity with the material when your professor goes over it in class. This means you won't feel so lost and confused if you you had questions and it gives you the chance to ask those questions while it's still fresh in your mind. (If you didn't think of any questions during class, but have them later on, go to your professor's office hours!)

Reading before class also helps you build a road map for your notes because you already know what to expect. You might be able to pick up on the important concepts and key words already, and now you know what to look and listen for. So now go be productive and have a great day of academic achievement while you are reading before class.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

3 Ways to Start the Academic Year Off Right

If you've just started or are about to start the academic year, now is the time to set yourself up to do well. As a first generation or low income college student, this is especially true.

Photo credit: www.openmoves.com

 Here are three things you can do help you have a successful academic year:

1. Meet with an on-campus advisor. At the beginning of every academic year, you should meet with someone on your campus to talk about your academic plan. Talk about what classes need to take to meet your requirements. Talk about what a reasonable amount of classes to take is. Set specific goals for the academic year, like finding an internship related to your major. Ask about campus resources that will help you achieve those goal--and actually use those resources.

2. Plan your semester or quarter. After you have attended all of your classes for the first time and have gotten a syllabus for each of them, plot out when all of your assignments are due and when your tests are. Pay attention to when you have a lot going on and when you have less stuff due. Use this to plan your study time and fun time for the semester or quarter.

3. Go to your professors' office hours. Professors hold office hours to be available to students. One of the biggest complaints from professors is that students don't go their office hours, and when they do go it is often too late. Don't wait until you have a problem or a bunch of questions to talk to your professors. When you visit professors at the beginning of the academic year, introduce yourself and let them know what interests you about their class. Ask if they have any advice about being successful in their class, ask them about their research or academic interests. Establishing a relationship with your professors early on can lead the way to things like internships and research opportunities (you want these types of opportunities!).

In my experience working with first generation and low income college students, taking these three steps really can make the difference between having a not-so-good year and a good year. Here's to you having a good year.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.