The Scary Professor

You have a question for your professor. Now what?

Professors can be intimidating. Most of them are clearly brilliant; they have PhD s and are doing leading research in their fields. They are significantly older than you are and they are comfortable in their position of authority as subject matter experts and leaders in the classroom and on campus. You may see them bustling through the halls or across campus looking like they are quite busy (as they probably are). Interrupting someone that important and asking them to take time out of their day to help you is hard, especially if you aren’t used to advocating for yourself.

The good news is that every professor I know wants you to succeed in their class. They want to share their love and passion for their subject with you and perhaps instill an appreciation for it in you. They work at a university because they like to teach and they like to interact with students. Your goal and their goal are the same – you both want you to learn something about the subject and to come away with a grade you are happy with. Knowing that you are starting from a common set of objectives can make that first meeting with a professor so much easier!

As much as your professors want to help you, there is a right way and a wrong way to approach them for assistance. Let’s use a pop quiz to help you avoid some pitfalls and instead adopt a few best practices.

Question 1 – When you have a problem and need to talk to your professor, you should:

a) Send them a text message. Sure, it’s midnight, but that is when you are working and they work for you, right?

b) Show up for class 3 minutes early and ask them your long, involved, private question while the rest of the class is filing in. They should make time for you regardless of how busy they are getting ready for class.

c) Check your syllabus for office hours and preferred methods of contact. Visit their office during their specific office hours or use their suggested method of contact to schedule an appointment with them during a time which is mutually convenient.

d) Stop by their office next time you are near their building. You are never over that way during their office hours, but they should be available anytime.

e) Ask your mom to call them for you. She’s good at things like this.

The correct answer is C. Use your professor’s preferred method of contact and respect their working hours. Check your syllabus – it probably lists a few office hours during which the professor commits to being available to students with questions. It probably also indicates if stopping by their office would be the best idea or if a phone call or email would be better. Sometimes professors have a line of students outside of their office during stated office hours, but would be happy to meet with you at another time. Some professors might not mind if you just stop by at your convenience and knock on their door or if you ask a short, simple question before or after class, but others may see this as a rude intrusion. Respecting their stated preferences signals your respect for them and will ensure that your relationship gets off to a smooth start.

Question 2 – When you have scheduled a meeting with your professor, you should

a) Come to your meeting with the professor on time and prepared with list of specific questions.

b) Leave your syllabus at home. They are sure to have extra copies which you can reference during your discussion.

c) Get yourself worked up into a panic about how much you dislike the class and the dismal chances of the professor being able to help you. Arrive with an attitude of being helpless and hopeless.

d) Give yourself just enough time to get there after your last class. You don’t want to waste time sitting outside their office waiting for your appointment.

The correct answer is A. Make sure you have read the syllabus and any other referenced sources of information. The answers to your questions just might be in the instructions you have already been given. Have a list of specific questions ready to ask the professor. Know why you are there and what you want from them. Be respectful of their time by being punctual and getting to the point quickly.

Question 3 – Once you are in your professor’s office, you should

a) Complain about how hard the class is, how stupid required classes outside of your major are, how unprepared your high school left you, and how much smarter everyone else is.

b) Explain the challenge you are facing objectively, tell them what your goal is and then suggest specific ways they can help you.

c) Ask the professor to make special exceptions for you to make your life easier (outside of valid ADA accommodations which should be approved by Student Affairs).

d) Ask them vague questions and expect them to fill in the blanks and solve all of your problems for you. It’s just too hard to figure out how to navigate this complicated class on your own; they should be willing to give you step by step instructions.

The correct answer is B. This is probably an emotionally charged situation for you based on a problem which is causing you a lot of stress. It’s easy to get carried away with those emotions, to blame others for the problem and to try to find an easy way out. Resist complaining and take solution-based approach instead. State your goal clearly and be sure you have a solution or two to propose. Make sure that your goal is aligned with your professor’s goals. Remember, your professor has a deep interest in and respect for their field; this might only be a required course for you, but don’t belittle their life’s work by indicating that all you care about is your grade. Don’t expect them to solve your problems for you, ask them to help guide you to the next step and then expect to work hard and take action on their advice.

Choose your words carefully

When your professor asks why you are in their office today, instead of saying:

“I did terribly on the first quiz. I just knew I wouldn’t pass this class. I am so stupid. There’s no hope for me. This class is just too hard. HELP!”

Try something like, “I did not do as well on the first quiz as I hoped I would. I brought a copy of my quiz with me (hand it to them). I studied for the quiz by doing this, this and this. I was hoping you could give me some advice about what I could do differently to prepare for the next quiz.”

Instead of saying, “This assignment is completely unclear. I have no idea what you want me to do.”

Try something like, “I looked through the next assignment and I’m confused by question 2. Are you referring to the information in section 2.3 of the textbook? Would this response (hand them a rough draft) be close to what you are looking for.”

I hope you passed the pop quiz for today and feel more confident about approaching your professors for help. Remember, they want you to succeed. Reach out to them early and as often as you need to with specific questions and your best guess at the answer and then be ready to take action on their advice.