Face Your Fears: Go to Office Hours!

By Danielle Collins ‘20

Have you been to your professors’ office hours yet? If not, now’s the time! Your professors can help you prepare for tests and papers, understand class material, and share their experiences in their field. Professors hold office hours so they can talk to students: they want you to come! Trust me, they’re cool people, and you won’t regret getting to know them better!

It can be daunting to go to professors office hours for the first time, so here are some tips, tricks, and conversation topics to help you face your fears:

• The sooner the better: If possible, go to office hours before you have a test or paper coming up. Right before exams and paper deadlines, more people will be going so you might have less time to talk to your professor and you won’t stand out from the crowd as much.
  
• Have specific questions to ask: This is the best way to start a conversation! Show up with at least one specific question and start off by asking that. Picture this:
  
• “Hello Professor! I had a question about X that we talked about in class // or Y that appeared in the reading // or Z from the homework assignment. Is now a good time to ask you about it?”
  

• Be familiar with course material: Be ready to bring up specific discussions from class, particular passages from readings, or any other topics that stood out to you. This shows your professor that you are engaged in the class and interested in the material.
  
• “Thank you for your help with X, Y, Z! I also found the discussion we had about A // or point B from the reading really interesting and was wondering if we could discuss that further?”
  
• Segway to background: I always like to hear how professors ended up where they are. They all have had unique paths to end up at USC, and hearing their story can help you relate their path with your own experiences.
  
• “I find A or B so interesting and I’d love to keep learning more about it. How did you get involved with this field?”
  

• Bring the conversation back to the present: Professors all have their own projects and research going on outside of class. Ask them about it! Trust me, they are proud of their work and want to tell people about it. And there may even be opportunities for you to get involved!
  
• “So, what are you working on right now?”
  
• Make a personal connection: At some point in the conversation, find a specific point you can relate to. This could be course material that connects to your specific interests, an aspect of the professor’s background that is similar to your own experience, or a professor’s project that aligns with your career path. Or, it could be something as simple as growing up in the same state. Find something to help your professor make a connection and remember who you are!
  

• Politely bring the conversation to an end: Once you’ve talked about everything you wanted to, find a way to politely excuse yourself. Try something like this:
  
• “Well, thank you so much for your time professor. I think that’s all the questions I had, and it has been great to learn more about your experiences as well. I’d love to come talk to you again in the future. Thank you again, and have a good day!”
  
• If you have a specific day you will be coming back, feel free to say so.
  
• You can’t say “thank you” too much!

Once you’ve gone to office hours once, keep going back! Each time will be easier and you’ll be more comfortable talking to your professor. And you might end up making a great connection! Just remember to be prepared and polite. Your professor will be glad you stopped by!

**If you don’t have free time during your professor’s office hours, ask them if there’s another time for you to come. You can talk to them before or after class, then send them an email to set up an official time. Again, your professors want to talk to you, and they’ll be happy to help!

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