<p>It's been a few weeks in college, and I've been regularly visiting my professors' office hours in an attempt to get them to know me. Most times, I'd start with a tangent of a topic in class and discuss from there.</p>
<p>So, the end result is - I learn a lot of extra things, etc.</p>
<p>However, there is one problem - how do I get to know my professors, and how do I get them to know me? I mean, there's a lot of discussion going on, but it doesn't seem like they know my name.</p>
<p>Share your own personal opinions about the topic. Make arguments. Ask them about their own research and how they got there- they'll go more personal from there. For professors, as one just recently said, "I know my own sources than my own family!" This is a way of saying that professors' research is their life and very personal to them so they'll definitely talk about it like their own children (or spouse...). They'll mention how they got there and made that connection....</p>
<p>If you're going in there on a regular basis and having interesting conversations about topics related to class, they are learning who you are. Your relationship with them is a professional one, and as long as you're spending 3 hours a week in classes they designed and are running and another 6 hours a week working on the things they think are important, you're going to know them better than they know you. Which is great. This isn't grade school any more, and one of the ways you do academic work is to follow what people who know the stuff better than you do are doing. Right now you're trying to stand out from the rest of the students in your class -- and I'm willing to bet that just showing up for office hours prepared to discuss the subject at hand is standing out.</p>
<p>They may never know your name (most will eventually learn it), but if you keep doing what you're doing, they're going to be looking over the grades on the midterm or midterm paper or whatever you have and asking themselves, "Now, which one is that young woman [apologies if I guessed wrong] who always wears pink and who is always coming in with all the interesting comments? How did she do?"</p>
<p>You can expand your conversations if you like. Maybe you want to pursue one of those tangents further than you did in office hours. Maybe you want to read an article from a footnote in your book and go in and discuss that. Or a book written by the professor. Or a boook written by someone who disagrees with your professor. What interests <em>you</em> about the subject? Where can <em>you</em> take it?</p>
"Now, which one is that young woman [apologies if I guessed wrong] who always wears pink and who is always coming in with all the interesting comments?
</p>
<p>Haha, you described (to some extent), the kind of person I'd like to get as a gf. :)</p>
<p>In any case, wouldn't it be awkward if I go in after a few years and ask for a letter of recommendation, and I get this really nice letter with a blank for me to fill in my name?</p>
<p>Remember it takes time. They may have a ton of students and this is still early in the semester. Keep at it and perform well. They know the extremes, A's and F's quickly.</p>
<p>Sorry to bump an old thread but lets say im going to need recommendations for medical school later on, is it worth getting to know your professors as a freshman or should i wait until im a junior when i need the recommendations?</p>
<p>You don’t have to know a professor to get a recommendation from them. Some have templates that the use and change the name. But no, I would focus on profs which have smaller class sizes. It’s hard to standout in a freshman class of 200 kiddies.</p>