<p>Before you go to office hours to get help with a particular assignment, question, concern, etc. do you personally email the instructor first to ask them if they can help with a specific concern (so they can expect that someone is coming) or do you just randomly go in and ask for help without any notice?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>I don’t think I’ve ever told the professor in advance that I was going to his/her office hours. But it’s really a matter of personal preference than anything else.</p>
<p>Professors are supposed to be sitting there waiting for you during office hours - no appointment needed. If you want to send a heads-up email, that’s nice but not necessary. (If a student tells me to expect them at a specific time during my office hours, I will make it a point to be there, and will give that student priority if there are other people waiting, however.)</p>
<p>The first time I went to office hours, I emailed the professor beforehand; he told me people don’t do that in college, haha.</p>
<p>I just show up to office hours. I’ve only gone to two professors’ office hours though, but they were super chill</p>
<p>I usually just show up; it’s been nice so far. I’d only email the professor if you want to meet with him/her for a longer time, in case other students also want to show up for Office Hours. It’s really annoying when you just have a quick question, but the student who got there five minutes before you spends an hour and a half going over an entire test or paper.</p>
<p>I had a professor tell me at the beginning of the year to email him before going just in case.</p>
<p>But for the most part, I think they kind of just expect people to show up.</p>
<p>Okay, i see now. Thanks</p>
<p>If it’s their regular office hours they’re expecting people.</p>
<p>If you want to meet them outside their office hours then you should email them.</p>
<p>^agreed. if I need to set up an appointment, I’ll email or speak to my professor directly after class (then email again to remind them that I’m coming). Office hours are just that, the prof is sitting in their office waiting for someone to come talk to them. My physics professor complained the other day about how lonely his office hours were and how we’d all better get 100’s on the next test if we didn’t need to come talk to him. :P</p>
<p>You randomly go in and ask them. That is the point of office hours.</p>