<p>This is silly but I never have gone to office hours before. I'm struggling in a class and my professor has noticed it. She even told me to come by her office hours. I feel kinda embarrassed to go since we both know I'm not doing too well. When I go in I don't exactly want be say. I don't want to say something like,"Hey, so am I going to pass?". In the email she told me to stop by and we can discuss study habits. </p>
<p>Why be embarrassed? It is not a sign of weakness or lack of intelligence. When my daughter started college she swore she was not going to office hours. I suspect that she didn’t want to admit she ever needed help. She finally went and found the room full of her fellow honors students. Now it is part of her weekly routine.</p>
<p>Your professor wants to help. Try identify what you don’t understand so you can ask the right questions?</p>
<p>You pay XX, 000 to go to University. Part of what they provide is tools to help you succeed. The college mandates that professors have office hours for this very purpose. There might be a Writing Center or Math center and tutors too. All that you have paid for! </p>
<p>So go to office hours and say “Professor, you mentioned that coming to your office hours might be helpful. This is the first time I have done that! You said we can discuss study habits. How do students who do well in this class study?”</p>
<p>As a TA with office hours, I often see that the students who would benefit from the office hours the most are the most reluctant to come. Profs and TAs like it when you come. We want you to succeed! (And it can be really boring to sit there if no one comes)</p>
<p>Your professor wouldn’t have invited you if she didn’t want to help you and if she didn’t think you could succeed.</p>
<p>A couple of ideas for conversation starters:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Bring your last exam/quiz. Are there questions that you thought you did better on and were surprised when you got the grade back? You could discuss that … NOT in a “how do I get more points” kind of way but a “I really thought I understood this concept. How could I have expressed myself better/studied differently” way.</p></li>
<li><p>Bring in your notebook. There may be something in the way you’re taking notes that could be a clue. </p></li>
<li><p>Keep a running list of things you’re not quite sure about during the lecture so you can ask for clarification in person.</p></li>
<li><p>Think about your study habits. How many times are you reading the material? how often do you go over lecture notes? when do you start studying for the exam? Many students eventually end up in a class where they need to radically increase their study time or the way they typically study.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Another good study skills resource would be the advising center/tutoring center/academic success center. Those folks are actually trained in study skills, whereas your prof is probably winging it.</p>
<p>Well I made an appointment for tomorrow morning. We’ll see how it goes.</p>
<p>You don’t go in and say “So, am I going to pass?” You go in and ask what you can do to make sure that you DO pass. Have some questions ready. Office hours are, first and foremost, for the clarification of concepts. Get together a few specific questions on things that are confusing you. For example, if this is a calculus class you do not want to go in and say “so how does integration work?” You’d go in with a more specific question like “I’m a little confused over integration by parts. How can I tell when a problem will require integration by parts, and how can I tell which factor to define as u and which factor to define as dv?” </p>
<p>There’s no reason to be embarrassed about going to office hours. The best students do. I’m a physics major, and the students that are doing poorly in my classes are the students that I never see at office hours. The students that are doing well in the class are frequently at office hours at the same time as me. As others have mentioned, remember that you have already paid for office hours. They are held for a very good reason. </p>
<p>I know that a lot of students feel awkward when going to office hours. I really enjoy them because I get to know my professors better, and my professors get to know me better so that I am not just “another student”. Office hours have actually really helped me do better and understand things more clearly. Sometimes, professors move too quickly, and a concept or topic doesn’t “sink in”, but some one-on-one help can really go a long way. A lot of the time that wire in your brain finally “clicks” after a little time with your professor. </p>
<p>Like the others have said, you are paying big money for college, and you should take advantage of everything that colleges offer. Don’t let yourself fall behind when help is readily available! If you are really uncomfortable, bring a friend. </p>
<p>I’m only embarrassed to go because I don’t want my professor to think I’m not doing well because I’m lazy or that I don’t care about my grades. </p>
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<p>Going to office hours will do the exact opposite. It will show your professor that you do care about your grades and that you’re working hard but are still having trouble with the work and would like help to do better. Ignoring her and not going to office hours shows that you don’t care.</p>
<p>I agree…they will think you are lazy if you don’t take any steps to try to rectify the situation!
But the professor’s mantra is “I can’t care more than they (the students) do”…so by going to the office hours you are showing you do care about your grades.</p>
<p>The only way an office visit will help you is if you are proactive in trying to improve your study habits. In other words, if you go in and ask him/her to bail you out, or ask “what can I do to get a B in the class?”… it won’t be helpful at all. You already know what you have to do to get a B in the class - do well on the homeworks/tests! It’s like asking someone how can I appease my hunger? You eat food! Problem solved…</p>
<p>On the other hand, if you have specific questions for the professor regarding clarification of areas that are unclear to you, going to office hours can be very helpful. And don’t feel embarrased… as others have already stated, going to office hours only makes you look good.</p>
<p>You’ll often find that the people with the highest grades in the classes are the ones who go to office hours the most… </p>
<p>What stradmom said is right on the money: make a list of things you want to discuss and be specific. I find if I wander into office hours I can’t remember anything I wanted to ask and end up making it an awkward situation. I’ve also found that going to office hours to discuss questions I struggled with on an exam or homework is an easy way to boost the grade. My professors seemed to be more lenient with grading if they knew I was truly trying and asking additional questions.</p>
<p>But don’t worry the first time…JUST GO!</p>
<p>So…how did it work out?</p>
<p>Went well! I told her about how I feel anxious while I study and she gave me advice. </p>
<p>I’m glad it went well for you!!</p>
<p>To chime in, I’ve found that going to professors’ office hours or talking to them individually before/after class has truly helped me succeed. </p>
<p>I’ll always remember the one time my freshmen year when I walked into my professor’s office, put my paper on the table, and asked her how to make my 9 a 10 in the future. Her face lit up and she said, “you’re well on your way, and you proved to me just now that you care enough to make it happen.” She then went over different ways I could have worded things and different ideas I could have introduced. 2 years later I still talk to her all the time and she volunteered to write a letter of recommendation for when I study abroad/apply to grad school. </p>
<p>So, YES, go to your professors’ office hours and show them that you care! You can learn more about the subject and also potentially gain a new mentor for later down the road. You never know! </p>
<p>Plus, they love meeting with students. I’ve never had a professor be rude or unwelcoming when I’ve stopped by their office hours. They’re always so happy and eager to help.</p>