<p>I never go. Usually, I just e-mail questions like 5-10 times per Quarter when I need help. But, in addition, for this one class I:</p>
<p>1) Went to check on my grade for the class and ask a question about a question on the midterm.
2) Went for help with an extra credit assignment
3) Picked up a couple of quizzes and later in the day went to ask a few questions about one of the quizzes.</p>
<p>In a class of like 50, is this typical or do students usually go a lot more than I do? Less? I was wondering because my grades got better and I felt more confident in that class than any other class where I didn't go at all.</p>
<p>I very rarely go unless it’s out of my control (like having to pick up something or drop something off). Most times I go it’s because I’m stumped on a design project or something and needed some yoda wisdom. I’m not easily stumped though. But otherwise I think the people that go constantly are using office hours as a crutch.</p>
<p>Also, most questions that someone might go to office hours to ask a professor about I assume are too difficult to be on the exam. This thought process hasn’t really failed me yet.</p>
<p>Depends on the class. Some of my advanced math classes have extremely useful office hours, where over half of a class of 50 people might go in a two hour period.</p>
<p>Is it normal to just be in a professor’s office hours for a few minutes? I’m just wondering if I’m giving the impression that I want to get out of there (which I don’t). Today I went to my Sociology prof with a question and we talked about the question for a few minutes, joked a bit about the weather, and then I left. Overall, I was probably there for about five minutes…is that normal?</p>
<p>^ Yes…? Profs <em>generally</em> don’t want you there just killing time- they could be doing more productive things lol. They know you’re busy and they know you might only be there for a few minutes. I doubt it’ll even stick in their mind that you were only there for one question.</p>
<p>I haven’t been to a prof’s office hours in like 2 years. If your question can’t be answered from the book then it won’t be on the test…hence why bother asking the prof about it.</p>
<p>Nothing grinds my gears more than kids who ask profs stupid questions like “what about [insert obscure boundary conditions here]”.</p>
<p>Usually there’s a few regulars and then a large number of students who never go to office hours or very rarely.</p>
<p>But from what I can tell, many professors hate answering substantial questions by email and would much rather talk to students during office hours.</p>
<p>^ Second this. I’ve had prof’s say outright in the syllabus that they won’t answer technical homework questions via email. Never really bothered me since I copy the solutions manual anyways :)</p>
<p>I’ve gone to office hours to ask about a paper/lab report/project, and to ask for recommendations. Generally, I find them useful, although I only really go once or twice per term.</p>
<p>It depends on the professor. Some of them encourage students to drop by anytime, but some are less approachable and prefer e-mail as a form of communication, holding off the face-to-face meeting unless it’s a dire situation.</p>
<p>I’ve personally only visited two of my professors. I try and see them AT LEAST twice in a semester, so they get to know my name and face. It makes the class less intimidating if I do that.</p>
<p>to those who don’t go to office hours and are considering going to grad school, do you feel that this hurts your likelihood of getting good letters of rec? i’m a junior econ major and i want to go to school for public policy/administration and i never used to go to office hours, but i think i’ll start this year just because i want to build better relationships with my professors.</p>
<p>Chemistry or math, I’ll go. But some of my other classes that aren’t as work-heavy and don’t have problem sets I don’t usually need to go. Like others said, If I just need to know something really quick and I’m not planning on using that professor for a LOR in the future, I’ll email them. Quick and painless.</p>
I rarely if ever went to office hours as an undergraduate but I did personally interact with the professors who wrote my letters of recommendation: one was my undergraduate thesis adviser, one supervised an independent study course and one supervised a summer research project. I also regularly met all three of them at seminars and department teas.</p>
<p>Try to interact with your professors enough that they are not surprised when you ask them for a letter of recommendation.</p>
<p>One of my sister’s friends was applying to graduate school for an MA in Sociology and she made no relationships with any of her professors what-so-ever. When the time came along for her to submit letters of rec, she asked one of her teachers…he told her, “I’m sorry, but I don’t know you.” Poor girl went home bawling because none of her professors would write her one…but then again, it’s her fault for not putting effort in getting to know any of them.</p>