<p>I'm going into my second year of university, but when I was in high school, I was best friends with one of my teachers (who was also the director for the school plays, which I was involved in every year). She was my absolute mentor - gave me advice about everything, set me up with my then-boyfriend, drove me home on occasion, wrote me countless reference letters and knew instantly if something wasn't right. On the other side, she told me about her problems, asked my advice often, even cried in front of me when she was having a bad day. She and I are still in touch and visit whenever I'm home over the school break.
Now that I'm in university, I find that I really miss having that closeness. I was used to having close relationships with my teachers and suddenly, I find myself in a place where the professors are completely distant. Obviously there's a difference between being in a small-town high school and a big-city university, and I don't expect the tightness that I had with my teacher. It's just always been important to me to have some sort of personal connection with the people I'm learning from. Is this at all possible? Do any of you have any sort of relationship with your professors?
I also ask because I'm hoping to go to grad school and as such will need references, etc. How do I go about developing these relationships?</p>
<p>I haven’t started school yet, but it’s definitely possible to build a relationship with your professor. My older sister, who is attending uni, is good friends with three of her professors in her sociology department. It was so cool and weird because I tagged along with her during a research and they all got along as if they had known each other all their life. I think the key to building good relationships with professors is to find one who is researching/teaching what you’re interested in. My sister said that she visits their offices for help and questions and constantly involves herself in research with them. Although, I do know a girl, a friend of my sister, who had an affair with her English professor! Regardless, he gave her an A for all two years she took classes with him. He eventually got caught and fired!</p>
<p>It’s definitely possible! I mean, I don’t have a relationship with any of my professors like the one you described with your teacher, but I am still friendly with the majority of them. In August, I’m house sitting for my Humanities professor from last year. I was particularly close with the theater design professor (I’m a theater major) although, sadly, she isn’t coming back next year.
I would agree that the more time you spend around them, the likelier you will be to become friendly with them. In class, your remarks to them don’t always have to be about academics. Before or after class is a good time to just kind of chat with them. Also, the professors in fields you’re majoring in/are highly interested in are good “prospects” (so to speak) because you already share academic interests.</p>
<p>I’m very close with my advising professor. She’s one of the nicest and most giving people I’ve ever met, and she’s pretty darn talented in everything she does. I never hug teachers, and she was there hugging me when my grandma died.</p>
<p>I think a good deal of it is how much time you get to spend with the professor. If you take more than one class with them, obviously you’re more likely to become close with them.</p>
<p>I think it’s definitely possible, but how easy it is depends on your major and the school. I’m theatre production major, and we only have 30 students in total, and 6 professors just for our major. Because we take their classes every semester, and work with them often, all of us are on a first name basis. I’m particularly close to one professor whose also my advisor, and we have a similar relationship to the one you described with your HS teacher. Heck, most of us are FB friends with the professors of our major.</p>
<p>I think the easiest way is to find professor that you like through classes, then go to their office hours, and chat about the subject of the class (since it’ll be a mutual interest) as well as non-class stuff. Some professors don’t want those relationship, but most I found in my time as a college student are more than happy to sit down and chat about anything.</p>
<p>It probably depends quite a bit on your school. I imagine it’s more difficult to get to know your teachers if you’re in a school of 30,000 than it is in a school of 1,000. </p>
<p>People do get close to their professors, but I don’t know of anybody who has a relationship with them quite like you described.</p>
<p>yep, i have such a relationship with my japanese professor. :)</p>
<p>I say it depends on the college. I use office hours and have great connections.
Yet again, I have 20-30 people in class.</p>
<p>For a big university, where you are in a class of 50 or more, or have TAs, things are different.</p>
<p>I developed close relationships with all of my French and Italian professors. It’s definitely possible.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone! It’s nice to know that it’s not a completely hopeless case.
I do go to a really big school but I imagine it will be easier to get to know professors once I’m settled in my major.</p>
<p>(o<em>oYo</em>o) <- This close? I think its possible…</p>
<p>Really though
I see it the way PRiNCESSMAHiNA said it.</p>
<p>Also, I feel that relationships between a student and teacher should remain more within the “Professional Relationships” catagory. I understand that in college both parties are adults, and its even possible for the student to be as old/older than their professors.
Maybe its because I come from a career field where preception is everything, and how other people view you relationships(even if they are misunderstanding it) can generate negative feedback.</p>
<p>Definitely–I was close with a lot of teachers in my high school and they helped me out a TON. I am trying to do the same thing in college because I know the importance of making connections. I’m entering my second year and there are already teachers that I visit on a pretty regular basis. My current research mentor is a great guy and we are pretty close as well.</p>
<p>I’m close with my teachers too; I frequently ask them for advice on college. Which college do you go to???</p>
<p>I go to UBC (University of British Columbia) Vancouver - so it’s a pretty big school. Some of my classes this past year were between 25-30 people, but a lot of them were 250+…</p>