<p>How helpful are professors' office hours?</p>
<p>as helpful as you want them to be</p>
<p>Depends on the professor. Some want to see you, others not so much.</p>
<p>Office hours can be pretty fun. Unfortunately, some students think they are too cool for it and miss out. What a bummer.</p>
<p>It depends on how confused you are. Profs are there to respond to specific questions, not to go over large portions that you "don't understand." If you don't have questions, going is usually a waste of time.</p>
<p>One time I missed class and the professor went over the lecture with me. Then again, I was on good terms with the professor!</p>
<p>Wow. You must've been the only person in OH. The ones I've gone to have been packed. Then again, most classes I've taken are the 200+ lecture types.</p>
<p>I've always enjoyed office hours. Think about it- you're sitting in a room with somebody whose /job/ it is to talk.</p>
<p>firax - Could you elaborate on how office hours can be "pretty fun"? My friend told me that I should go to all of my professors office hours the first day that the semester starts in order for them to get to know me so I stand out more for references, recommendations, asking for research, etc. Any truth in this?</p>
<p>it's too bad you newbs missed litwack, i went to his office hours, that guy was the original gangsta! there was just like 15 people @ his last office hours, just chillin' and talking about music, it was soooo nice, so....revolutionary. i'm gonna miss that class.</p>
<p>Azure: YES. How else are you going to get to know them?</p>
<p>All professors have office hours. Some hold more than others. Not very many people visit these office hours. Most of my professors have encouraged people to come by to talk about anything and everything -- including stuff that has nothing to do with the class or school in general, like punkdudeus alludes to.</p>
<p>Professors are people too!</p>
<p>It depends. At some office hours you're the only person and get to have the professor basically tutor you one-on-one. Those are useful. Then you have those office hours with 10 people and you don't really get to talk to the professor. I find those to be less useful.</p>
<p>I like discussion and TA office hours more. It's easier to learn from a student who can explain things at a different level and clarify things that commonly trip people up. Profs are often so long removed that they don't think what they're teaching is confusing.</p>
<p>I enjoy them. Most professors seem to see students one at a time. Some professors have a more discussion set up, where multiple students come in and everyone asks questions and talks. As long as I like the prof, I usually like the office hours.</p>
<p>Go to office hours- letters of rec can be very important, and tend to make or break academic graduate school applications for competitive programs.</p>