What Should I Ask in Office Hours?

Student Lounge College Life
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Okay, so I know that there are already threads about office hours in general, and I have perused over all of them, but I find myself still panicking at the thought of attending office hours. So my hope is that a more specific thread will help me.

I’m a sophomore, and I still have never attended office hours. The thought of speaking one on one to a professor like that sort of freaks me out. What if I misuse office hours? What if I’m wasting their time? What if they think I’m an idiot? Etc. But I made it my goal this semester to both go to office hours and speak up in class more, and I really really want to stick to that goal because if I don’t do it now it’ll only get harder down the line.

The specific class I want to attend office hours for is my government class, American Political Campaigns. The professor is very funny and energetic, although he does tease/pick on people. It’s a largish class with about 80 people. I haven’t declared a major yet (and am super lost about what I want to do with the rest of my life) but government definitely interests me in general, and American Political Campaigns interest me specifically.

So, first some over-obsessive questions: His office hours begin right after class ends but in a different building. Should I follow him to the building or is that weird? Should I hang back a few minutes and then go to the building later? If I’m the only one there, should I knock on his door or go right in? Should I say what class I’m from? Should I announce I’m there for office hours? Should I introduce myself immediately? Should I launch right into some questions? How do I know when our discussion is done and I should leave? (Feel free not to answer all of these – I’m mostly just typing them out for myself so I can actually visually see all my concerns. But also feel free to answer them all).

And then here are a couple questions I have come up with to actually ask during office hours:

-I find your class extremely interesting. I’m a sophomore and haven’t declared a major yet, but government is definitely something that interests me. What are some potential career paths that I could take with a government major?
-Down the line I might be interested in becoming a professor, especially here at Cornell. What path did you take to become a professor?
-Are there any minors you would consider helpful to pair with a government major? (I don’t know about this one)

That’s sort of what I have so far. Are those appropriate uses of office hours? They aren’t talking about the course specifically. What other questions might I ask? I know people always say to ask professors about research; could that apply here? Or is that mostly just STEM fields? ANY advice whatsoever is appreciated!!!

Also, I am fully aware that I am over-thinking this way too much and I’m verging on being crazy. Whenever I see posts like this one I always roll my eyes and tell the poster “calm down you’ll be fine” so I know that’s what you guys are thinking!!! I never thought I would post such an obsessive/crazy post like this but for some reason this aspect of college TERRIFIES me and I need to get over this fear and anxiety so I really hope you guys can help out without being (too) judge-y about my insanity.

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Goodness, yes you are overthinking everything! First of all, I would take a couple of deep breaths. Whew, okay so basically office hours are there for the student to be able to interact with the professor in a non classroom setting. I don’t think you could really waste the professor’s time unless you ask stupid questions like when is the paper due and the professor has told you multiple times in class it is due Monday.
You seem like an intelligent person and discussing your future with a professor is a fine way to use their office hours. If the discussion needs to continue outside office hours then you and your professor can schedule a time and place to meet ( Always pick a public space like the student center if meeting outside office hours ) or maybe it takes place over several office hour days.
I have been to office hours with my professors and they are generally pretty chill. I would hang back a couple of minutes to give them a head start. The professor might have to go to the bathroom or something before heading directly to office hours and you following them might not give them a chance to do it.
If the door is closed I would definitely knock and wait for the professor to answer. Sometimes another student may be inside so I would wait by the door or find a place to sit. Usually the professor might recognize you but if not don’t worry and introduce yourself. Say "Hi, I’m Ranza123 and I’m in your APC at (whatever time remember sometimes there could be more than one section of the class). Explain why you are there. Tell them you want to discuss topics that may or may not fall into a category that the professor can help you with. A professor might suggest talking to your academic advisor, but if you hit things off really well you can always ask your professor to become an advisor to you as well. It never hurts to reach out and they could help you down the road with recommendations and what not.
I think it’s great that you have chosen a subject and wish to learn more about it. Most professors love to chat about the topics they teach. If you are still worried don’t be. Office hours are way different than instructional hours and you as a student are free to use the hours however you deem fit. Of course, don’t ask questions you know the answers to just to fill in time, but if all your questions are answered then thank the professor for their time and tell them that you are satisfied. If any other questions pop into your head ask the professor if they prefer you email them, speak to them after class, or head to office hours. Good luck

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Given the title of the class, I’m betting you could take something out of the headlines and connect it to something discussed in class, and ask if you’re on the right track…then launch into a more indepth conversation about your career goals.

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Another good one is: : “I know this is a really difficult class-- what are some of the common mistakes students make and how can I avoid them?”

As far as if you are overstaying your welcome, they will let you know if it someone else’s time to talk to them.