Interacting with Faculty
Interacting with Faculty
Transcript
It's a regret commonly articulated by my graduating students, "I wish I had gotten to know my professors better." Here are a couple of strategies to make sure that's not a regret you have when you graduate from college. Here are some ways to connect with faculty, build relationships, and make sure that there are faculty members on your team supporting you not only in school, but for your future endeavors.
The first is to utilize their office hours. Professors hold scheduled office hours week after week, after week and in most cases, they sit in those office hours, they twiddle their thumbs, and they wish you'd come visit them. Professors hold office hours because they want to meet with students. They want to talk to you, they want to get to know the people in their class, they want to help you with material, and they want to learn about what you're interested in, and how they might help. I understand that professors are very busy. I understand that they're highly credentialed, and I understand that in some cases, they can be intimidating. But one way to see your professors less as those intimidating figures and more as people on campus who are trying to help you is to go get to know them in their office hours.
Not only is it a great opportunity to learn about how they became a professor, to learn more about why they're teaching what they're teaching, and to get to know a little bit more about them as people, but also, it's an awesome opportunity for academic support to ask clarifying questions about the material, to ask how best to approach the course, and to get clarification and guidance on exams or evaluations you already done. It's a great place, too, to ask questions that you might not be comfortable asking in lecture in front of a whole bunch of people. It's a more private setting, it's a more intimate learning environment, and again, it's a great way not just to get to know your professor, but also to get to know your material a little bit better.
And remember, building relationships with faculty is key because faculty are a primary resource that you have access to as a college student. Yes, these are people who are going to help you with material that you're learning now, but they may go on to write letters of recommendation for you, they may go on to connect you to research opportunities and internships, or they may be able to connect you to other professors who are interested in the academic material that you're interested in. So if they hold office hours, go to office hours. Get to know them and have them become part of your support team. As you think about getting to know faculty, it's sometimes useful so that you're not overwhelmed to set a kind of goal for yourself.
One recommendation that I make to students is to try to build one meaningful relationship with a professor every single term. It's simply not realistic or viable to build meaningful relationships with every professor you have every single term. If you did that, that's all you'd be doing. Plus, not every professor is going to be someone you want to build a relationship with. Sometimes, you may just not connect with somebody, or you may be taking a class with them that doesn't particularly interest you. So, as you look at your slate of professors every term, try to identify someone who you think you can connect with, or try to identify someone whose interests match closely to your own. Go to your office hours and get to know them. Another good idea is, if possible, to take more than one class with the same professor. A professor can write a strong letter of recommendation after having had you for one class, but they can write an even stronger letter if they've had you across many classes. In that case, they can speak to the quality of your work not just in a single context, but in multiple contexts. It's also a good idea to keep in touch with professors to maintain your relationships with them.
If, for example, you have a professor that you really like in the fall and you get to know that professor well, it's a good idea in the spring, even if you don't have a class with that professor, to write an email to them in the middle of the term asking how they are, setting up an appointment, or going to their office hours just to catch up. It's a good way to maintain your relationships and when the time comes that you do need their support for something, they won't have forgotten you and you'll be fresh in their mind. As we talk about building relationships with professors and as we talk about getting to know them not just as authority figures in the classroom, but also as people, it is important to make sure that there are boundaries in place and that you keep these relationships professional.
As you get to know someone and learn that you like them, it's tempting to want to divulge personal details about your life, or to let someone into your personal life in certain ways. It really doesn't work particularly well for students and professors because there's a power dynamic there. At the end of the day, your professor is responsible for evaluating your work, and you're responsible for submitting work to your professor, and so the way that dynamic works best is for there to be a boundary in place to keep your interactions professional.
Again, it's tempting to talk about personal lives, but you should really talk about your personal lives with your personal friends. And of course, amorous relationships are not a good idea with professors, so do avoid them. If you find that you're ever in a situation where you feel you've had an encounter with a professor that's inappropriate or concerning, make sure to talk to your academic dean right away. I want to talk now a little bit about asking for letters of recommendation, because this is one of the primary things that students are going to ask for from professors and it's one of the primary ways that professors help students in a concrete way. Professors are supposed to write letters of recommendation for students if they feel they can do so, and so you shouldn't feel weird about asking for a letter, but there are ways to ask for the letter that will make that interaction a little bit smoother and will allow your professor to write the most effective letter for you.
And so, let's talk about what those are. The first is, if possible, ask for a letter of recommendation in person rather than over email. After all, you are making a request and you are asking for something to be done on your behalf, and so the courteous thing to do is to make that request in person. Either email the professor to set up an appointment or visit office hours and make the request. And when you do so, don't be afraid to ask the professor if they can write you a strong letter of recommendation. I know that may feel a little bit presumptuous to ask for a strong letter of recommendation, but making sure the professor feels they can do that for you is not only an important fact to establish, but it also gives the professor an opportunity to get out of doing it if they feel that they can't write a strong letter or they don't have the resources of time and energy to do it at this particular moment.
When you're choosing who is going to write your letter for you, try to identify someone who knows your academic work well. It's tempting to try to ask the most famous professor, and if you have a famous or well-known professor who knows your work well, that's always an ideal situation, but if you're choosing between someone who's well-known but won't be able to speak to the quality of your work and someone who's less well-known, but knows your work intimately, it's always best to ask the person who can speak most compellingly and in a more detailed way about your academic work. When you're making your request, try to give someone plenty of notice. Two to three weeks notice at bare minimum, depending on the time of year. Remember, if you're going to ask for a strong letter, it's harder to do so if you're only giving someone 10 days of notice.
Professors are busy. They have both professional and personal obligations, so try to give them the time that they need to write the best letter possible for you. Make sure that when you ask, you give them everything they're going to need to write that letter. That doesn't just mean your application materials and your statement of purpose for whatever it is you're applying for, it's also an updated CV and, in some cases, the most recent work you did for that professor. That means that the time that they spend writing your letter doesn't have to be spent trying to find those materials and put them together. Also, when you present your professor with a packet of materials that they're going to need to write the letter, it's often fully appreciated. Make sure that you come up with a plan with your professor about how you're going to follow up on completion of the letter.
Very rarely will a professor agree to write a letter for you and then write it immediately after that. They have a lot going on, they have their time scheduled several weeks out, and they're not going to write the letter for a little while. And sometimes, without a reminder, it falls off the radar, and so make sure you consult with your professor at the beginning proactively about how they'd like to be reminded to complete the letter. Some professors are just going to want a single reminder, some will want multiple reminders, and some won't need a reminder at all. Be sure to establish that upfront. And finally, when they do write a letter for you, thank them promptly and appropriately.
The best possible thank you is a hand-written card telling them how much their energy and effort means to you. Remember, professors didn't become professors without depending on precisely this kind of support. Professors once wrote for them and they understand that they now have to write for their students in order to help support them in their future endeavors. So don't be self-conscious about asking for these letters, but do make sure that you do the things you need to do to make that task as easy and as straightforward as possible for them so that the time that they would have spent trying to get all of the logistics in order can be spent writing you a strong letter of recommendation.
The first is to utilize their office hours. Professors hold scheduled office hours week after week, after week and in most cases, they sit in those office hours, they twiddle their thumbs, and they wish you'd come visit them. Professors hold office hours because they want to meet with students. They want to talk to you, they want to get to know the people in their class, they want to help you with material, and they want to learn about what you're interested in, and how they might help. I understand that professors are very busy. I understand that they're highly credentialed, and I understand that in some cases, they can be intimidating. But one way to see your professors less as those intimidating figures and more as people on campus who are trying to help you is to go get to know them in their office hours.
Not only is it a great opportunity to learn about how they became a professor, to learn more about why they're teaching what they're teaching, and to get to know a little bit more about them as people, but also, it's an awesome opportunity for academic support to ask clarifying questions about the material, to ask how best to approach the course, and to get clarification and guidance on exams or evaluations you already done. It's a great place, too, to ask questions that you might not be comfortable asking in lecture in front of a whole bunch of people. It's a more private setting, it's a more intimate learning environment, and again, it's a great way not just to get to know your professor, but also to get to know your material a little bit better.
And remember, building relationships with faculty is key because faculty are a primary resource that you have access to as a college student. Yes, these are people who are going to help you with material that you're learning now, but they may go on to write letters of recommendation for you, they may go on to connect you to research opportunities and internships, or they may be able to connect you to other professors who are interested in the academic material that you're interested in. So if they hold office hours, go to office hours. Get to know them and have them become part of your support team. As you think about getting to know faculty, it's sometimes useful so that you're not overwhelmed to set a kind of goal for yourself.
One recommendation that I make to students is to try to build one meaningful relationship with a professor every single term. It's simply not realistic or viable to build meaningful relationships with every professor you have every single term. If you did that, that's all you'd be doing. Plus, not every professor is going to be someone you want to build a relationship with. Sometimes, you may just not connect with somebody, or you may be taking a class with them that doesn't particularly interest you. So, as you look at your slate of professors every term, try to identify someone who you think you can connect with, or try to identify someone whose interests match closely to your own. Go to your office hours and get to know them. Another good idea is, if possible, to take more than one class with the same professor. A professor can write a strong letter of recommendation after having had you for one class, but they can write an even stronger letter if they've had you across many classes. In that case, they can speak to the quality of your work not just in a single context, but in multiple contexts. It's also a good idea to keep in touch with professors to maintain your relationships with them.
If, for example, you have a professor that you really like in the fall and you get to know that professor well, it's a good idea in the spring, even if you don't have a class with that professor, to write an email to them in the middle of the term asking how they are, setting up an appointment, or going to their office hours just to catch up. It's a good way to maintain your relationships and when the time comes that you do need their support for something, they won't have forgotten you and you'll be fresh in their mind. As we talk about building relationships with professors and as we talk about getting to know them not just as authority figures in the classroom, but also as people, it is important to make sure that there are boundaries in place and that you keep these relationships professional.
As you get to know someone and learn that you like them, it's tempting to want to divulge personal details about your life, or to let someone into your personal life in certain ways. It really doesn't work particularly well for students and professors because there's a power dynamic there. At the end of the day, your professor is responsible for evaluating your work, and you're responsible for submitting work to your professor, and so the way that dynamic works best is for there to be a boundary in place to keep your interactions professional.
Again, it's tempting to talk about personal lives, but you should really talk about your personal lives with your personal friends. And of course, amorous relationships are not a good idea with professors, so do avoid them. If you find that you're ever in a situation where you feel you've had an encounter with a professor that's inappropriate or concerning, make sure to talk to your academic dean right away. I want to talk now a little bit about asking for letters of recommendation, because this is one of the primary things that students are going to ask for from professors and it's one of the primary ways that professors help students in a concrete way. Professors are supposed to write letters of recommendation for students if they feel they can do so, and so you shouldn't feel weird about asking for a letter, but there are ways to ask for the letter that will make that interaction a little bit smoother and will allow your professor to write the most effective letter for you.
And so, let's talk about what those are. The first is, if possible, ask for a letter of recommendation in person rather than over email. After all, you are making a request and you are asking for something to be done on your behalf, and so the courteous thing to do is to make that request in person. Either email the professor to set up an appointment or visit office hours and make the request. And when you do so, don't be afraid to ask the professor if they can write you a strong letter of recommendation. I know that may feel a little bit presumptuous to ask for a strong letter of recommendation, but making sure the professor feels they can do that for you is not only an important fact to establish, but it also gives the professor an opportunity to get out of doing it if they feel that they can't write a strong letter or they don't have the resources of time and energy to do it at this particular moment.
When you're choosing who is going to write your letter for you, try to identify someone who knows your academic work well. It's tempting to try to ask the most famous professor, and if you have a famous or well-known professor who knows your work well, that's always an ideal situation, but if you're choosing between someone who's well-known but won't be able to speak to the quality of your work and someone who's less well-known, but knows your work intimately, it's always best to ask the person who can speak most compellingly and in a more detailed way about your academic work. When you're making your request, try to give someone plenty of notice. Two to three weeks notice at bare minimum, depending on the time of year. Remember, if you're going to ask for a strong letter, it's harder to do so if you're only giving someone 10 days of notice.
Professors are busy. They have both professional and personal obligations, so try to give them the time that they need to write the best letter possible for you. Make sure that when you ask, you give them everything they're going to need to write that letter. That doesn't just mean your application materials and your statement of purpose for whatever it is you're applying for, it's also an updated CV and, in some cases, the most recent work you did for that professor. That means that the time that they spend writing your letter doesn't have to be spent trying to find those materials and put them together. Also, when you present your professor with a packet of materials that they're going to need to write the letter, it's often fully appreciated. Make sure that you come up with a plan with your professor about how you're going to follow up on completion of the letter.
Very rarely will a professor agree to write a letter for you and then write it immediately after that. They have a lot going on, they have their time scheduled several weeks out, and they're not going to write the letter for a little while. And sometimes, without a reminder, it falls off the radar, and so make sure you consult with your professor at the beginning proactively about how they'd like to be reminded to complete the letter. Some professors are just going to want a single reminder, some will want multiple reminders, and some won't need a reminder at all. Be sure to establish that upfront. And finally, when they do write a letter for you, thank them promptly and appropriately.
The best possible thank you is a hand-written card telling them how much their energy and effort means to you. Remember, professors didn't become professors without depending on precisely this kind of support. Professors once wrote for them and they understand that they now have to write for their students in order to help support them in their future endeavors. So don't be self-conscious about asking for these letters, but do make sure that you do the things you need to do to make that task as easy and as straightforward as possible for them so that the time that they would have spent trying to get all of the logistics in order can be spent writing you a strong letter of recommendation.