Office Hours

The Basics

If you are concerned about office hour etiquette, just remember to be respectful: Arrive to your appointment on time, address the professor by her last name with the appropriate title (professor, doctor, etc…) unless she has asked you to address her by her first name, keep your interactions professional, and thank the professor for her time.

If you still feel nervous about approaching an instructor, write down a list of questions or bullet points to discuss during the meeting to help keep you focused and on track, which will help boost your confidence. If you take advantage of office hours, you will likely discover that your instructors are approachable and willing to help.

Top 5 Reasons to Use Office Hours &
Tips for Using the Time Effectively

Whenever you meet with your professor, bring a notebook and pen to write down what you have discussed. It is easy to think you will remember what you have covered, but several days later, you will likely forget what you have discussed if you have not written it down.

REASON 1: INTRODUCE YOURSELF

Near the beginning of the term, it is fine to introduce yourself and discuss your interests, especially as they relate to the class.

TIP: Take cues from the instructor as to what is appropriate.
While it is fine to introduce yourself at the beginning of the term, be careful about only using office hours to chat about topics that don’t relate to the class, your future, or your academics. Instructors feel differently about this, so gauge your interactions with your instructor to see if it is acceptable to use office hours for chat sessions.

REASON 2: CLEAR UP CONFUSION

Instructors can help to clarify readings, notes or other questions you have about course material. Concepts and skill sets tend to build from lecture to lecture so it is very important to address confusion about lecture materials or readings as soon as possible. Letting gaps in your knowledge accumulate and waiting until a few days before the exam to try to generate understanding can create a very overwhelming and unproductive situation.

Tip: Go to office hours sooner than later.
Visit your instructor during office hours early in the semester and before you begin to feel overwhelmed. Ask your questions as they arise rather than waiting until they pile up.

Tip: Prepare before you go.
If you are utilizing office hours because you are struggling in the class, need clarification of concepts or need help solving problem sets, then do some preparation ahead of time. Read the required material, attempt to solve the problems on your own and review your notes before visiting your professor. Your goal is here is to try to identify where exactly you are having difficulty, so that you can get the best help from the professor. Write down specific questions, bring with you the problems you have tried and where you got stuck, highlight sections of your notes that you would like to discuss. If you have tried all this and still cannot identify where you are struggling, go to office hours and show the instructor what you have done thus far.

TIP: If you have missed class, target the most important concepts.
While it is appropriate to stop by office hours if you have missed a class or two and, therefore, need clarification on some of the course material, don’t expect the instructor to re-teach the material or have time to go over all the material you missed. Target the most important concepts and write down specific questions that you would like the instructor to address.

REASON 3: EVALUATE HOW YOU ARE DOING AND IMPROVE THE WAY YOU STUDY

It is appropriate to meet with instructors to discuss how you are doing in the class and to ask for assistance in evaluating your study techniques. Instructors can help you develop strategies to better understand course readings and assignments. They can help you formulate the kinds of questions you should be asking of the course readings, think about what you might do differently to better prepare for an exam, or analyze the results of one of your tests to better understand where the gaps in your learning lie.

Tip: Think about how you study for the class.
Before meeting with the instructor, think about how you study for the class and jot down some notes. Consider the following: how much time you devote to the class and how you allocate your time (i.e. do you study every day or do you study for 10 hours right before the test), how you use the textbook, how you use the notes, how you prepare for the test (i.e. Do you read through the notes and the textbook? Do you create flashcards? Do you give yourself practice test questions?).

Tip: Use a recent test as a springboard.
If you have recently taken a test, take the test with you to talk to the instructor about the questions you got wrong. Don’t simply find out the right answer, but talk about the way you approached the test, the types of questions you got wrong as well as the ones you got right. For example, were most of the questions you got wrong questions that required you to infer or apply your knowledge? If so, then ask the professor how you can better prepare for these types of questions.

TIP: Don’t expect an instructor to be more lenient.
Stopping by office hours to chat with a professor with the expectation that he/she will be more lenient in their grading is insulting and disrespectful. Professors have gotten where they are due to their keen analytical skills and will certainly pick up on this ploy.

 

REASON 4: ENHANCE YOUR EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE

Instructors are excellent resources to help you explore interests that relate to their area of expertise. Instructors enjoy talking to students who find the course material interesting, so if you like the class, visit your instructor during office hours to ask him/her to recommend other classes. They can recommend particular courses to help you develop an academic path that is coherent and specific to your areas of interest. They can help you to explore graduate programs that are most appropriate for you. They can discuss research opportunities that relate to your academic pursuits. They can suggest potential jobs and internships that would give you practical experience and allow you to try out your interests. They can also provide insight regarding campus organizations, programs and other opportunities that would help you to develop your academic path.

TIP: Give it some thought
Think about what your interests are and what you hope to achieve during your time in college. Think about the types of classes you have chosen and why you have chosen those particular classes. Think about what kinds of experiences beyond the classroom you would like to have and what you would like to do after you graduate. Be prepared to discuss these ideas with the professor.

TIP: Write down specific questions
Write down the questions you would like to ask. Your list might include something like the following: What concentrations would be the best fit for me considering my interests (of course, you would have to share those interests)? What job opportunities are available with someone who has my interests and goals? What kinds of organizations or programs would help me to develop my interests outside the classroom? How can I explore my interests through practical experience?

 

REASON 5: DISCUSS SPECIAL REQUESTS

Office hours may be appropriate for requesting a letter of recommendation or discussing an idea for an independent study or an internship opportunity. However, it is important to contact the instructor before meetings such as these to be sure office hours are appropriate. Instructors may prefer to meet with you outside of office hours.

TIP: For information on how to request letters of recommendation, click here.

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What UM Instructors Have to Say about Office Hours

from Brenda Gunderson
Senior Lecturer, Statistics Department

“Students should go to office hours because…
…we're a friendly bunch; but really, some people learn best by discussing the topic and getting one-on-one attention, and with large courses, office hours are really the only way to do this.
…you can get practice at solving more problems like those on the homework.
…you can get individual instruction time, with a much better chance of having your questions answered well than if they just went to lecture or lab
…we can help you to solve lots of problems
…there you can get personal attention
…your professor will get to know who you are and you might be more comfortable asking them to write you a letter of recommendation later.
…your professor has a candy jar on her desk and she said you can just come by and introduce yourself and say hi and enjoy a piece of candy!”

from Jan Gerson
Senior Lecturer, Economics Department

"Why should students go to office hours? I wouldn't just say "go", I'd say "go early". I get popular just before exams, but at other times am sometimes sitting in my office waiting for students to stop by. It's an opportunity to be engaged --- to review class material, expand on what you learned in class, or just talk about the discipline more generally."

from James S. Diana
Professor of Fisheries and Aquaculture, School of Natural Resources and Environment

“All faculty members have office hours to help the students in their classes with course materials. We generally are passionate about the material we teach, and would be more than happy to answer questions or explain things better so that you have a more complete understanding of the subject matter. One tip though is to come in with specific questions to be sure that you do benefit from the meeting.”

“The most productive office hour interactions seem to begin with a student pulling out a short, focused list of specific questions. It is helpful if they are able to reference a particular lecture or reading. This makes it possible to put the answer into a relevant context. Written questions are great strategy for focusing the meeting and it gives shy students a sort of script. Often the initial discussion will generate other questions and, ideally, the student walks away with a broader understanding of the topic.

I usually feel I can be most helpful in correcting any misunderstandings if I know what a student is thinking, so I often ask a student to try to answer their own question or simply to tell me what they think about a topic. I try to do this in a relaxed manner because it is not my goal to intimidate anyone. Office hours are an opportunity to have a conversation; it is not a test. It is okay to be wrong.”

from David Smith
Lecturer, History Department

“As an instructor of a large lecture course, I value office hours because it gives me an opportunity to speak directly with students from the class. In particular, it gives me the opportunity to better gauge how well students are understanding the material from lectures. If I find that students are not understanding the material, then I can respond to that in subsequent lectures. Learning is a two way process and I much enjoy talking with students about their own ideas as they develop out of our course material.”

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