Back to school success factor: office hours
It’s almost Labor Day weekend - and that means getting ready for the fall semester! (Some of you have already been back for a week or two!) With a new semester comes new academic challenges - and opportunities. One crucial resource to draw on as soon as you get back to school is the extra help provided by your teachers - their office hours.
Different schools refer to office hours in different ways, but the concept is the same: it’s the dedicated time your teachers and professors set aside to meet with students outside of class. Your first step is to know when and where they are. If you know that a teacher’s office hours are at the same time as a sports practice or other extracurricular activity, that’s an opportunity to ask if they have any additional time available.
The next step is to make an appointment (some schools have drop-in sessions only). You should go to office hours before you need help with a project or assignment. It’s a great opportunity to meet with your teacher or professor one-on-one and for them to get to know you and your experience and interest in their course. It’s also a good way to know if they’ll actually be helpful when you really need it - are they present when their calendar says they will be? Do they give good advice or just refer you back to the textbook? If you know these things, you can make an informed plan of either seeking them out when you have difficulty or seeking out other resources (the school’s tutoring center; a peer; pertinent videos online; etc.).
Office hours also present opportunities beyond academic support. You might hear about a summer internship or school-term research project that the professor is conducting - and the personal relationship that you’ve developed and your demonstrated interest in and commitment to their course will show that you’re a good candidate for those opportunities.
Office hours can be a critical component of your academic success. Start off the school year knowing the specifics of where and when these are - and make an appointment today!!!