YouAlberta
Getting to know your professors can be intimidating at the beginning. What we perceive as a bank of knowledge, really is just a human being. Our professors are people too, but they are people with a wealth of experience. Students can gain a lot by getting to know their professors in a professional capacity and yes, this requires out-of-class engagement. Getting to know your professors will help you make meaningful connections in the field of your interest, and they can help advance you professionally through advice in the job search and academically through supporting your application to grad school or scholarships. But building this relationship doesn’t seem as straightforward as it actually is. To help with this, I outline the dos and don’ts of building a professional relationship with your professors.
Dos
Do: Respect the syllabus
Said simply, if you are taking a course with your professor, their syllabus is very telling of how they would like to engage with their students. From booking office hours to how they prefer to receive questions to the most basic answers to general course questions, it’s likely to be in the syllabus. Professors do put quite a bit of work into preparing the course and the least we can do as students is follow the contract they outline.
Do: Go to office hours intentionally
Going to office hours is the best way to get to know your professors, but going just to get to know them might not be the best way to start. Start going to office hours to discuss your coursework or general questions about your research, maybe even about your professor's research. Once you get your coursework questions out of the way, you can then start asking questions about your personal development and building your career in the discipline. This can look like getting career advice, job search advice, applying what you know in the discipline to the field and more. You can also get further academic support by way of graduate school and scholarship application support. Going to office hours will help lay the groundwork for your professional relationship.
Do: Align with their respective research fields
In other words, make sure you are talking to the right person. If you are building a relationship with a professor in a discipline or subdiscipline that has nothing to do with your interest, that might not be the most effective means to your end. Having a general idea of your professor's field of interest may help add additional value to the reason why you want a better relationship with your professor in the first place.
Do: Act and communicate professionally
As simple as it sounds, this is a common courtesy that is lost. If you book office hours, show up. If you are going to be late, let your professor know. When sending your professor an email, address them appropriately (Professor, Instructor, Dr, etc). Communicating effectively and professionally will leave a lasting impression on your professors. It will also streamline communication, cutting unnecessary back and forth.
Don’ts
Don’t: Assume boundaries
This is about not being disrespectful. Read your professor's body language and vibe. Practice some self-awareness so you can understand your professors' position in the conversation in relation to you, a student. This also includes not sharing overly personal things.
Don’t: Just show up to show up
Not being intentional comes across as a waste of time. It might even lead to an awkward staring contest. Being unintentional is not respectful of their time and effort. Coming prepared will make all the difference in building this relationship.
Don’t: Be unprofessional
Although you might begin to feel comfortable with your professor with time, do not confuse comfort with a lack of professionalism. There are boundaries that cannot be crossed. For example, if you feel comfortable calling your professor by their first name, don’t do so unless they specifically share that you can call them by their first name.
Don’t: Be THAT student
There’s always a student in a class that is THAT student. Whether that means always correcting the professors, asking way too many clarifying questions to the point that it is a hindrance to your class or anything along those lines, try not to. This does not mean you cannot ask questions at all but I think there needs to be a little more nuance to the answer that “there is no such thing as a dumb question.”