Here’s What To Ask In Office Hours (Even When You Have No Questions)
Everywhere you look for college advice you’ll see people telling you to go to your professor’s office hours. If you’re anything like I was in college, seeing this kind of advice makes you freeze. What are you even supposed to talk about in your professor’s office hours?
Now that I’ve been through graduate school and have gotten familiar with office hours (not to mention being a Teaching Assistant with my own office hours) I’ve realized that there is actually a strategy to effectively utilizing your professor’s office hours.
The first thing to know is that professors want you to come to office hours. Poke around on Academic Twitter for any amount of time and you’ll see professors lamenting when students don’t show up, or strategizing about how to get more students to join. So remember: you are not being a burden by showing up.
But, you may say, “I do want to show up, I just don’t know what to talk about!” That’s what this article is for. I’ll divide these questions up into three sections: questions for class, questions for college, and questions for career.
Questions for Class
These are questions pertaining to the course you’re currently in with that professor. In my experience, most students will only come to office hours if something has gone horribly wrong with their grades or attendance, but there is so much more to office hours than last minute damage control.
It is best practice to have a meeting with the professor early on in the semester:
- I want to be best prepared for this course, in your experience, what do students who do really well in this course do?
- What are some of the most common mistakes students make on [x assignment] that I should be looking out for?
- In the past I have struggled with [x concept], what do you think I could do to better prepare to learn it this time around?
But there are also questions that make more sense for later in the semester:
- I have been reviewing your feedback on my last assignment, what are some things you think I could focus on to improve my score for the next assignment?
- In your last lecture you explained [x concept] but I am having a hard time understanding it, would you be willing to explain it again?
- In class we have been discussing [x idea] and I have been doing my own reading about [y related idea], do you think there is a connection?
- I am really interested in [x concept] from lecture, do you have any further reading recommendations on this topic?
Questions for College
These are questions not about the specific course that you’re in, but about your general college or university trajectory.
- I am thinking of doing a thesis in [x area connected to your professor’s work], do you have any reading recommendations in this area?
- What courses will you be offering next semester?
- Do you think that [this course you are offering next semester] is a good fit for my career trajectory?
- Do you have any research opportunities coming up that are open to students?
- I am currently majoring in [x field] but am considering changing majors/picking up a minor in [professor’s department], could we talk about what that would look like?
Questions for Career
If colleges are jumping-off-points for our careers, then professors are absolutely essential resources for helping us in our future careers. The questions you ask here will, of course, depend on what your career path is.
- What kinds of careers have students who focused on [x area of professor’s expertise] gone on to do, in your experience?
- Do you think that there are opportunities in this field?
- What do you wish you had known before going on to work in this field?
- What kinds of experience do you think I should be picking up before pursuing this field?
- I am considering going on to graduate school in this field, do you have any advice for me?
- I am looking for an internship/job in this field, do you have any recommendations from previous students?
Final Notes
The more specific you can be in your question, the more helpful your professor will be for you.
And always remember: you can go to the office hours of a professor even if you aren’t in their course! Asking college trajectory or career questions from professors you haven’t taken a class with is perfectly fine, and it can be a good way to suss out what courses you should be taking in the coming semesters.
It is better to ask questions than to be utterly lost, and it’s better to build relationships with your professors now than after you leave the university. Happy asking!
Hi, I’m Mary! I’m an art researcher and avid reader. If you enjoyed this piece and want to hear more about writing, books, art history, education, and museums, consider giving me a follow. Thank you for your support!
