How To Approach Your Professor - For Help or to Answer Questions Outside of Class

College professors are there to guide you and teach you throughout your course of study. This is true whether you are involved in an undergraduate or graduate program. If you are having problems with a particular class, one of the first places that you should seek help is from your professor. In this article you will find advice on how you can go about approaching your professor for help. It will also detail out what you should do when you actually meet with him or her.

How to Approach Your Professor

Contact
Most professors can be contacted in a couple of different ways. Professors tend to have office hours set up at least once or twice a week. This is a time for students to come by and speak with them if they need help, guidance, or assistance. You can usually find this information on the course syllabus. If you cannot make it to your professor's office hours or you miss their office hours you can also check the syllabus for alternative methods of contact, such as a phone number or email address.

Prepare for Your Meeting

Once you have scheduled a meeting with your professor, prepare for your meeting ahead of time. Be prepared, so that you can get straight to the point when you arrive and get all of your questions answered before you leave. Especially if you are meeting with your professor during office hours there will be a short timeframe for you to get help because other students will be waiting to see him or her. Also professors are very busy teaching classes, conducting research, etc., so their office hours do not tend to be that long.

Questions
Prepare a list of questions to take to your meeting with you. This will keep you focused and on track and won't allow you to forget anything. If you are efficient you should be able to accomplish everything in one meeting, rather than having to keep coming back with further questions.

Supporting Materials
Bring anything with you that is class-related and/or related to your questions or concerns. If you need to refer to a textbook, mark the pages so that you can turn to them quickly.

Come Prepared
Bring something to write with and write on to the meeting with you. Your professors may provide you with the information that you need and you will want to write it down, so you don't forget. Also you may want to refer back to these notes as a record of your meeting.

At the Meeting

Be On Time
Show up for you meeting with your professor a few minutes ahead of the scheduled time. You may have to wait for a few minutes but it is better that you have to wait than to keep your professor waiting. If you need to cancel or reschedule your meeting, be sure you call your professor and give them advance notice.

Be Respectful
Address your professor by his or her title and last name. Tell him or her your reason for requesting the meeting and ask him/her for help, advice, etc. Listen very politely to everything that your professor has to say. Don't interrupt or get argumentative.

Express Gratitude
Be sure to thank your professor for their time when your meeting is over. If you need to schedule another appointment then try to do so at this time.