A Quick Guide on How to Talk to Your Professor

Sooner or later, you're going to need to reach out to a professor to get help with a class. When talking to a professor, keep in mind that all of them have PhDs and have worked a long time to attain them. If you talk to your professors the right way, they will be more ready and willing to help you. Here are some quick tips for talking to professors the right way:

• Emails. Always address the email as Dear Dr.___________, or Dear Professor___________. This shows them that you are a respectful student and they'll be more than happy to write back. Also, remember to always write your name and contact email at the bottom of your letter. This way the professors will have some way of getting back to you.
• Also, many professors won't respond to emails that are incorrectly addressed.
• Class time. Unless the professor says otherwise, save all your questions until the end of class. Many professors have a certain amount of information they need to get through before the class is over and they can't waste time answering individual questions along the way. Also, it shows a great deal of respect to them if you are able to save your questions for the end of class.
• Office hours. Always plan out what you're going to ask. I always like to jot the questions I have on a piece of paper or in the Notes tab in my phone, that way they're easily accessible. In hindsight, I would try to use paper because some professors might think it's rude for you to be on your phone.
• Show your attempts. If you are struggling with something, show your work to the professor. This proves that instead of blindly asking questions when you're stumped, you make attempts at understanding the material.
• Visit frequently. Especially if you're working on a project; if you visit your professors throughout the project and ask for their input, you'll probably get a better grade. Professors will pick up on your effort and if you make the changes they suggest, they'll see that too and your grade will reflect it.

If you follow these tips, most professors will notice and reward you for it. Sadly, some professors are a little stuck up and even these won't win them over. My advice would be to always give these tips a try. Many professors don't have students show up to their office hours. If you show up and show the professor how much work you put into their class, they should be pretty inclined to help you.

Thanks for reading!

~Anthony