How to Impress Your College Professor

April 30, 2024 :: Admissionado Team

Meeting with your professor can be an intimidating experience. Whether you’re a freshman or a senior, knocking on that door is always a bit daunting. After all, professors are important, distinguished members of society, and they are in control of your grades. However, it’s also important to keep in mind that they are there to help you, and to pass along their wisdom & knowledge.

The Truth About College Professors

(Most Often) They Love Talking to Students

The truth of the matter is that very few students actually go speak to their professors in person. Whether they are enticed by the convenience of email or simply fear social interaction, I have had numerous professors tell me that no one ever comes to see them when they hold office hours – and guess what? They wish this wasn’t the case. Professors set up these office hours because they want to speak with their students. Not only do they want to answer any questions you have from class or help you with an essay, but they want to get to know you a little bit. Teaching at the university level can be a very impersonal experience, especially when they are teaching introductory courses with as many as 1,000 students. They want to meet with you, really. So keep this in mind as you’re walking into their office.

Connections Are Important

Not only does it improve your experience in university if you take the time to get to know your professors, but it will likely be advantageous in the long run in terms of the opportunities that such a connection offers you. You never know when you might need a reference letter. Exchange programs, scholarships, job applications, and graduate school applications often require at least one letter of reference. A professor is a great option for a letter of reference as they can attest to your work ethic and your skills/level of knowledge in a particular area. In addition, professors often hire students as teaching assistants or researchers and forming a good relationship with a professor could give you a leg up.

They May Not Remember You

If you’re worried that you will say something embarrassing or that you won’t sound smart, keep in mind that professors teach hundreds of students at one time, and thousands of students in their careers. As much as they try to get to know their students (and as much as seeing them in their office hours will help), they likely will not remember if you make a mistake or say something embarrassing.

They Are Normal People

Now I know you already know this, but I just want to remind you: professors are normal people. You should have no reason to feel nervous or intimidated. At the end of the day, they are there to help. They have chosen a profession where it is their job to interact with students on a daily basis and so they most likely enjoy these types of interactions.

How to Impress Your Professor

Be friendly

Remember from the last post: professors are PEOPLE, too. It’s okay to, you know, say hello when they enter the room, or smile if you feel like it. Most professors won’t turn into the Incredible Hulk on you, and will actually appreciate the kind gesture.

Be supportive

Ask your professor what they’re working on. Most professors are also working on some major research or creative project that is related to the class they are teaching. Most likely they love talking about it, and if given the chance will talk for ages about it, and will be thrilled that someone cared enough to ask.

If a professor invites the class to an event that they are going to be presenting their work at or have organized, GO. Your professors have lives outside of teaching the one class you are taking. Their lives revolve around their academic interests, and they are paid very little and receive very little praise for doing what they love. So go, support them in their professional endeavors, and it may even be an enlightening experience for your own intellectual growth.

Contribute to the learning experience outside of class

If you find out about an event, a talk, a gallery opening, a show, or anything that relates directly to the topic of the course, forward it to the professor. This will show him or her that you’re thinking about what you’re learning outside the lecture hall. The professor may even choose to include the event as part of the syllabus, or as a class trip. Bonus points for adding something valuable to the dialogue!

Take advantage of office hours

You can also visit your professor during his or her office hours to talk more about the class. So few students actually do this. It’s a great opportunity to get personal attention from your teacher, so why not go? Think of a question to ask, or zero in on something that you found particularly interesting that you want to learn more about, and go. Otherwise, your professor will be sitting in his or her office, alone again, in that silent, vacuous void.

Don’t just care, LOOK like you care

Students aren’t always aware of it, but their body language and in-class behavior speak volumes to a professor, and though a professor may seem lost in their own little lecture dream-land, they notice everything. So the student who is slouching, yawning every five minutes, coloring every other line in their notebook, and texting behind their textbook, is obviously not going to make a professor feel as appreciated as a student who is sitting up, making eye contact, nodding, and taking notes.

Ask questions in class

For some reason, students tend to feel intimidated or shy when it comes to asking questions in class. Professors will often pause during a lecture to ask questions. This is because they WANT to start a discussion. If all they hear are crickets chirping, that feels crappy. So prepare some genuine questions to ask before class, and be the person to fill that silent, vacuous void. Your professor will be grateful and interested in what you have to say.

Respond to questions in class

The same goes for answering questions. A teacher may pose a question in the middle of a lecture for students to discuss. Many students feel worried about getting it wrong and looking stupid, but even if your answer is incorrect or a little bit incoherent, your professor will greatly prefer that to the all-too-familiar silence.

Be proactive

Nobody wants to volunteer to do a presentation first, but the ones who DO volunteer first stand out because of their confidence and enthusiasm. (Plus, if you go first, your professor will probably be more lenient with your grade since you’re kind of the guinea pig.)

*** IMPORTANT CAVEAT***

While you should absolutely respond to questions, ask questions, and be proactive, don’t dominate everything. Don’t be the only person doing these things, and make sure you allow for other students to participate equally. If you steamroll over people or try to make the class the ME-show, you will actually annoy your professor, not impress him or her.

Professors are people, too, and like to feel appreciated. The way professors feel appreciated isn’t through gifts or saccharine praise, it’s through students who demonstrate a genuine interest in the subject. Your professor is probably teaching his class because he or she has spent a LOOOOOONG time studying this topic or writing about this topic or working in this field, so he or she would probably be ecstatic to know that you share his or her enthusiasm.