What’s an Office Hour?

During New Student Week, first years are prepared by a series of class-wide presentations about how to navigate life at Carleton. For the most part, these “Carl-Talks” give a pretty good introduction! However, one blind spot is the lack of attention given to a seemingly minor (but very important) aspect of academic life: office hours.

My first year at Carleton, I think I went to a professor’s office hours a grand total of one time. I was nervous about approaching professors, and unsure what I could really gain from talking to them about my essays that I couldn’t “figure out” by myself.

This was a big mistake!

Going to office hours can be intimidating—especially when you come from a high school that doesn’t prepare you on how to establish familiar and professional relationships with your instructors—but it is an essential skill to build. This is a crash course in Office Hours Etiquette and how to make the most of them from the perspective of a (mostly) reformed avoider. The advice will mostly be about approaching professors about academic essays  (since I have little experience with STEM class office hours).

What’s an office hour?

Office hours are scheduled weekly time blocks where professors make themselves available for students by holding appointments (or walk-ins) in their office. They are often held twice per week for about two hours per session. Information about a professor’s office hours is usually found on the top of the syllabus you receive on the first day of class, but if you are unsure when or where office hours are being held, ask your professor!

Why should I go to office hours?

You might be under the impression (like I was) that office hours were mostly for students who couldn’t help themselves and needed additional support. Thus, I didn’t want to show any intellectual vulnerability to my professor and avoided them. I wanted them to think I was smart!

However, asking questions and involving professors in your creative process does the opposite of making you appear stupid. Involving your professor in the process shows that you are serious about the project. Also, they are experts on the material you are writing about. They know better than you on what a good essay topic is. Let them direct you towards the questions worth exploring.

When should I go to office hours?

I recommend going to office hours when you are in the developmental stage of your essay or project. Professors can direct you towards ideas, refute bad ones, guide you to helpful outside resources that might help you strengthen your project, or lead you to the conversations already surrounding your thesis. It is also helpful to know if you need to go back to the drawing board! If the paper is due tomorrow, and your whole idea is flawed, you won’t really have time to take the substantial advice that the professor might be able to offer.

What are some questions I could ask?

How could I develop my thesis further?

Could you read this paragraph of my essay (not the entire thing!) and let me know what you think?

Could you point me in the direction of other scholars who have written about this topic?

Is this piece of evidence useful for my thesis?

Am I asking the right question in this essay?

Should I schedule a meeting?

Oftentimes, it is perfectly acceptable to stop by a professor’s office hours without giving any kind of email notice or setting up a specific time to meet. Sometimes, professors require a visit to office hours for certain projects or essays in order to make sure you are on the right track. And some professors have busier office hours than others. Pierre Hecker in the English Department has a lot of opinions on his students’ writing, so it is a good idea to get to Laird early and be ready to wait in a line of other nervous Shakespeare students.

Should I knock?

Yeah.

How should I address my professor?

It is common at Carleton to use first names when talking to and about your professors. However, when I send an email for the first time to a professor I have never had a class with, I often address them as “Dr. _____” or “Professor _____.” Avoid using the word “hey” in emails to professors you do not have an established relationship with. If you feel uncomfortable about using first names in person, you can always call them “Professor” still!

What other academic support resources are available?

For help with essays or other writing projects, visit the Writing Center on fourth libe! The Writing Center is staffed with great student writers who are always helpful with giving feedback on or bouncing around ideas about your papers. The Quantitative Resource Center, also on fourth libe, offers support for STEM related classes as well. Some classes have TA (Teaching Assistant) sessions, and some departments have student advisors who hold study sessions and office hours as well. There are all sorts of great supplemental academic support resources on campus. People want to help! You just have to reach out.

Jess (he/him/his) is a junior English major/Creative Writing minor from Milwaukee, WI. He works for Admissions and Off-Campus Studies, blogging up a storm. On campus, he can be found on the Bald Spot with a book, next to the CD player in the Record Libe, or along the trails of the Arb on a late night run. He is a big fan of spring term and dining hall vegetarian sausage. As far as Northfield coffee shops go, he remains loyal to Goodbye Blue Monday.