The Value of Your Professor Outside the Classroom As you go through your college education, online or in a traditional classroom make sure that you take advantage of the value that your professor provides. Many students will go through their entire college careers without speaking with their professors outside of classes. What they don’t realize is that their professors are valuable assets and bring a plethora of benefits to their educational experience. Here are some of the different benefits that your professor can provide. Become a Better Student The first and most obvious asset that your professor provides is additional help in the class. You can go to them to ask questions about concepts in class that you did not understand. As long as you are respectful of their office hours you can almost have a personal tutor. More importantly however is the advice that professors can give to help you become a better student for all your classes. Improved writing skills, understanding of mathematics, or presentation techniques are applicable beyond the specific class they teach. Talk to your professor to learn things that are not necessarily being taught inside the classroom. Build Your Network Networking is another great benefit that your professor can provide. Their network includes other professors throughout the school, students, and professional contacts made throughout a lifetime. All of these contacts can be very valuable to you. Your professor will have the low down on different professors and can give you recommendations about which classes to take and from whom to take them. Other students interested in your similar field can be reached and partnerships can develop. Often startups are begun by fellow students who share classes together. The professor’s professional network can be a future resource for internships and jobs during your time at school and upon graduation. Earn your professors trust and they will grant you access to their network. Take advantage of this great opportunity to network. Make Life Decisions
A third benefit that your professors bring to the table is life experience. They have been in your shoes before. They have faced concerns about which classes to take, when to take them, how to find a job after college, which career to pursue, etc. They have learned valuable lessons through their own successes and failures during college and beyond and if you are respectful in asking your professors will share this information with you. Learn how to succeed beyond the classroom. If you study in an online class remember that you still have access to your professor and can take advantage of many of the benefits listed above. Make sure to reach out to them early as you won’t have the same immediate access as a traditional class. Whether students are in a college in Idaho Falls or a University in London many fail to realize the many benefits that their professors offer outside of the classroom. Seek out your professors during their office hours to become a better student, to build a professional and valuable network, and to seek advice concerning some of the life decisions you will soon be making. Photo Pin: [martin], Wirawat Lian-udom, Randy Levine