Office hours are weird. Here’s how to make the most of them.

Sign showing office hours
Office hours signage. Photo Credit: Weingarten Center, University of Pennsylvania

If you’re like me, you’ve been here. Standing awkwardly outside your professor’s door, notes in hand, heart racing slightly as you rehearse your question for the tenth time.  When I first got to Princeton, my professors felt larger than life – giants in their field, accomplished researchers and authors. As an undergraduate, I felt like an ant in comparison. I felt afraid to go to their office hours, because their time felt so much more valuable than mine.

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Making Use of Office Hours

With classes in full swing, I thought I would share my thoughts on what is a woefully underused resource at Princeton: office hours. Going to office hours has been an extremely valuable tool for me in completing problem sets, studying for tests and exams, and connecting with professors. So read ahead for some advice and observations I’ve made!

Consult your department’s website or syllabus for professors’ office hour availabilities—faculty try hard to make themselves available because office hours can be a very valuable resource!
Continue reading Making Use of Office Hours