Take every opportunity to have one-on-one, face-to-face conversations and build personal relationships with faculty members.
Here’s why and how.
Learn more.
Speaking with faculty can give you a chance to clarify and deepen your understanding of class concepts. If you’re struggling in class, a conversation with a faculty member might help you find additional strategies or resources that can help. If you’re excelling, a conversation with a faculty member could let you explore more advanced concepts.
Learn differently.
A one-on-one conversation is different from a lecture or an in-class discussion. In conversation you can approach ideas from a new angle, ask different kinds of questions, and learn from your professors in new ways. In conversation, faculty might share additional insights and talk about personal experiences.
Explore a major or minor.
When you talk with your professors you can learn more about majors and minors in their field, find out what your professors think you’re especially good at, and hear what other classes they would recommend for you.
Gain an advocate.
When faculty get to know you, they have a chance to understand who you are, respect you as an intelligent person, and remember you as an individual. That makes it much more likely that they will be willing, down the road, to write you a letter of recommendation or think of you when they learn of research or internship opportunities.