Your Professors: Some things you should know
Hey folks! Today, while finishing up my Civ paper that's due tomorrow morning, I realized that I had yet to discuss professors here on my blog--don't worry I won't be mentioning any of you by name! (waiting for the collective sigh of relief) There we go.
Now I'm sure any of you reading this have heard that your professors in college are drastically different from your teachers in high school--many people will tell you that they are nowhere near as personable, that they are impossible to get help from, and that if they have tenure they could care less what happens to you. I don't know how things are at other colleges, but I can tell you that here at PC none of those things are true. While it is valid that your professors in college are not like your teachers in high school, there are just a few things that you can know to help you make the transition:
1. They won't ask you your name unless you raise your hand to answer a question, and even then, in a big class like Civ there's no guarantee they will. If you want to get to know them better, you need to go up, shake their hand, and introduce yourselves. Far from being brown-nosing, this lets them know you're interested in the class and that you want to do as well as you can!
2. If you want help/feel like you're struggling, you need to take the initiative. They won't stop you after class to talk with you, or at least very few of mine have except to congratulate me. If you need to get extra help, check what their office hours are and go to see them. Nothing helps you do better, because far from being non-plussed, all my teachers have loved it when I come to see them. As one of my older friends said, "Most of them have nothing to do during their office hours. If you go to see them, they'll think you're the greatest thing since sliced bread."
3. They DO care. Most, if not all, of the teachers here at PC are great people, and all of mine so far have been more than willing to help me with everything from classwork to essays to even getting to know more people within your major!
They are still THERE TO HELP YOU. Here at PC, we don't have Graduate Students or TA's teaching any classes, and that means that in terms of seeing your professor, you've got all the face time you need. Plus, they probably check their email more than YOU do!
4. While they won't be your best friend like many people had it in high school, they still want you to befriend them--it makes them feel great, and it'll probably help you in the class! My Civ professors are some of the best people I know here at PC, and they've all helped me in some way or another. My Intro to Lit professor helped me to figure out what class I wanted to take next semester, while my Philosophy professor has taught me plenty about the world inside and outside of the classroom. My girlfriend and I sat down to have brunch with our Theology and Magic teacher the second weekend we were here, and came out with a some great history on the school!
In the end folks, it is true that your professors won't be like your teachers in high school. You may not become best friends with them, but only if you don't make the effort. They are still here to help you, and especially on a campus like PC where there are a lot less people, you will definitely get to know them regardless. But it does take some more effort, and the rewards are infinite.
While I love all the great friendships I've made here at PC already, one of my favorite parts is that even while it's different, I haven't lost the student-teacher relationships that I enjoyed so immensely in high school.
Have a great weekend everybody!
