Do you remember that one teacher/professor that helped you determine what you really wanted to do in life? How about that professor that helped you find that job? Now imagine networking with many of your college professors. Sure it’s hard to be nice to the person that ruins your social life and is the reason you spend your Friday nights working on an assignment instead of going out drinking, but give it a try. If there is one thing you need to know about college is that it is important you do NOT burn any bridges, especially with your professors. Today I want to provide you guys with a few tips for establishing rapport with your college professors:
Introduce yourself. Be sure that the teacher knows who you are. This may be difficult in a lecture hall of hundreds of people but the onus is on you to be known by the teacher. Whether you send an email or just a casual hand shake after class
Don’t come late. As a student the sound of a door opening 10 minutes into a lecture annoys me more than the thought of homework, I can’t imagine how it makes the college professor feel. Plain and simple you don’t want to be known as the fool that always comes late. If you for some reason can’t make it on time then at least wait until the professor gives a little break at the halfway mark.
Ask “good” questions. Don’t be the annoying person that asks for clarification on every single point the professor makes but try to ask value added questions when you think of any. It’s important that you don’t ask questions about anything that has been specifically discussed in detail because it will look like you are not paying attention.
Only submit quality work. Yes we all wait until the last minute most of the time to complete our assignments but there is no excuse for handing in work unless you are truly proud of it. If you don’t take yourself seriously no one else will so put a little effort into your assignments.
Show your skills & abilities. If there is something you are particularly good or great at then don’t hesitate to let people know about this. No need to be a show off but don’t hide your skills either. You want people to know your strengths and what you can do for them.
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My college was pretty relaxed so I made it a point to get on a first name basis with my professors. This makes a world of difference in a variety of ways.
One specific example I remember was a request to do a team portfolio project alone. We were supposed to beat the S&P 500 and I had no faith in the ability of my classmates to do so. I won the project.
My professors didn’t get me any jobs, but knowing them personally inspired me to do much better than my classmates and learn more, which got me my job.
I agree with this 100%. Professor’s are instrumental in getting you into grad school, if that’s the route you choose. I didn’t have any rapport with my professors and lacked the necessary recs to get into grad school. It was a shame, don’t make the same mistake that I did.