Talking to my professor
We get it: reaching out to a professor can be intimidating. You might not know where to start! But, asking for help (and asking early) is the best way to get what you need from your classes.
What are office hours?
Office Hours, sometimes called student hours or open hours, is a time set aside for you to drop in on your professor. They set these office hours because they will be (physically or virtually) in their "office" to talk to you. Since COVID, a lot of professors went to virtual office hours or by appointment, meaning you need to reach out to schedule a time with them.
Your professor might prefer an email or an online link posted to Canvas to help you schedule office hours.
Emailing and getting to know professors
If you aren't sure about office hours, you should at least email your question to your professor after you checked the syllabus for the answer.
Whenever you send an email, use your BearMail account because our filters might reject your Gmail, iCloud, or other personal address.
Once you do reach out, consider your tone (think about emails or texts you send to folks you don't know very well compared to your friends) and use complete sentences. Ask your question or request, provide some context, and offer the solutions you have tried.
And most professors would be excited to just talk with you a bit too! They are people and they probably would love to share their research, events, and career advice with you. Ask them about their projects and why they became a professor.
Email templates to help you start
A blank screen is often the hardest part, so here are a few templates to get you started on that email:
Missing a class
Subject: Missing CLASS on DATE
Hi Professor,
This is NAME from CLASS. I won't be able to attend class on DATE because of REASON. I'm sorry about that, and I checked the schedule to find the chapters and topics already.
THEN INSERT ANYTHING ELSE SPECIFIC TO THAT DAY>>>DO YOU HAVE ASSIGNMENTS OR ANYTHING YOU NEED?
Office hours
Subject: Request Office Hours for CLASS
Hi Professor,
This is NAME from CLASS. I have a few questions about TOPIC/ASSIGNMENT and was wondering if I could schedule a time to discuss them.
I found your office hour information, and plan on dropping by DATE/TIME (during office hours). I wasn't sure where your OFFICE NUMBER is in BUILDING. Is it on the FLOOR by AREA?
Thank you and see you then.
General questions
Subject: Question about CLASS ASSIGNMENT
Hi Professor,
This is NAME from CLASS. I am working on ASSIGNMENT and ran into a question.
ASK YOUR QUESTION.
Thank you and see you in class.
Bonus materials
Check out these additional resources and ways to apply this content to your life:
Additional resources
Student Academic Success posts tips, like how to get to know your professors, from students every week on Instagram. Follow us @unco_success Links to an external site. for a Tuesday Tip, Success Weekly from a student, Weekend Recharge ideas, and more secrets to success at UNC.
Check out this Instagram post Links to an external site. shared by Student Academic Success (@unco_success) where a current student shares advice on talking with your professors.
Challenge
Visiting office hours can be scary--but challenge yourself to meet one-on-one with your professors. Pick one class and look up when office hours are this week. Then stop in and get to know your professor!