Communicating with your professors opens avenues for you to gain new insights into industries you’re receiving a postsecondary education to work successfully in.  Your college and university professors have a wealth of knowledge that you can access, helping you to get more out of college than earning high grades and an undergraduate or graduate degree.  With a few tips and guidance you can make communicating with your professors a rewarding experience.

The days and times your college professors are available to meet with you and other students is generally posted in your course syllabus.  If your professors didn’t hand you a syllabus during the first week of classes, check your university’s online college catalog as many postsecondary schools provide links to course syllabus online.  You can also ask your professors to give you a copy of the syllabus or to tell you when they’re available to meet with you before or after class.

Topics to Discuss With College Professors

To get the most out of your communications, consider creating a list of topics you want to discuss with your professors.  After all, your college professors might work full-time jobs in addition to teaching one or more university courses.  If you get clear about what you want to talk with your professors about, your professors may get the impression that you’re focused and committed to academic success.  Types of topics you can discuss with your professors include:

• Concerns about your grade point average (GPA)
• Ways to get a better understanding of material covered in class
• Direction on where you can locate videotapes and other recorded materials that complement information your professors cover during class
• Add/drop deadlines
• Ways to make up missed course assignments if you were away from college due to illness, family responsibilities, etc.
• Courses you can take to strengthen your learning in certain areas (e.g. management leadership, finance)

You can also chat briefly with your college professors at the end of class, time permitting.  For example, to gain insights into the career you want to have post graduation, you can ask your professors:

• How long they’ve worked in the career field they currently teach in
• Organizations you can join to network with other business leaders and workers in the field you’re majoring in
• Steps you can take to increase your chances of getting employed in the career field or industry you’re majoring in
• Where you can get a directory or list of companies that are leaders in your major

Because your college professors may have worked for several years in the field of your college major they likely also are familiar with the work environments, work hours, challenges, demands, benefits and rewards associated with the types of jobs your major is preparing you to work in.  By asking your professors to share some of their personal and real life experiences working jobs similar to ones you may get hired into after you graduate from college or university you may gain a clearer perspective regarding what your life may be like after you start working full-time.