College Crunch

By Kate Willson

One of the most underrated tips for college life is getting to know your professors especially the ones in your major. I don't hear much advice in this area but the benefits can be huge if you take some time to interact with your profs. Now I'm not talking about sleazy brown-nosing or trying to be their best friend. Instead, just be a little intentional in getting on their radar. For example, visit them occasionally during their office hours and ask them good questions. You can ask them for help in the class topics you don't understand. Or you can ask for tips on getting a job or getting into graduate school. Professors may seem intimidating to talk to but I can assure you that they welcome the chance to help students directly. With that in mind, here are 7 reasons to get to know your teachers. 1. You can get a great job reference including letters of recommendation. References can be an important part to landing your dream job. Many of the best companies to work for do a thorough job of vetting prospective employees including contacting references. College professors are ideal references since they are authority figures instead of peers. By building friendships with your profs, you'll improve your chances of getting hired by a good company. 2. Many endowed scholarships are based on professor recommendation. You may not now this when you first enroll in college but many schools give away annual scholarships from their endowment fund. And for the best scholarships, you will typically need teacher recommendations to qualify. In my junior year, I got a great scholarship that paid for my senior year's tuition. I was surprised because I didn't have the best grades. I was curious about the approval process so I talked to the scholarship director. She said I was able to get the scholarship because I had multiple professor recommendations. Needless to say, I was thankful for all the time I spent conversing with my teachers. 3. Teachers may have connections to job leads. Don't be surprised to find out that your teachers are well-connected in their industry. Your professors may know people in their field that can help you land a job in the future. For example, they may be able to refer you to former students who are now supervisors and can make hiring decisions for entry-level jobs. People tend to help acquaintances and friends more than total strangers, so start getting to know your profs. 4. You will enjoy class more. As you get to know your professors, you'll begin to understand their teaching methods. You'll realize why they tell certain stories and why they assign certain projects. By asking them questions, you will gain more knowledge about the class topic, which will make the class more enjoyable. 5. You will have more motivation to do well in the class. If you have a friendship with the prof, you'll be motivated to do well in the class to impress him and not let him down. Extra motivation for coursework is always a good thing since studying for college can sometimes by a drag. I've always done better in the classes where I knew the teacher personally. 6. You will gain networking skills that are valuable for your future. Succeeding in the workforce requires networking skills. You can practice and develop those skills by interacting with your teachers. Too many college students just spend time with their peers. By the time they graduate, they don't know how to interact with hiring managers and bosses because they lack the experience with dealing with older adults. 7. Professors make great mentors. With their experience and knowledge, professors are ideal mentors to students. They can give you great advice for landing a good entry-level position. And later, you can seek their guidance as you advance in your career. But remember, teachers are busy and mentorship is a two-way street. Therefore, you need to take the first step in the relationship building process. Over to You How well do you know your professors? Can you think of other reasons to get to know them? This is guest post by Dee Barizo. He graduated with a bachelor degree in accounting back in 2002. Currently, he is a project manager for online properties. His latest project is The Best Degrees, an online degree site.