By Megan Walsh, Staff Writer
The fall semester is almost over, Thanksgiving break has come and gone, finals are on their way and the last few weeks of your first semester are fast approaching. The professors you had this first semester may not have liked you, so how do you help change the first impression you made this semester and establish a good relationship with the professors you’ll have in the spring?
Well of course there are some tactics which you should embrace, but there are still others you would do well to stay away from if you don’t want your professor singling you out as the brown noser. Some may call these tactics sucking up, others, simply see it as part of the politics of your college life. Whichever way you think of it, here are some of the do’s and don’ts of getting on your professor’s good side.
For example, the typical suck-up would normally sit in the front of the class, pretend to listen intently to every word of the professor, raise their hand at every opportunity despite their knowledge of the actual question and come into class with apples or caramel lattes for their professor.
These tactics, although a good attempt to make a great impression on a teacher, are not strong enough to make a difference when it comes to actually developing a relationship. The professor will not get an accurate description of what the student can successfully accomplish.
On top of that, when you want someone to write you a very nice letter of recommendation for a job or internship, who’s going to be able to really tell the truth? What happens when you need someone to write a serious recommendation that helps make a difference to employers?
So instead of just sucking up to professors, try something different next semester: genuinely learning. Professors will appreciate it if you can keep your statements thoughtful and upbeat in class. Try answering when a professor asks a question to a room full of dead silence. Professors will be happy you jumped in and so will all the other students in the room who didn’t know the answer. Also, visit them during their office hours to ask for help and extra assignments. It even helps to visit their office hours to just introduce yourself
Just remember not to be so eager that you keep other students from asking questions too. An easy way to make enemies is to get between students who want a chance to learn and develop their ideas too (or at the very least, get the professor to notice them). When it comes down to it, do your best and try to be genuinly considerate of others without faking it.