Navigating Office Hours and Communication

Office Hours

Office hours are an excellent time for your professors to get to know you, your interests, and how you are engaging with and experiencing their courses. You can talk about a variety of topics in office hours, including but not limited to: 

• Content or assignments that you need additional support & clarification on
• Feedback on an assignment or project
• What is currently going on in class and what to expect for next week’s class
• How your experience in a class is going
• Feedback on course content & course design
• Your instructor’s academic and professional journey
• Your personal, academic, and professional interests
• What other courses you are taking and how they relate to your class
• Your experience at the University of Chicago

Preparation for office hours can vary depending on the instructor and what your intended goals are for the conversation. It may be helpful to review your course syllabus or ask your instructor directly about their expectations for office hours and how you may be able to prepare. Here are some considerations that can help you to make the most of your time. 

• Identify specific questions or concepts you’re struggling with: Pinpointing a particular problem or concept that is challenging you can help focus your conversation and make it more productive. It may be helpful to write down 2-3 questions ahead of your visit.
• Review assignments or feedback in advance: If you are seeking guidance on a specific assignment or feedback that you received, take the time to carefully review any relevant materials (e.g. - instructions, rubrics, written comments) beforehand to avoid asking about information you already have.
• Even without a clear question, attending office hours can still be valuable: Even if you are unsure about what you need, office hours can provide an opportunity to clarify your thoughts and gain new insights. If you're thinking about attending, it’s worth going! You will often be able to articulate more of your specific questions once you talk through them with your instructors.

Professors get to decide how their office hours are structured. Each of your instructors will likely have different times, locations, and modalities for their office hours. You can refer to your course syllabus or Canvas for more information about office hours for each of your courses, and don’t be afraid to ask your instructors if you have any questions about them. Some things that might be useful to identify about your course office hours include: 

• Time: Some instructors may have scheduled time periods where you can drop in for office hours (e.g. - every Monday and Wednesday from 12:00PM – 2:00PM), while others may request that students schedule an office hours appointment with them. Sometimes it may be a combination of both!
• Location: While instructors often host office hours in their physical offices, they may also choose to host them in alternative locations like the library, a coffee shop, or a department lounge. Office hours may also be offered on Zoom.
• Format: An office hours visit may be a one-on-one conversation with your instructor, or a group conversation with other students.

If you have other commitments that prevent you from being able to attend office hours, reach out to your professor! If you communicate that you need an alternative time to meet, your instructors or TAs may be able to meet with you at a different time or chat with you before or after class.

Instructors often express excitement about meeting with students, even if they are not currently in their classes. It is not uncommon to stay in contact with instructors you have worked with in the past, or identify a professor that you have not worked with directly but would like to get to know. While instructors are often enthusiastic about these types of meetings, it is a good practice to reach out to these instructors ahead of time to assess the best way to meet with them. While some may invite you to attend their office hours, others may prefer that you set up a time to meet with them outside of these spaces.

Chatting with your instructors and TAs can seem really intimidating, especially when you need to ask for help. While it can feel scary to initiate these conversations, it is important to remember that office hours are designed to be a nonjudgemental and nonevaluative space. If you are feeling stressed about going to office hours, please remember that: 

• Your instructors love to chat with you! Instructors often express enthusiasm about getting to know students and their interests and thinking about how they can better integrate your interests into their classes.
• Your questions and perspectives are helpful feedback for instructors! If you are struggling with a particular concept, idea, or component of the class, chances are you are not alone and there are other students feeling the same way. Your feedback may allow your instructors to make adjustments so they can better support you and your classmates’ learning.
• Struggling is a natural part of the learning process and does not mean that you are a “bad” student! The concepts you are engaging with in class are challenging, and you are not expected to understand everything without asking questions or receiving additional support. Being able to engage with your instructors and get additional help is one of the primary purposes of office hours, and there is no judgement in taking advantage of that space. In fact, many instructors are impressed with their students’ abilities to think through challenging topics and ask thoughtful questions.
• These spaces may allow you to get more individualized resources that will help you better understand course concepts! Your instructors have a plethora of resources available to them that can supplement the learning that you do both in and out of the classroom. The more you visit office hours, the better your instructors can understand your specific learning needs and support you in meeting the learning goals for your classes.

Recommendation Letters

While office hours are a great opportunity to seek help and build relationships with your professors, there may be other times when you need to communicate with instructors, such as when requesting a recommendation letter.

Writing recommendation letters is a key component of a professor’s job, and instructors welcome the opportunity to write recommendation letters for current and former students. There is no “bar” or specific set of expectations that you have to meet in order to request a recommendation letter. When deciding who you would like to request a letter from, though, it can be helpful to think about the level of detail a given instructor can provide when talking about you. The strongest recommendation letters are ones in which your recommenders can provide concrete anecdotes and examples of your work and skills. The better your instructors know your work ethic – whether that is shown through in-class participation, visits to office hours, or other engagements – the stronger and more personalized their letters can be! Questions you may consider when deciding on who to ask for a recommendation letter include: 

• What does this instructor have to say about me? In what capacity do they know me?
• Who else is writing a letter? What can this instructor uniquely contribute about my knowledge, skills, and abilities?

While instructors are happy to write you a recommendation letter, there are certain considerations/etiquette that are helpful to ensure that your instructors have enough time and information to write you a thoughtful letter. 

• Ask your instructors for a letter and wait for their confirmation. Although they are likely to say yes, it is important to guarantee that they can complete the letter by the correct due date/time before confirming them as your recommender. Be sure to include the deadline & time zone that the application is due when you request a letter. 

• Provide your instructors with as much time as possible to write a recommendation letter. A minimum of two weeks' notice is standard, but giving more time is ideal. 

• Keep your application materials organized for your recommenders so they are easy to navigate. It may be helpful to put together a single email or a document that includes: application deadlines (date, time, and time zone); instructions for submitting the recommendation; your resume/CV; information about the position(s) or program(s) you are applying for; and any additional materials your recommender requests to assist them in composing your letter. Having a central resource that recommenders can refer to can be helpful for ensuring that information and deadlines do not slip through the cracks, especially if your recommenders are submitting letters to multiple programs on your behalf.
• Send a thank you message and an update after you hear back from the programs you apply to. Your instructors love to hear about the programs & positions you will be proceeding with!