Does this sound like a good opportunity to ask for a LOR?

[geneexpression]

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I struggle with the whole getting to know professors thing. I try to show up to professors' office hours and stuff, but it always seems awkward and always feels like they're trying to rush me out of their office so they can get back to what they were doing before I popped in.

Yesterday, I took my final Gen Chem I exam, and about four hours later, I received an email from the professor that said, "Excellent job on this morning's exam! You got every question correct and scored a 105 out of 100. Congratulations! You are a pleasure to have in the class."

I have never really spoken much to this professor beforehand. I participate in class a little here and there but not much because, honestly, chemistry doesn't come naturally to me, and I'm usually too lost in lecture to participate much. I guess it's just a difference in learning/teaching styles. I have trouble grasping topics the way he describes them in lecture, but when I read the textbook on my own time, I can usually make more sense of topics.

Anyway, what I'm asking is, does this sound like a reasonable opportunity to request a LOR? I feel like he wouldn't have much to say about me other than that I received a high A in his class since he doesn't really know me, but I need to find a way to get academic LORs somehow.

 

[hoihaie]

Go in and talk to him in person first, then try and TA for him.

 

[buymecookies]

Hey you're like me! Haha.

And wow that's amazing that you did so well in your exam. Hmm I didn't know you were supposed to ask for LOR's so early.

 

[geneexpression]

Well, I'm a post-bacc student, so my situation is a little different. I'm aiming to apply next year but might wind up applying the following year depending on how well the timeline I have planned works out.

 

[hoihaie]

then you should definitely go talk to him in person first. Nothing worse then a generic rec letter from a prof you never met.

 

[geneexpression]

I won't be able to TA for him because I'm taking fall semester off. My timeline is really weird because I have to take the fall off due to financial reasons. I'm finishing Calc I and Gen Chem II over the summer (so can't TA over the summer because I'll be in class at the time time he's teaching), and then I'm taking fall off and studying those 5 months so I can take the MCAT in January. Then I'm returning to school in the spring to finish my prereqs. Yes, I'm self-teaching subjects. Yes, I know a lot of people don't recommend it. I'm doing the best I can with my financial situation.

 

[hoihaie]

if your school has established programs that let you invite professors out for coffee or lunch (i.e. UCSD has a school sponsored program like that) then consider doing so, or just go to his Office hour next semester and talk about random things or someting deeper in to gen chem. Professors love it when you talk to him about what they studied.

 

[geneexpression]

if your school has established programs that let you invite professors out for coffee or lunch (i.e. UCSD has a school sponsored program like that) then consider doing so, or just go to his Office hour next semester and talk about random things or someting deeper in to gen chem. Professors love it when you talk to him about what they studied.

That's what I'm saying, though. I'm really awful at the whole going up to professors and just talking to them thing. Whenever I go to professors' offices, it seems like they're rushing me out. That's when they're even in there. I showed up to my genetics professor's office three times during his scheduled office hours before I finally emailed him and asked if he ever planned to be in his office so I could stop hiking to the opposite end of campus just to find his door locked (in nicer terms, of course. 😛 ).

I dunno, maybe I'm just too much of an introvert and socially awkward person to jump through all of the hoops through which pre-meds are supposed to jump.

 

[hoihaie]

yeah, but if your chem professor emailed you personally to congratulate you, i think he will be a little different than your genetics professor (who you shoudl probably give up on cause if they dont have time to talk with you, they won't have the time to write you a good letter)

 

[geneexpression]

It still doesn't change the fact that I don't have enough of an understanding of chemistry to go up to him and intelligently ask him about what he studied. What am I going to do? Ask someone with a PhD in chemistry to share his feelings on the proton with me? It would be easier if I could first ask about TAing for him, but as I mentioned, I won't be able to because I won't be here after the summer.

 

[hoihaie]

also, I'm like you as well, don't realy like jumping through all these hoops. I've only ever gone to 1 professor's office hour in my entire undergrad career, and i usually just sat there and listened to other people. But! she remembered me after the class was over. I ended up TAing for her twice afterwards, getting her to be on my thesis committee, and getting a LoR from her.

Bottom line, treat them as someone you met on the street that has no hold over your future whatsoever. That way you'll be more open to talk and less terrified by their prestige. Talk to them as you would talk to someone you met at a party, ask them questions you would want other people to ask you when you first meet them, except maybe focus the talks more on science

 

[hoihaie]

It still doesn't change the fact that I don't have enough of an understanding of chemistry to go up to him and intelligently ask him about what he studied. What am I going to do? Ask someone with a PhD in chemistry to share his feelings on the proton with me? It would be easier if I could first ask about TAing for him, but as I mentioned, I won't be able to because I won't be here after the summer.

it also doesnt have to be about chemistry. Talk to him about why he got in to chemistry, doesnt have to be all science-y either. Ask him about his opinion on medicine, tell him why you wanna pursue medicine...etc. Just have a normal conversation.

 

[geneexpression]

I just really suck at starting those types of conversations. It seems rude to me to walk into a professor's office and be like, "I see that you're busy grading over there, but I was just wondering if you'd be willing to explain what drew you into chemistry." I feel like it seems really obvious that I'm fishing for a LOR, too. Guess I'll see what I can do.

 

[Aerus]

Professors are PEOPLE. Get to know them as people. Don't tell me you've never become friends with people before? (rhetorical question)

Just be natural like you are with your friends (except more polite haha). Good luck!

 

[geneexpression]

Professors are PEOPLE. Get to know them as people. Don't tell me you've never become friends with people before? (rhetorical question)

Just be natural like you are with your friends (except more polite haha). Good luck!

Yes, but there's a huge difference between casually hanging out with friends and walking into a professor's office just to have a casual conversation with him or her while he or she is working. The relationship is just different. I wouldn't schedule an appointment with my tax preparer or my doctor because I just felt like asking her about her life.

Anyway, I realize everyone but me is able to figure out all of this stuff, so I'll shut up.

 

[Aerus]

Yes, but there's a huge difference between casually hanging out with friends and walking into a professor's office just to have a casual conversation with him or her while he or she is working. The relationship is just different. I wouldn't schedule an appointment with my tax preparer or my doctor because I just felt like asking her about her life.

Anyway, I realize everyone but me is able to figure out all of this stuff, so I'll shut up.

You don't think tax preparers or doctors don't have friends of their own? Yes, you as a student will have a different relationship with the professor than their colleague would, but we are all humans. Many professors might have slight (though deserved) egos, but they are still people with hearts (at least I hope!)

The longer you have this mindset that they are "beings of another level", the more difficult it will be for you to get a quality letter of recommendation.

 

[geneexpression]

You don't think tax preparers or doctors don't have friends of their own? Yes, you as a student will have a different relationship with the professor than their colleague would, but we are all humans. Many professors might have slight (though deserved) egos, but they are still people with hearts (at least I hope!)

No, I'm not saying it's about ego. I'm not intimidated by professors because they're "above" me. I'm moreso intimidated by the prospect of initiating an awkward, forced conversation with someone. It's an appropriateness of the situation thing. I don't go seeking out people while they're working and essentially ask them to be my friend in a roundabout way because it's weird. That's just how I feel on the matter, though. I want to come back as an extrovert in my next lifetime.

 

[Aerus]

No, I'm not saying it's about ego. I'm not intimidated by professors because they're "above" me. I'm moreso intimidated by the prospect of initiating an awkward, forced conversation with someone. It's an appropriateness of the situation thing. I don't go seeking out people while they're working and essentially ask them to be my friend in a roundabout way because it's weird. That's just how I feel on the matter, though. I want to come back as an extrovert in my next lifetime.

Don't worry about this being some innate quality that you don't have. It's really just a conversation. There is a strategic quality to making it less awkward. Yes, perhaps try going to office hours to talk about the class. Maybe ask about concepts in class and talk about your own OPINION about the class. How you like learning, how you enjoy certain things about the class. Even be humble and talk about your struggles and how you're trying to overcome them.

Opinions to conversations are like firewood to a campfire. They will keep it going and make it flow on, as long as you can intelligently speak upon them. When I talk to professors, I'm not thinking about what to say next that could get me a letter of rec. I actually genuinely enjoy talking to the professors because they have many interesting experiences and, if they are willing to share them, I can learn a lot from them.

Visit them a few times and perhaps use school as an excuse at first, but always transition to other subjects. Then one day, as you are about to leave, perhaps invite them to lunch or something.

Obviously, this is easier said than done and there is a component of luck, but you will never know if you don't try.

 

[mimelim]

This sounds like a weak letter. Would avoid unless you have no other options.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/letters-of-recommendation.985472/