How to meet professors...

[aqua11230]

Hey guys!
I am going to be a sophmore next semester and still dont know of any professors or faculty who I could possibly ask for a letter of reccomendation. How would I go about meeting and getting to know professors without looking stupid! I tried lecture but we have approx. 800 students in lecture so thats a bit tough!

Thanks guys!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Sundarban1]

Hey guys!
I am going to be a sophmore next semester and still dont know of any professors or faculty who I could possibly ask for a letter of reccomendation. How would I go about meeting and getting to know professors without looking stupid! I tried lecture but we have approx. 800 students in lecture so thats a bit tough!

Thanks guys!

Step 1: Approach professor
Step 2: Introduce yourself (Hello professor X, my name is Y)
Step 3: Do well in class
Step 4: Periodically go to office hours for one on one help (even if you don't need it)
Step 5: Providing all of the above steps were followed, ask for an LOR at the end of the semester.

 

[hardy]

This is a work in progress. Please feel free to add things you find necessary or adjust steps to better match our needs.

Step-by-Step guide for getting your professor to know you for Pre-Medical students (by Hardy, self-proclaimed relationship expert)
********************************************
Section 1:
1. Identify your professor's interests in research and other areas
2. Identify whether any of your interests match his, if so go to section 3.
3. Identify whether there are any questions you might have for the professor, for example from lecture or about the hat he is wearing, if so go to section 2.
4. If none of these apply, make up some question that you can ask. The more open the question the better. If you cannot think of such a question, please post again.

Section 2:
10. Congratulations! You have taken the first steps towards getting your professor know you (and write you a good LOR)
11. Formulate your question and think of possible follow-questions. Open questions are much better since they are more likely to involve a discussion
12. Look up the office hours of your professor. This can be done on his/her webpage or in the notes you took on the first day of class.
13. Show up at the right time and ask the prepared question.
14. If the professor answered your question without it resulting in a conversation, ask about how the material ties in with their research or what their research exactly is. While doing this, try to appear interested. This is critical to your success. Go to section 3, step 21. If you still are not successful, think about a change of career.

Section 3:
20. Look up the office hours of your professor. This can be done on his/her webpage or in the notes you took on the first day of class.
21. Show up on time and ask your question. Tell your professor how much you are interested in his/her research. Mention that you would like to do research with them (even if it is not true). If they offer you a position, mention that you will think about it and tell him/her later that you have other commitments but would love to take him back up on his/her offer. Keep the conversation going at any cost!
22. Come back often, but make sure your professor is not annoyed. Try to follow the steps to start a conversation.
23. Congratulations! You are on the right track to get a letter of recommendation. Your future conversations with the professor will determine the greatness of your letter. Once again, congratulations.

 

[hardy]

Step 1: Approach professor
Step 2: Introduce yourself (Hello professor X, my name is Y)
Step 3: Do well in class
Step 4: Periodically go to office hours for one on one help (even if you don't need it)
Step 5: Providing all of the above steps were followed, ask for an LOR at the end of the semester.

This is great! We thought of the same thing

Hardy, self-proclaimed relationship expert

 

[shiraz84]

Step 1: Approach professor
Step 2: Introduce yourself (Hello professor X, my name is Y)
Step 3: Do well in class
Step 4: Periodically go to office hours for one on one help (even if you don't need it)
Step 5: Providing all of the above steps were followed, ask for an LOR at the end of the semester.

Good advice.

Also, find out more about the professor if possible. Many schools have informational pages about professors (usually on the departmental faculty/staff page) - reading about and discussing the professor's research interests could lead to you talking about more than the subject matter of the class (your research, your volunteering experiences, what you want to do in life, etc.), which will in turn lead to a more thorough LOR.

 

[CerealBox]

try to pick a professor who is doing research in a subject matter you are genuinely interested in. Also, be one of the top 10 students in the class. About 200 other pre-meds might be trying to get to know the professor as well. You have to be the least annoying.

 

[shiraz84]

About 200 other pre-meds might be trying to get to know the professor as well. You have to be the least annoying.

Agreed. Also, to help get around this problem, start going to the professor's office hours early in the semester and go regularly, not just right before/after tests. Many of my pre-med friends went right after tests, so that they would have something to discuss. However, if you have looked into the professor's other interests, your meetings will be much interesting, especially to the professor.

 

[aqua11230]

Agreed. Also, to help get around this problem, start going to the professor's office hours early in the semester and go regularly, not just right before/after tests. Many of my pre-med friends went right after tests, so that they would have something to discuss. However, if you have looked into the professor's other interests, your meetings will be much interesting, especially to the professor.

One more question.. I am a history major so most of my professors are hoinh to be in the history dept. Does it matter if the reccomendations are from science or history professors? and if it does what looks better..

thanks again! You guys rock ;-)

 

[_ian]

21. Show up on time and ask your question. Tell your professor how much you are interested in his/her research. Mention that you would like to do research with them (even if it is not true). If they offer you a position, mention that you will think about it and tell him/her later that you have other commitments but would love to take him back up on his/her offer. Keep the conversation going at any cost!

...wow. How could you possibly think that's a good idea?

 

[hardy]

...wow. How could you possibly think that's a good idea?

I don't.... in case you didn't notice, my step-by-step guide was supposed to make fun of the question.

 

[byeh2004]

this is pretty good i'll put this on the sticky

 

[rugirlie]

One more question.. I am a history major so most of my professors are hoinh to be in the history dept. Does it matter if the reccomendations are from science or history professors? and if it does what looks better..

thanks again! You guys rock ;-)

Yes it does matter. Most schools require two science professor LORs and one non-science. You better cozy up to your pre-med req class professors to get those two if you don't plan on taking any smaller upper level science classes.

 

[byeh2004]

dont ask too many questions though, it'll piss the professor off... limit it to like a couple a week.. trust me on that... I was known to be the annoying little premed in my first year to most of my science professors... your professor have dealt with premeds before as far as LOR writing and all of that... but just like AMCAS you want yourself to stand out from the typical premed crowd

 

[virilep]

Hey guys!
I am going to be a sophmore next semester and still dont know of any professors or faculty who I could possibly ask for a letter of reccomendation. How would I go about meeting and getting to know professors without looking stupid! I tried lecture but we have approx. 800 students in lecture so thats a bit tough!

Thanks guys!

I say go to the bar he hangs out at and buy him a drink from the corner and make the waiter say "that is from the guy over there."

just jokin.

but i would go to the office hours. that's what they're there for. or even email him a question before hand. even if u don't have questions, try to clarify something.

 

[LizzyM]

but i would go to the office hours. that's what they're there for. or even email him a question before hand. even if u don't have questions, try to clarify something.

Many LOR mention that the student came to office hours (or didn't). The letter will often spell out how well you did in relation to the others in the class ("second in a remarkably strong group of 200 students") or something similar ("bounced back after having difficulty in the mid-term exam to score among the top ten in the final" -- this is often an explanation for a B+, etc) which is something the professor has in his records. Some will pad the letter with great detail about where they've taught and how many students they've taught over the years. Some will comment on your manners (if they are good), your writing skills, your sense of humor, decorum, or your diligence. Some will say that the student is in the top X of all students. Others will say that they would want this student as their own doctor. Others will write something like, "I tried to get him to work in my lab without any luck and you will be lucky if you can get him to study at your medical school."

 

[Caristra]

If you really excell in a class then most professors will remember you even if they have 800 students in the lecture. In fact it's a bonus cause most will write something in the letter about how "I have 800 students this term and this one really stood out".

Take classes you love and can do well in. Letters should follow. You are going to need some science prof's though because most schools ask for at least one science faculty member to write a letter. A good way to do that is to do some research in a lab, it requires time though. If science isn't really your thing then this isn't going to be for you. Just find the nicest science professor on your campus and ask them. I've seen a professor tell someone they completely know nothing about them but would be willing to sit down, have a half hour talk and learn enough to write a letter.

Good Luck!

 

[surgeonguy22]

To the original poster:

Just go up to them and talk to them like a normal human being. One of my profossors tells me all of his problems about how his kids piss him off and I've only known him for like 6 months lol.

 

[byeh2004]

anymore advice on getting to know professors? this is a sticky on the applicant link

 

[byeh2004]

bumpage

 

[ComicBookDude]

Do math professors count as science professors? Or does it have to be a biology, physics, chemistry etc. professor?

 

[deuist]

Do math professors count as science professors? Or does it have to be a biology, physics, chemistry etc. professor?

Generally a school's application will say that it wants one letter from a physical science professor and another from a biology prof. I've never known of someone to use a math teacher for a letter.

As far as being in a class with 800 other students: You can ask a TA to write a letter if he/she knows you better than the professor. Medical schools know that asking a prof for a letter is difficult when you're one of many faceless students in a large lecture hall.

 

[speedster_dan]

just introduce yourself