Need LOR's but I have 0 relationship with any professor, graduating in 3 months.

[wannagotoFlorida!!]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hello everyone. I usually never went to office hours for any professors unless because I felt that I didn't need to. I got A's in my classes, and the questions I had about the work were usually very quick and not content based, so I felt it was easier to just email my professors. I realized very late unfortunately that I should have gone and tried to build a relationship with my professors MUCH earlier instead of not, my fault. Problem is, i am graduating this December, and don't have any relationship with my teachers. I am taking 2 bio courses (1 is a lab) however that im actually really enjoying, and subjects im very interested in.

How can I make myself more known to my professors, and build a relationship with them? I don't have any class-based questions to ask them, but is there anything else I can do or talk about so i can really have a conversation with them? Since office hours are over ZOOM, i felt more awkward than compared to physically going to a professor's office.

What can I do and how should I approach this?

 

[ndcpjf]

There's a lot you can try to do to build relationships with professors. Even if you know the material, pop by and ask a few "clarification questions" that helps put a face to the name and show interest in the course. If not, depending on the type of professor, you can ask about their profession/research/etc. anything really that sparks a relationship. I had one professor that said stop by and talk about food, sports, or music. He didn't necessarily care, but he wanted to be engaged with his students.

For one of my professors, I was in perhaps a worse position than yourself. The semester had already finished and I too, had never been to a single office hour. Instead, I reached out to the professor and explained who I was, my future goals, and if she would be able to write a letter for me. I offered to provide my resume, personal statement, activities, and a (what ended up being 45 minutes to 1 hour) chat in which to get to know me and discuss things that could be used in a letter. Admittedly, not every teacher might be as accommodating, nor have the time. Just know that there are options that can be explored for having professors write letters of recommendation.

 

[wannagotoFlorida!!]

There's a lot you can try to do to build relationships with professors. Even if you know the material, pop by and ask a few "clarification questions" that helps put a face to the name and show interest in the course. If not, depending on the type of professor, you can ask about their profession/research/etc. anything really that sparks a relationship. I had one professor that said stop by and talk about food, sports, or music. He didn't necessarily care, but he wanted to be engaged with his students.

For one of my professors, I was in perhaps a worse position than yourself. The semester had already finished and I too, had never been to a single office hour. Instead, I reached out to the professor and explained who I was, my future goals, and if she would be able to write a letter for me. I offered to provide my resume, personal statement, activities, and a (what ended up being 45 minutes to 1 hour) chat in which to get to know me and discuss things that could be used in a letter. Admittedly, not every teacher might be as accommodating, nor have the time. Just know that there are options that can be explored for having professors write letters of recommendation.

I always felt like if i ask simple questions, my profs will view me as lazy for not googling it or something? Or maybe that they mentioned it in lecture and I didnt pay attention haha

 

[lumya]

One of my letters of rec was from my ochem professor who just simply liked me as a person. I got an A in his class but I was by no means the smartest student. I sat in the first row and before class I would just talk to him about random things. I'd ask how his kid was, or if he saw this new Marvel movie that came out. This professor was very personable, but they all have hobbies and interests. It also gave me an opportunity to talk about how I was applying to medical school and what my goals are. Your connections don't have to be purely because of the class material.

 

[TragicalDrFaust]

It will be very obvious what you're trying to do if you start now, but will also look poorly thought out. I recommend radical honesty. Pounce on the "nicest" professor you've have in the past year or two, explain your situation and politely ask if they would be comfortable writing a letter for you. Have your CV and a compelling story ready. And have it sent to interfolio! I was fortunate enough to have one of these, plus a professor who has a mentoring nature and wrote letters for what seemed like most students in her upper level classes.