Usual Number of Office Hours

[ysk1]

Generally, how many office hours per week are offered by profs?
One prof whose course I'm taking right now offers two hours of it: an hour on Monday and another on Thursday.
Unfortunately, those office hours are held during my lectures for other classes.
I'm aware that you can always make appointments, but I don't want to bother making an appointment every time I want to talk to the prof.
I want the prof to give students more flexibility by offering an additional hour or two of office hours at other times.

I'm just curious: What is the usual number of office hours offered by profs?

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[MahSpoon]

1 hour per week

If you have any questions that can only be answered by the prof and not a TA, I'm sure you can email or catch them during class

 

[Bacchus]

Can't you just go to there office? Is there an open-door policy? Some of my professors have one hour available but they also tell us to stop by and if they're there, they'll help.

 

[MassTransport]

An hour or two is normal.

 

[scrubsaresexy]

That's pretty normal where I am too, but a lot of times, my profs are working in a lab somewhere, so if we can hunt them down, they'll help. I can usually just send them an email or catch them at the end of lecture if I need something, and they'll help.

On the other hand...if you don't feel like making an appointment...that seems a little unmotivated to me, especially if you really need to talk to the person. You said yourself that you don't want to bother, so why should your prof bother to schedule extra office hours? As an RA, I have to schedule "Open Door Hours," which are basically RA office hours, and they're harder to schedule than you'd think. That's a lot to ask of a professor.

 

[Kiara08]

our profs have to offer five hours a week, and they hate it

 

[deuce924]

I normally see 1-3 a week. 5 at max.

 

[2008orbust]

My Genetics prof in UG told us the first day, DO NOT KNOCK ON MY DOOR, YOU WILL BE TURNED AWAY! He had two half hour office hours. No one liked him.

Our mam phys prof had a sign on his door that read "abandon all hope, ye who enter here". He, however, was a great teacher and everyone loved him.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Honestly i think most of the professors at my university have over 5 hours, and one of my professors had 2 hours every day except thursday where she had 4 hours. almost all of them are very helpful

 

[Pietrantonio]

I would have to agree that the average time allotted for office hours is 1-3/wk. Be aware though, I have showed up at my Professors office during hours, only to find a locked door and a sign of no return.

 

[Hyperstudyosis]

My profs generally have office hours Mon-Fri at least an hour a day and some days more. Plus, they will schedule an appointment with you outside their normal office hours if you have other obligations during their office hours. Occasionally when I have gone during their office hours, they are not there, but then I've also gone at times that were not office hours and found them there.

 

[jochi1543]

2 hours once a week or 1.5 twice a week was the norm at my school. However, most of them always kept their door open and said we should feel free to come by at other times, except for in the hour before class when they usually prepare for the lesson.

 

[HPMMajor]

Profs at my college generally have 4 hours a week or so, and I go to a small liberal arts college, so they encourage us to show up.

 

[ysk1]

Thanks for all your posts, guys.
I'm wanting to visit the prof at least once every week, even if I do well and have no problems in the course, because this is the prof I decided to get a LOR from two years laters. To do that, I have to make an appointment every week, but I don't want to do that EVERY WEEK. Do I have no choice? If I ask, would the prof set aside an extra office hour every week just for me? I don't think that is likely, though.

 

[ysk1]

Bump.........

 

[Jolie South]

Thanks for all your posts, guys.
I'm wanting to visit the prof at least once every week, even if I do well and have no problems in the course, because this is the prof I decided to get a LOR from two years laters. To do that, I have to make an appointment every week, but I don't want to do that EVERY WEEK. Do I have no choice? If I ask, would the prof set aside an extra office hour every week just for me? I don't think that is likely, though.

no offense, but that's kind of stalker-ish. i think you should put yourself at the front of class, pay attention, contribute (but not excessively), make appointments every few weeks for office hours if you need help.

if this guy does research, try to talk to him about it and maybe you could work for him a bit. that will get you a better LOR than just a class prof.

 

[bioteach]

Once a week is a bit much. Why don't you just make yourself known by answering questions, sitting in front, making eye contact. Those students that continually make eye contact, nod when I look at them, etc. - generally show they are awake - are students that I get to know. I'm a prof myself (heading towards a second career in medicine) and if someone is coming into my office just for me to "get to know them" I'm going to get kind of annoyed after a 3-4 visits. But, if you chat about research, ask relevent questions after class...much better. Definately go to office hours, but once a week is more than is necessary. You don't want the prof to feel that you are wasting his time. Believe me, those students are out there and we can tell the difference.