“What’s up, teach?”

Whether it’s to discuss a grade, ask questions about an upcoming assignment, or even get advice on your future career plans, being able to reach out to your professor is important for your success. Even if you’re acing all of your classes, building good relationships with faculty is great for your future. The classrooms of Humber and Guelph-Humber are filled with talented, and highly experienced instructors and professionals that can help guide you and your career.

To help you out, we’ve come up with five tips on how to talk to your prof – no matter what the issue is.

Although we hope your conversation with your prof goes great, we know that sometimes things can turn sour, it’s important to remember that as a student at Humber or Guelph-Humber, you’ve got rights and you need to know about them.

Think about what you want to say and how to say it

Thinking about what you want to discuss with your professor and how you want to communicate it before you actually meet is very important. This is especially true if you want to talk about a poor grade or any kind of issue that you might be having. Think about the best way to approach the topic and how to address the issue in an appropriate manner. Your prof will surely appreciate you coming to them and discussing things in a kind and thoughtful way.

Write it down

If you’ve got several important points that you want to talk about with your professor, don’t be shy to make a list. This is a great way to have an effective conversation with your prof without leaving anything out! Whether it’s jotting down keywords or writing out full questions, you can ensure that you get the most out of the conversation.

Ask to schedule a meeting

If you want to have a more lengthy discussion about something, it’s a good idea to schedule a meeting with your instructor. You can do this by either approaching them before or after class, or even by sending them an e-mail. Any professor will appreciate that you’re reaching out and being considerate of their time.

Keep an open mind

Before going to meet with your prof, especially if it’s about a grade that you may not exactly be happy with, it’s important to keep an open mind about the conversation. Sometimes receiving constructive criticism can really end up being a blessing in disguise. Try to keep an open mind about what your instructor has to say and take any great advice they’re giving you.

Listen and learn

Professors are here to educate and help students with their future careers. Advice that they give can be invaluable. Whether a discussion with your professor is concerning the class specifically, or if it’s about your future options and career, make sure you listen and take something away from that conversation. After all, life is about learning as we go, so take every opportunity you’re given and try to learn something from it.

We hope these tips come in handy next time you need to talk to your professor about something!