by Cody Hodge

Created on: February 20, 2009

For as many things as a college student can do to make professor upset, there are many things that a student can do to make a professor happy. Trust me, if you want to guarantee yourself an easy semester, make sure that you are in with the professor, and that he or she is happy with you. If they are happy with you, they will see your work in a much nicer light, and be more willing to give you a better grade at the end of the semester. Here are a few tips that you can use to get you in with your professor.

Always show up on time, and ready to go for class. A professor loves nothing more than to see students with books out, discussing the reading that was due for class, and trying to understand it for discussion. Remember, a professor has put his or her entire life into the material that is being discussed, so it makes them feel good when the students take the work just as seriously as the professor does.

Participate, participate, participate. Raise your hand as often as possible, and be ready to discuss the material as in-depth as possible. Again it shows understanding of the material, and shows that you took the time to really understand the assigned material. Professors love when a student goes the extra mile to prepare for class, and can add something interesting for the discussion of the material.

Remember that in most college courses, participation and showing up on time can be as much as twenty percent of the grade. If you do well on the quizzes that start most classes, and can have a good participation grade, you will have a leg up when it comes to the end of the semester grade for that particular class.

A professor will love it if you can make a personal connection with them. Whether it be eating lunch with them, or just being able to show a passion for the material outside of class, coming to them outside of class for a discussion of the topics is a good way to get in with a professor. It is good networking too, and shows the professor once again that you are taking the time to further your knowledge of the subject, and are taking your education seriously.

Those are a few ways that you can get an in with your professor. You have to work hard, and really understand the material to make an impact in your classes. If you can show the professor that you care, are trying to learn more, and care about the subject matter outside of your classes, you can have a good connection with your professor. This will help you not only in class, but can help you out later on if you need a reference for a job, or for grad school.

Learn more about this author, Cody Hodge.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.