Claire:
While most classes don’t have a specific requirement to interact with your professor on a regular basis, it definitely can only help. Getting to know your professors helps you get more engaged with your courses, and could help you remember deadlines and important topics. The best way to get to know your professors is to go up to them after class and talk to them. Introduce yourself, mention anything you found interesting from the lecture, and ask about their research. Professors have plenty of wisdom to give about different industries and research. Whether you’re trying to figure out which classes to take next semester or what career path you want to dedicate the rest of your life to, professors usually have great insight that might help make your decision easier.
Usually, professors like it when you ask them questions. They went into academia for a reason; they love their subject and helping other people understand it. If you are nice and genuinely care about what they have to say, you’re likely to make a good impression. If you’re worried that it might be too late in the semester to get to know your professor, I would say that late is better than never. Everyone is busy at the start of the semester, and professors get just as distracted adjusting to their new workloads. So jump in and talk to whatever professor you want to know better after the next lecture. Who knows? You might make a new lifelong contact.
Ethan:
I could use this space to tell you that the best way to build a relationship with a professor is to go to office hours and be friendly but that wouldn’t entirely be the truth. If you really want your professors to do you favors, you’re going to have to go the extra mile. If you are going to spend time in your professor’s office hours, you should have a side goal of digging up dirt that you can use later. I am not telling you to do this, but a professor is much more likely to raise your grade by 0.4% if you have information that they do not want to be shared with others. Scouring social media for a professor’s dark side could be exactly what you need to sway them to be your friend. If they end up being a regular functioning member of society without the dirt that they are hiding from the world you could always try paying them off. With the cost of living rapidly rising, I believe a lot of people would help you out if you could help them put food on the table for the month. If these methods of getting your professors to like you more do not work, I would have to recommend that you put the time you’re taking into digging up dirt or paying them off into actually learning the material in their class. As long as you get the grade you need, it doesn’t matter if a college professor dislikes you.
