Amherst is academically rigorous. Although I took a fair number of AP classes in high school and felt well-prepared, these classes hardly compare to the academic rigor here at Amherst. That is why I often find myself at Office Hours, asking for help from my professors.
Office Hours (OHs)
— Times that professors schedule outside of class to meet with students
I am very fortunate that my college preparatory high school has Office Hours, so coming to Amherst, I was already familiar with how they work and started taking advantage of them right from the first week of school. They are a great way to not only ask questions about classes but also to deepen your relationships with professors. Hence, one of the most common pieces of advice I have heard from upperclassmen is: “Go to Office Hours!”
Many of my friends only go when they have questions about upcoming exams or assignments, but I go to OHs every week because I always have questions about the materials in class. For example, as a first-year student, I am taking a first-year seminar on modern China. During class, we discussed many literary works with a 20th-century Shanghai backdrop, and I was curious about why they all share that particular setting. So I brought this question to OHs and had a very thought-provoking conversation with my professor about the settings of modern Chinese stories and the intentions of their authors.
However, questions do not have to be just about the course content. Sometimes, I also ask for advice about general aspects of the class I struggle with, such as speaking up during discussions or measuring my improvement after each lesson. As someone who is still thinking about what to major in, I have even asked one of my professors for advice on choosing a major! I have learned so much from going to OHs, and it surprises me that most of my classmates do not take advantage of this wonderful opportunity that much. Indeed, my Psychology professor once told me:
“If you’re not going to Office Hours, you’re not getting your money’s worth.”
My Introduction to Psychology Professor
I agree! My Amherst education would not have been the same without OHs.
To close this post, let me share with you my most memorable Office Hours meeting:
It was my first month of college, and I was struggling a lot with the high academic standards Amherst sets for its students. Although I participated actively in classes and devoted a lot of time to assignments, my grades did not seem promising. One day, I went to OHs and told one of my professors that although I wanted to appreciate everything we were learning, I had been pretty fixated on grades and felt like my intellectual curiosity was slipping away. Because it was a difficult time for me, I ended up tearing up right in front of my professor. I still remember her bringing out a tissue box for me and gently sharing with me what she thought the purpose of college education, including grades, was about. That conversation changed how I thought about college, and to this day, I still visit the same professor every week to ask her questions along the same lines.
I am very grateful that all of my professors are always welcoming toward my questions. In many ways, OHs have been the favorite part of my academic life at Amherst so far, and next semester, I hope to keep going to OHs to learn about all the things I would otherwise not learn during classes. After all, at a place like Amherst, why just limit yourself to the classrooms?