Impressing Your Professor

By Hedrick Lepsch


It takes more than shiny apples on professors' desk to impress them. The easiest way to impress professors is to get to know them. If you do not attempt to get to know your professors as individuals you will never know what traits they esteem more than others in their students.

Some professors like students who are active in class discussions, others like students who take the time to come them in their office after class to discuss the lecture. What one professor may find flattering another may find offensive. That is why getting to know your professors as individuals is important for your education and your future networking possibilities.

Sometimes our hobbies should not be our professions, but other times our hobbies are our true loves and should be our careers. Learning the difference between those two types of hobbies can make all the difference when picking a major and later a career field.

When deciding your major, also consider the life and luxuries you wish to have after college. If you want to make a lot of money and are fine with long hours, a business administration degree may be a great fit. Or if you want to earn the majority of your money of a couple months and want have the rest of the year to relax an accounting degree may be just right.

Also when considering a major it is not just enough love what you do, and want to have a big paycheck, your major should match your strengths. If you are good at math and music, surprisingly enough you may also be good a computers. So it would be logical to take a few classes in computer programing or computer science to test your aptitude in those fields.

If you don't know what your strengths or true passions are ask your friends, family and classmates about yourself. Ask them what they think you are good at or what they admire about you. As you talk to them write down the qualities and skills they describe. Then reflect on the times you used these skills in the past and how using those skills made you feel. After asking enough questions and recalling enough memories you will have a better understanding of what major will fit you best.

Because of the time an effort you have spent fostering this relationship, you now have a mentor is your career field that can help you navigate and network with industry contacts when it comes time to find a job. Although your professor may teach at a university and at times they can seem out of touch with the real world, you will be amazed at the people they know and the contacts they can help you make.

So take the time to get know your professors and cater to their personalities and tastes. By the time the semester is over you will created a mentor could help you network your way to your dream job.




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