(U OF I Blog #2)

“You think we’re scary? Wait ’til you see your college professors” – basically every high school teacher ever

When I was in high school, there was this notion that college professors were these individuals with such notoriety that approaching them seemed like trying to approach a hallway filled with blazing lasers; one misstep and you’re gone.

Here at Iowa, it’s actually quite the opposite.

I came from a school that had less than one hundred people and so coming to a school as big as Iowa seemed like a major change. I felt like I would get lost amongst the hordes of undergrads that filled every class, Zoom or in-person; that I would be that one person lost in the corner, scrambling to figure out what a limiting reactant is in Gen. Chem and failing time and time again.

I found it surprising that it was actually the professors contacting me about my struggles or my attendance or anything they could do to make the class better. Okay, hold up, that didn’t even happen in high school. (Wait, wait, it did, just with the principal, haha, *gulp*) .

But don’t take their extended grasp for granted. You must reciprocate. I found it’s really helpful to attend personal meetings and get to know more about the subject and even the professor. Even if you’re taking Gen Eds. or electives, professors are very open to having a conversation with you — you out of thousands of people.

I akin it to talking to someone you value as a mentor… and in all honesty, they really are mentors; they are teaching you how to apply a subject to a path that will affect your future. They are not so much as scary as they are supportive and friendly, both of which I find a lot of solace in.

So, don’t be afraid to talk to someone who commands your class in such an influential way;

You never know… a study guide might just arrive on your doorstep, *ahem* dormstep.