Skip to main content
SFU Student

Women on the phone while working on her laptop
Office hours are a student’s golden time to engage in the essence of learning. No other people will be present to steal the point you’re about to make.

This will be my last term as an undergrad and if there’s one thing I could change about my time here at SFU, it would be how many office hours I went to. Attending office hours can help you have a deeper engagement with learning and the university community as a whole, here’s why I think they're an integral part of a student’s university career.

Have you ever found a professor to be engaging, thought-provoking, stimulating but also a bit… intimidating? The most common reason I’ve found among students that keeps them from office hours is the feeling that they’re not on the same intellectual level as their professors. Well, the truth is, you’re likely not, but that’s to be expected! Your professors have, 20, 30, or even 40 plus years of age on you. That’s, for many of us, two to three times the number of years we have lived. Of course you’re professors are going to dwarf you, intellectually. That’s why they’re teaching you. Don’t look at their big brain as something to be afraid of. Look at their intellect as something to be appreciated and ultimately learned from. Be like a toddler. Very young children are rarely concerned with revealing just how little they know to older people. Instead, they are amazed at how much information older people know and constantly ask questions to experience the joy that is learning. Learning, itself, is also made easier by office hours.

Before I begin my next point, I’d like to ask you a question. Would you rather learn from a living breathing person, or from a book? If you answered the former then office hours become even more important for you. Learning, in a nutshell, is the transfer of ideas from one person to another. Often times this works both ways with the student learning from the teacher and vice versa. Office hours are a student’s golden time to engage in the essence of learning. No other people will be present to steal the point you’re about to make. No barrage of notes you must write down. During office hours, it’s just you and your prof engaging with each other and learning from each other. This is something that a lecture hall of 500 students can never truly provide; the basic human contact that is integral to learning. I’ve found that office hours enrich my learning experience by simply being nearer to my professor. The quiet space of an office allows me to pay more attention to subtle details such as their tones of voice when they speak about a subject, or brief anecdotes they may wish to share with you. It’s this sort of human connection that makes learning so much easier and more enjoyable. Instead of having to memorize textbooks, you start to associate knowledge with the professor. This association of knowledge allows for a vastly improved depth of learning as you are able to associate knowledge with the experience of going to office hours and having brief, but rich interactions with your professor.

Try these office hour tips out and see if learning becomes both easier and deeper for you. It did for me.

SFU Student

You Might Like These... Volunteering, Community Engagement, Professional Development, Personal Development, Life Balance

STC West Coast
Alumnus Profile: How Crystal Kwon Advanced Her Career Through Volunteerism

Students often overlook one important benefit of volunteerism. While students realize that scholarships and bursaries usually require community engagement, they often forget that volunteerism can also give you the edge you need after you finish your degree.

Kyle and volunteers
Kyle Jung: Expand Your Horizons through Volunteering

Did you know that you can make a difference through volunteering, as well as discovering your passions and career goals? These are just some of the benefits of volunteering, according to Kyle Jung, a 5th-year SIAT student who is also the Vice President of Operations, Interactive Arts & Technology Student Union (IATSU) and the SFSS Forum Representative.

Volunteers
Jordan Robinson: Volunteer, Learn & Have Fun!

Do you want to improve your writing and communications skills? Do you want to meet other SFU students? If you answered “yes” to any of the two questions, becoming a peer educator may just be right for you! Let Jordan Robinson, a 4th-year Sociology student, tell you what valuable skills and experiences.

You Might Like These... Community Engagement

David Oyetola
What Does It Mean to Make an Impact with Your Studies?

David Oyetola’s Semester in Dialogue experience and how you can learn to make an immediate impact on the world while studying your career.

Books about Toastmasters
Toastmasters: Speak Up for Your Career!

Do you want to become a better communicator and leader? Do you want to gain confidence in public speaking? You may want to consider SFU’s own Burnaby Mountain Toastmasters Club, an opportunity for the general public to gather together and prepare for interview settings, job and career development, and general group environments. 

Tired Student
The Vicious Cycle of the Contemporary College Student

You may be stuck in a cycle familiar to many university students. Learn to recognize the signs of this cycle, and make 2017 the year you finally do that thing you said you would. It’s a new year, why not try something new?