When I was in undergrad at UCSB, I would always be apprehensive or nervous about going to office hours and meeting with my professor or teaching assistant (TA). Meeting with professors or TAs after hours usually meant one of two things: 1) you weren’t doing well in class and needed to ask for extra credit opportunities, and 2) you were forced to go as part of your class requirements. Looking back now, I regret getting sucked into that mentality, not taking advantage of those opportunities to interact with my professors and TAs, and not developing connections and relationships with them. But in all honesty, in undergrad, office hours and meeting with professors weren’t really encouraged unless it was a requirement for the class.
Flash forward to the present, and one of the best things about Loyola is its open-door policy. This means that every professor makes him or herself accessible to meet and talk with students in person, email, or other method. You’re not required to meet with your professor to pass your class and you’re not made to feel silly, stupid, or like you’re failing your class when you attend office hours. At Loyola, there’s no shame in going to office hours. Rather, it’s strongly encouraged to go to office hours to: 1) address any questions regarding lecture, an assignment, or the final, 2) ask for help regarding your internship, externship, and employment search, 3) figure and plan out what courses you’re going to take in the next semester or year, or 4) just talk about life and get advice regarding how to achieve your goals.
At Loyola, our faculty is passionate about their field and the work they do AND about ensuring that we have the tools and knowledge to develop our passions, pursue our interests, and achieve our goals.