Office hours
Office hours are set times each week when a professor or teaching assistant is available to answer students' questions, in person or online. Most are drop-in, though some instructors ask you to book a slot. They are free, they are usually listed in the syllabus, and they are one of the most underused study tools in college.
In more detail
An instructor typically holds a few hours a week, and teaching assistants hold their own. The format is an office visit, a video call, or an appointment when your schedule clashes. The times and place are on the syllabus or the course page. Outside college, office hours can also mean the hours a business is open, which is a different thing.
Going helps in three ways. You get an answer to your exact confusion, not a general one. You hear how the instructor thinks about the material and the exam. And the instructor learns your name, which matters when you later need a reference or a recommendation letter. Office hours are not remedial. Any student with a specific question can go.
They work best when you arrive prepared. A visit that starts with "I don't get any of it" burns twenty minutes finding out where you are stuck. A visit that starts with your attempt and one precise question gets a useful answer in two. Do not ask for the exam questions, and avoid the night before an exam, when the line is longest.
Weak and strong ways to start
| Weak opening | Stronger opening |
|---|---|
| "I don't understand chapter 4." | "I follow steps 1 and 2 of the proof in chapter 4, but not why step 3 follows. Here is what I tried." |
| "What will be on the exam?" | "Is the exam closer to the homework problems or the lecture examples? Which topics should I weigh most?" |
| "Can you go over everything?" | "I got problem 6 wrong. Here is my working. Where did my reasoning go off?" |
| "Is my essay okay?" | "My thesis is X. Does the second paragraph support it, or should I cut it?" |
Example
Priya lost points on problem 3 of the midterm. She brings her paper and her working to the TA's hours and asks where her reasoning broke. The TA points to one wrong assumption in the second line. Priya leaves with a single correction, redoes two similar problems that evening and does not lose those points on the final.
How to use it
- 1
Find the times on the syllabus or course page and put them in your calendar. Check whether the TAs hold hours too.
- 2
Before you go, attempt the problem or reread the section, and write down the exact point where you got stuck.
- 3
Prepare two or three questions and put the most important one first.
- 4
Bring your work: notes, homework, a draft or your laptop.
- 5
During the visit, listen, take notes on the answer and say it back in your own words to check you got it.
- 6
Afterwards, redo the problem alone the same day.
How StudyPDF does this
Office hours are short, so arrive with a precise question. StudyPDF helps you find it. Quiz results show a per-concept breakdown, weakest first, so you know which idea to ask about. Ask Bo first: he answers from your own material with a citation to the page, and on a quiz he already knows which question you mean. What Bo and your notes cannot settle is what you bring to the professor.
See also
Put it to work on your own course
Upload your lectures and ask Bo. Cited answers, plus flashcards, exams, and more built from your material.
Common questions
Are office hours only for students who are struggling?
No. Any student with a specific question can go, and many go to check their understanding, talk through an assignment or ask about the field. Arriving with a clear question matters more than how well you are doing.
Do you need an appointment for office hours?
Usually not. Most office hours are drop-in during the posted times, but some instructors use a sign-up sheet or an online booking link. The syllabus or course page says which. If the times do not fit your schedule, email to ask for another slot.