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Office Hours at UVA

Sometimes, no matter how many times you review the material or an assignment, it still doesn’t make sense. In those situations, it may be best to go straight to the source and talk to your professor.

At the start of every semester, professors usually list their hours in the class syllabus as well as on their departmental website. If it is a large class with one or more teaching assistants (TAs), their office hours will be given too. Professors and TAs from the same department stagger their office hours so someone from the department is usually available for general consultation during the work week. Most of the time students do not need to schedule an appointment to participate in office hours; walk-ins are accepted and encouraged!

But what happens in office hours? Generally, students arrive with questions or a topic from class to discuss. Professors or TAs then take time to walk through and explore the topic to help the students reach a better understanding. Other times students want to talk more broadly about a topic that’s tangentially related to the class but could still have an impact on the class discussions. Students are also welcome to discuss plans for taking more classes in the area, potentially majoring in the topic, or even future thesis plans.

Don’t let that intimidate you, though — you shouldn’t feel like you need to have a weighty, pressing matter to talk to your professors about for their office hours. A lot of professors are interested in getting to know you better as a person and what your thoughts are, so anything you would like to discuss is fair game!

Depending on the class, office hours can get very busy around the time of a test or exam. If you suspect this will be the case, it’s better to start asking questions early in the semester. Not only will you have a more solid understanding of the material by having a good foundation, but you will also have a good rapport with the professor when it’s time to start studying.

If going in person to office hours seems daunting, try starting small by emailing your professors or TAs questions or by talking to them immediately before or after class. Some will even meet you for coffee around Grounds if that’s more comfortable for you. UVA will even pay for you and some of your friends to take a professor or TA to lunch via the “Take Your Professor out to Lunch” program sponsored by the College Council.

Office hours vary by class, professor and TA, but they all have one thing in common: helping students perform their best at UVA. So if you have something you want to talk about with your instructor, go ahead and ask!