How to Pursue Your Interests Through Professors

1. Find a Professor

The first step is introspection: decipher the knowledge in which you are lacking and -from that- what you would like to know. It is also possible to learn how to do something, so think about which skills you would like to have. Next, find the department at your university which offers what you seek and professor contact information. I wanted to learn how to play the piano, so I contacted professors in the music school to take lessons from. I’ve always wanted to take Nutrition classes, but I didn’t have room in my schedule, so I contacted professors in the Health department to talk to, and one spoke about her research as well as interesting facts.

2. Get in Touch

There is usually a directory of e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and office locations for professors in each university department. Just as you would write to a class professor, add your name, the department, and “meeting” or “questions” in the subject line. Introduce yourself in the body of the e-mail and state your reason for interest, just as you would in a cover letter, and then state some times in which you are available and what you would like to discuss.

3) Set up an Appointment

Contact multiple professors to schedule an appointment to discuss their research, the subject matter, and any questions you may have. If you are interested in research, it is important to present specific questions about a professor’s research article (choose a specific one) beforehand to let the professor know that you are prepared. It may require skimming a few articles, but it will be a good introduction to the subject if you are not already familiar with it, and it serve as a door to conversation with a professor. If you prefer to talk to the professor about the subject area in general, it is still advisable to prepare specific questions to ask. Some examples are: What are possible careers in this field? How has information from this field been applied to the real world? Why did you choose to work in this field? You can ask professors about their experience and even ask for career advice because they were once undergraduates as well.

Make sure you thank all professors you meet for their time. If one professor is not helpful, you can always end your correspondence there, but if you do have an interesting conversation, continue meetings with the professor and ask the questions that you have always wanted to know the answers to concerning the subject. It may encourage you to do some research into the subject on your own as you think of more topics for discussion with the professor.

image credit: Ben Deaton