One of the great things I remember about going to college was the interaction with friends. It was always nice to spend time with fellow students just talking, laughing and sharing. However, there is another group of people on campus who care about your success at college also. And if you are willing to invest some time with them, they are willing to invest time with you. Most of the professors at the Universities close to us want students to really learn and succeed.
I remember the fall of my freshman year. I had traveled 1,200 miles away from home to go to school. The professors that year had a lasting impact on me. For example there is Dr. Breyer, the geology professor I had. It was my largest class of over 125 students, and he took the time to get to know every student’s first and last name. To this day when I see him around Fort Worth or Dutch’s he still says “Hi” and remembers my name. He was the professor that taught us, “Education is what you have when you have forgotten everything else.” His door was always open and he always had time to talk to students. Or if you were inclined you could even play basketball with him down at the recreation center during lunch. I still remember his lectures on the Ice Age and the glacial period to this day.
I can speak of many business professors I had who always had time to open the door and talk to the students. One of my favorite professors was Dr. Chuck Williams. He taught in the school of management. He would frequently make jokes with the class and always had time outside of class to spend with students. His mentoring went way beyond the classroom. I was fortunate in my first job to have a management role. Prior to starting in that role he took time out of his schedule to meet with me and have lunch to help mentor me in how to be a good manager. Just an hour or so a month really gave me a solid footing when I was in very difficult situations.
The professors generally have office hours that they keep, so going by when you have questions is never a bad idea. I learned very early on there was no such thing as a dumb question. Spending 10–15 minutes with a professor outside of class to get a question answered or to go over a specific point of thought will really help in the long run. Getting to know your professors and allowing them to get to know you as more than a name on the seating chart will help you enjoy that class a little more.
Sometimes the class can also have an eternal aspect. My freshman year I was not a Christian and had a Bible class to fill one of my core requirements. The professor, Dr. Foster, was very nice but strict. She really challenged all of the students. On occasion I would arrive a little early for class and she would engage me in a conversation. She quickly found out I was an atheist and had no real faith to speak of. On the back of my first test in her class she wrote to me, “If you are right there isn’t a problem; however, if am right, what then?” A simple question pressed me into a search for Christ. By the end of the semester I had accepted Christ as my savior.
Spending time with the professors can have an impact as friend, a mentor, and a spiritual awakening. Just because they assign homework and grade tests shouldn’t prevent you from spending some time with them. The lasting impact can be unimaginable.
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