FROSH: Professors are people too: Why talking to your professors could be the best decision you make this school year

By Cameron Sauder, September 11 2025—

Simply taking the time to speak with your professors can be the difference between coasting through university and making it the most valuable experience of your life.

Consider the following scene, one which will be something you experience very soon, or perhaps have already experienced as an undergraduate student. 

You walk into the first lecture of your first year of study, a wide-eyed freshman surrounded by hundreds of similar university newbies. Chatter fills the auditorium as students meet new peers and friends, talking about where they came from and what they’re most excited about for the class. Perhaps a few disinterested individuals are watching Instagram reels on their phones, but you don’t pay much attention to them — you’re much too eager for this, your first taste of university life.

Suddenly, the door at the front of the room opens and out walks your instructor, a well-put-together individual, perhaps carrying a briefcase or some kind of fancy, professorial satchel. The room goes quiet as they take their place at the lectern and then they begin to teach. You watch them present, your mouth hanging open as you furiously scribble down anything and everything they say. 

About 20 minutes into the lecture, they ask a question of the class. You know the answer, but nobody else is raising their hand, so you keep the answer to yourself. The professor asks again… what will you do?

If your answer is to remain silent, then I hate to break it to you, but you’re cutting yourself off from a world of opportunities. Because as soon as you speak up in class, you associate a voice with your face and you take the first step to forming professional relationships with some of the smartest people on campus.

But don’t stop there! If there are opportunities for you to ask questions or strike up conversations after class, take them, even if the thought terrifies you.

Professors are the single most valuable resource you could have access to in a university setting: they are vast wealths of knowledge who’ve done this whole university thing time and time again. They’re just plain smart, and if you’re in their class, odds are you’re going to find what they have to say incredibly interesting. Professors know intimately what it’s like to apply for grad school if/when you’re ready for that; they know what research opportunities there might be for students (which you can get paid for); and they know how to help you overcome whatever challenges you might come across.

Because there’s always another version to the story I just told you — one where the instructor starts talking and you feel completely out of your depth; where you truly don’t know the answer to that question and don’t think you ever will.

Being an undergraduate is no simple task. Deadlines get away from you, work piles up and research questions refuse to be answered like frustrating little walnuts that bore a divot into your forehead instead of cracking open and revealing their meaty innards.

However, the reality of the situation is that professors are people too, with lived experiences and hobbies and flaws just like you and me. Most of them are understanding and compassionate. If you go to a professor with a problem, most of them will do their best to help you figure it out, whether that means workshopping thesis ideas for your paper or explaining why you got a lower grade than you were hoping for. Not all of them are like this, but it doesn’t take much to differentiate the good from the bad.

Professors are very busy individuals, but don’t mistake this for disinterest. Many of them will be responsive to any kind of engagement with the course material or the subject at large. Most importantly, they’re around to help you, but it is not their job to seek you out. If you’re failing a class, they’re not going to help you unless you go to them first. If you miss a deadline, you’re going to lose marks – and potentially even straight-up fail that assignment – unless you reach out ahead of time and request an extension. Extensions truly aren’t the holy grail you might expect them to be; many professors are lenient with deadlines so long as you make the effort.

It’s not easy being a professor, which means that many of them enjoy the work they do. They care about the university and they’re passionate about their field of study — they’ll talk to you if you’re interested and engaged. Their time is valuable, but curious students are even more valuable.

And did I mention the job opportunities? The ones with real-life money involved? Research gigs may be competitive, but professors are far more likely to select a candidate whom they know over someone they don’t. 

So don’t be afraid to stand out in the classroom — you’ll know if you’re talking too much. And if you’re not as confident, there is literally no harm in asking a question to further the conversation. Even if you take a wild guess and get it completely wrong, you’re probably not the only one who was thinking that; wrong answers exist, even in Humanities spaces, but they still advance the conversation in meaningful ways.Talk to your professors, especially if you’re nervous. You’ll get better grades, discover valuable opportunities and who knows, you might even change your future.

This article is a part of our Opinions section and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Gauntlet editorial board.