AMANTE: Taking advantage of relationships with teachers important for growth in college
Teacher’s pet. Brown nose. Suck-up.
I’ve been called them all.
I own the labels. I’m not ashamed to admit I was probably overly friendly with teachers in high school and am with professors now. What surprises me is that most of you are not.
While my Facebook and Twitter profiles proudly advertise I’m a know-it-all, I readily admit it's my attitude more than an actual state of mind; hence my career in journalism and vast intellectual curiosity. I happily and readily solicit advice from anyone willing to give it to me.
My conversations with professors on campus have been among the most meaningful in my life. Whether seeking personal or professional advice, I am captivated by what my mentors have to say.
The classroom learning is meaningful as well, but it's the relationships I’ve forged with these people that I will most take from my college experience.
Ten years down the line, I know I can count on a letter of recommendation, a networking connection or even further direction in my career — and a “Tuesdays with Morrie”-esque book 20 years from now.
Perhaps these personal bonds with instructors make me a teacher's pet. But honestly, I’m the one getting the benefits out of these relationships. They have had such an impact on me, but what do I bring to the table? Certainly I’m not as dazzling as I’d like to think I am.
So I put the question to the test, asking my mentors why the heck they tolerate me, and more to the point: What do they get out of student relationships?
One told me conversations with students give an interesting reflection of his own passions. Moreover, students offer interesting, fresh perspectives on topics of discussions.
Another said he considered advising and encouraging students to be part of his job, encouraging students to their highest levels of achievement. And aside from his family, he said, student relationships were some of the most satisfying and meaningful of his life.
We are surrounded by men and women who are educated and have experience — a wealth of knowledge that we should certainly use to our advantage. It bewilders me when I hear professors say no one comes to their office hours.
I’m a suck-up, but I am not disingenuous. I am genuinely fascinated by my instructors' wisdom and want to get the most out of my time on campus.
The best way to do that doesn’t necessarily happen inside the classroom. It happens when you get to know these instructors who have so much to offer us as students.
