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I transferred to my current school and I am almost finished with my classes. Great! Yay ...except I don't really have a relationship with the professors since i have only taken one class with them. How do I get recommendation letters from professors?
I am a senior graduating in Spring and i need recommendation letters from professors for application to med school and/or scholarships. Don't really know how to go about it when my classes are 400+ size. #senior #pre-med #college
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2 answers
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Megan’s Answer
If your professor has scheduled office hours, go to them! In my experience, it was the best way to get one-on-one time and form a relationship with them, especially with such large class sizes.
Updated
Steve’s Answer
Hello Shelana,
Most professors/instructors have scheduled open door or office hours (perhaps now online due to COVID, but no matter). You start by attending, introducing yourself, and letting him/her know which class you are in. Come ready to ask some questions about the material, or express an interest in a particular point/subject that came up in class. If you do this on a regular basis, your professor will get to know you and and vice versa.
Do some research and find out of your professor might be an advisor to a student group or club, attends or organizes any events/functions from their department, etc. Meeting up outside of class or office hours is another great way to get a relationship started. Once you had a few conversations, consider asking them for some advice (e.g. classes, career path, internships, etc.). If the subject area is of particular interest to you, try contributing something by forwarding a link to a relevant article, book, news story, etc. If you notice that another student seems to know the professor well, ask if you can tag along on their next meet-up and be introduced.
When you're feeling comfortable that you both know each other a bit, that's the time to float the idea of requesting a letter of recommendation. Be sure to offer to provide a detailed bio and summary of your classes, activities, grades, etc. so that it's clear you're not expecting him/her to spend a lot of time researching you. Make it easy for them to say yes.
Good luck!
Most professors/instructors have scheduled open door or office hours (perhaps now online due to COVID, but no matter). You start by attending, introducing yourself, and letting him/her know which class you are in. Come ready to ask some questions about the material, or express an interest in a particular point/subject that came up in class. If you do this on a regular basis, your professor will get to know you and and vice versa.
Do some research and find out of your professor might be an advisor to a student group or club, attends or organizes any events/functions from their department, etc. Meeting up outside of class or office hours is another great way to get a relationship started. Once you had a few conversations, consider asking them for some advice (e.g. classes, career path, internships, etc.). If the subject area is of particular interest to you, try contributing something by forwarding a link to a relevant article, book, news story, etc. If you notice that another student seems to know the professor well, ask if you can tag along on their next meet-up and be introduced.
When you're feeling comfortable that you both know each other a bit, that's the time to float the idea of requesting a letter of recommendation. Be sure to offer to provide a detailed bio and summary of your classes, activities, grades, etc. so that it's clear you're not expecting him/her to spend a lot of time researching you. Make it easy for them to say yes.
Good luck!