10 Ways To Get On A Professor’s Good Side In Business School

By Danielle Wirsansky on February 15, 2016

This article is brought to you by Kaplan, the leader in test prep for over 90 standardized tests, including the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and MCAT.

Getting on your professor’s good side is always a good idea; you’ll have a sounding board, engage more and learn from your classes, and make a connection that could lead to references and recommendation letters.

1. Introduce Yourself

How can a teacher get to know you if they’ve never really met you before? Make it a point to go and introduce yourself to the professor so that you show up on their radar. Make a good impression when you do because that can set the tone for the rest of the relationship. Business school is competitive so you want to make yourself stand out.

2. Participate

Introducing yourself is only the first step. Once you show up on their radar, you need to keep yourself on their radar. Students that make an effort, engage, and participate in class stand out more prominently than other students who are surreptitiously glancing at their phones or staring glassy eyed into space.

Show that you know the material and are interested in it. Utilize your time wisely, and if you do have any questions, why not get them answered? It will only help you in the long run.

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3. Sit At The Front Of Class

Sitting at the front of class and being engaged is a great way to show a professor that you are serious about their class and the subject. People are usually hesitant to sit in the front so it should not be a hardship to snag those seats.

The professors are more likely to notice and engage with you in return. They’ll recognize who you are and look to you more often simply because you are closer to them.

4. Do Well In Class

This should be a no-brainer suggestion. You will not succeed in business school if you are doing poorly in class and you certainly will not make headway with a professor if you are flunking out of their class.

You have a lot of resources available to you — even your professor is a resource to use if you are struggling with the material. You do not have a good excuse to do poorly in class at that point. Do well, shine bright, and stand out to your professors.

5. Go To Office Hours

Use your professors’ office hours. They weren’t set because the professors felt like sitting alone in their offices a couple of hours every week. They want to help you and they want to get to know you.

Office hours are a time for both of those things. Show your devotion and engagement by showing up. Have questions prepared and be ready to discuss important topics. Don’t make it obvious (or just don’t go) for the simple reason of networking. Try to get to know your professor better as a person and show yourself off to your best advantage.

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6. Keep Your Parents Out Of It

Business school is about learning to be professional in a job sector that is celebrated for its professionalism. So you need to make sure that your parents are not interfering or getting involved in your schoolwork.

You need to be your own champion. There’s nothing like an over-involved parent contesting grades or demanding better treatment and opportunities for their child to turn a professor off.

7. Be On Your Best Behavior

Sometimes doing well in your class is not enough. There are lots of students in business school that make good grades. What stands out is being a conscientious student who pays attention, participates, and is engaged.

This is particularly important in one-on-one meetings. Do not whip your phone out and check your messages, be dressed inappropriately for a meeting, and do not beg for better grades. Treat your professors how you yourself would want to be treated and dealt with.

8. Get Involved

If there is a professor that you are particularly interested in getting to know or getting on their good side, then find out if they are involved with or chair any organizations. Aside from providing you with a good learning experience, helping you to network with your peers, and bolstering your resume for post business school job hunts, they’ll give you an opportunity to work more closely with a professor on something that they are obviously very passionate about.

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9. Attend Outside Events

Another great way to get on the good side of your professors in business school is to attend any lectures or forums outside of class that they may be participating in. Be attentive. Ask questions.

Aside from learning new things, you’ll also show the professor how much you care and that you truly want to learn and have an interest in the subject.

10. Be Yourself

While it might seem paradoxical from what you’ve been told before, you should still be yourself when dealing with professors. You want to form real relationships with your professors and you cannot do that if you are not being yourself. You just want to show yourself off to your advantage and show them the best version of you that you can be.

Learn more about Kaplan’s test prep options and start building the confidence you need for Test Day.

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