How To Amaze Your Psychology Professor

In most U.S. school systems, besides the wonderful growth that comes from acquiring knowledge, grades are  an important factor for academic success. Without a high enough GPA, one may be rendered unable to attend their grad college of choice, or perhaps any grad school at all. This is precisely the reason students often go to great lengths to stand out in their professor's eyes. How does a psychology student impress his or her professor without being entirely obvious?

Well, the following are a few sure-fire ways to gain respect, attention, and general interest from a psychology professor: I know this one seems really simple, but so many students do it: don't miss the first class! If there is simply no way around it, contact the professor and explain the circumstances—this at least shows effort and thoughtfulness. Secondly, showing up late to class is for high-school students, no serious college student wants to stand out in this way. Of course if there is a legitimate excuse, then the tardiness should be overlooked.

There is far too much technology today that annoys more than it helps; this could mean cell phones, laptops, ipods, whatever the annoying, destructive devices are, get rid of them! As far as laptops are concerned, make sure the psychology professor is okay about them being used in the classroom before pecking annoyingly away while he or she is speaking. Furthermore, the office hours typically indicated on the syllabus somewhere, those hours are for students to actually ask questions that may be more complex than basic in-class questions, so a savvy, wise, eager student will want to take advantage of those hours.

The next few rules can really shoot the eager student into another stratosphere of likeability: if a psychology professor is juggling chairs around, fumbling with the projection screen, or just can't seem to find his or her stride, step in and save the day, of course in a subtle, unassuming way. This shows assertiveness. Approach the professor early on if struggling with material.

Ask questions and alleviate concerns before it becomes an issue. Just about every professor, whether they admit it or not, likes to hear when the student is interested in anything said in a lecture. So, as an assertive student, tell the professor exactly what was impressive, ask about topics that were bewildering or seemed irrelevant, but have tact with the latter part. Be the type of student that, when teetering on the edge of a B+ and an A-, the professor wants to give the higher grade to him or her because of the overall effort, assertiveness, interest, and positive presence in the classroom.

There are several ways to do well in a psychology class, but getting to know the teacher  and show an interest is a tried and true way to succeed.

This article is made possible by Argosy University. Drawing upon our more than 30-year history of granting degrees in professional psychology, Argosy University has developed a curriculum that focuses on interpersonal skills and practical experience alongside academic learning. Because getting a degree is one thing. Succeeding, quite another. Click here for more information.