How to talk to your Professor

Farooqui N.K.

As students, you have to talk to your professor (Teacher, Lecturer, Assistant professor or Associate professor) on different issues. Here are the steps to talk to him comfortably and come out with good results.

Step 1: Be clear on your objective.

When you decided to meet your professor outside the class, you should have a clear-cut objective in your mind, as why you want to meet. Mostly student meet just to build a personal rappo or show that they are very serious about the studies, which results in bad influence. Talk sensibly and effectively in short words.

Step 2: See the availability.

Mostly professors are busy with other works which students are not aware of. Better if you check his time table on website or on the notice board before you land in front of his cabin in a building located at distance place. Depending upon the work and time required to complete that work, you can go to that professor with prior permission.

Step 3: Be Ready with the documents.

Mostly, you have to come with documents ready to prove what you are saying. For example during some educational discussion you will require books.

Sometimes, if the professor is busy with some other guest or students, you have some material or an iPod with you so that you can effectively use your time.

Do not discuss any point without reading the material or carrying the material, because most of the time professor is already aware of all those things.

Step 4: Do not meet professor after class for important things.

Students try to solve their problems outside the class as soon as class ends. This is the time when your professor is tired and do not want to discuss anything. In case you have some important issue and needs discussion in alone and peaceful environment, preferably discuss that in professor’s cabin.

Step 5: Build a personal rapport.

After some months, professor will build your profile depending on your habits and behavior. You should try to build this profile good and positive. This profile will help you get good marks & job after the course. Good manners and positive attitude towards your professor helps in making good profile.

Step 6: Your Professor is not the master of all things

While asking the questions, be aware of the specialization of the professor. Do not any question which doesn’t relate to him. Because, one person can not be the master of all. Accurate questions, point to point talk and remaining in circle with good manners help student to solve his problems quickly and easily.

Step 7: Professor forget easily.

While going to the professor, do not offensive if he says ‘I dint remember you’. Which batch you belong to. It’s easy for a professor to forget. The professors are known for that. Be ready to introduce yourself many times in a semester, be ready with documents and ID, be ready with the documents required to discuss the point.

Step 8: Do not meet to extend the deadlines

Project, seminar and technical report submission are critical issues. Never meet to the professor with the request to extend the deadline. The project evaluation which follows the project submission delays, in case students delays the submission. This will create difficult situation for professor and examination department. Be careful, otherwise you will loose your good profile.

Step 9: Dealing with difficult professors

Professor is nothing but other human being. Try to read your professor, his likes, and his dislikes, which students he considered best, which type of students he considered bad. It depends on his personality. You need to do what he wants from you in the subject. Even if the syllabus is defined and examinations are taken by university, every professor has his own style of teaching and taking examinations. You need to obey that style.

Step 10: Personal Advice

Your professor is the best person who can guide for your career. The reason is that during teaching and evaluation he can see your positives and negatives. As he has seen many such students, he can be the best person to guide about your career.

Holidays: Full of Enjoyment

Holiday or Holy day is the day when you didn’t work or you rest. But students get long holidays like summer holidays, winter holidays or semester breaks. Utilizing those holidays effectively will result in better career. Here are points where you can effectively enjoy your holidays in effective and efficient way...….


 1. Immediately after the examinations, rest for 2-3 days.
 2. Try to find out your interest, what you want to become, what you want to do.
 3. In those 3-4 days, try to find out what problems that you have how to overcome those problems.
 4. Depending on your interests and problems find the books which can help you.
 5. For example your interest is to become a good Engineer but your problem is mathematics or English.
 6. You can find many books on engineering careers and how to improve your English and mathematics.
 7. Holidays are the best seasons when you read about your interests and books out of your syllabus.
 8. Read a lot about the career building books and biographies.
 9. Following things are the major in case you want to use the holidays in effective manner.

a. Personality development.
b. Reading about your hobbies.
c. Playing your favorite sports.
d. Reading to solve your problems.
e. Taking part in religious activities which will help your career.
f. Networking with other peers for better career.
g. Joining some course which combines enjoyment and studies.
h. Visiting some job sites, friends and senior members to study the things.
i. Build the body, which will enhance your study capacity and working pattern.


 10. Sports and group activity helps you in facing the real world problems.


Suggesgtions are most welcome farooquinajam@gmail.com

How to write Answer Sheet in Exams.

Writing the answer sheet effectively to get maximum marks is the art rather than science. 

Do the following things to score maximum out of your paper.

Before you go to exams ….

1. Good Preparation is the key for success.

2. Effective Time management and Effort management one day before the paper is helpful.

3. Know exam time table and study timing very well.

4. Know the distance to be travel and traffic conditions effectively.

5. Know the season and environmental conditions effectively.

6. Drive slowly and without tension while going to exams.

7. Be confident and well dressed.

8. Be ready to write a lot in less time.

9. Mentally be prepared to face any challenge or unexpected question or situation.

10. Do not loose your common sense and effectiveness on the day of the exams. (Particularly when you have a tough paper)

11. Revise the answers again and again, which will save your time during the examinations. If you don’t revise you will require more time to remember the points in the examinations.

In the Exam Hall ….

1. Be on time to exams.

2. Look at the seating arrangement well in advance.

3. Know the examination place & its room arrangement well in advance.

4. Take the advice from the pervious batch or day students.

5. Read the full paper first and identify easy questions, hard questions, passing marks, errors or out of syllabus questions…etc.

6. Attend the easiest question first and remember not to waste a lot of time in writing that easy question.

7. Try to complete total paper with average time given to each question.

8. Write the answers with figures, diagrams labeled.

9. Write the answers in detail with simple language.

10. Write the paragraph heading in bold and underline.

11. Write the answer in organized style.

12. Try to concentrate on the paper rather than on some other things.

13. Length of your answers and length of the answer sheet should match.

14. Do not forget to sign the attendance during the exams.

15. Do not forget to submit the answer sheet to the examiner after exams.

16. Be prompt and positive to the instructions given by the invigilator.

17. Try to write the answer in sequence i.e. 1 a then 1 b then 1 c which is easy for the examiner to examine.

18. Answer sheet should be clean and clear. If it is so, you will have 50 % more chance of getting good marks.

19. Answer sheet must be written with question number and sub question number.

20. Be clear and less short in case of mathematics is there in the paper.

21. After the completion do not forget to recheck for completeness and correction of your answer sheet.

Comments are welcome. farooquinajam@gmail.com

Preparing for the Examinations

Exams are the most important thing in the life of a student. Whether you belong to medical, engineering, science or arts field, it very important for you. Especially when everyone wants to score the 60 % marks.

Following are the things that I observer during my 6 years of teaching life.

1. Students didn’t start preparing since first day.

2. Irregular in classes.

3. Not in contact with the faculty.

4. Not aware of the books, minimum marks for passing, books used, notes distributed exam schedules…etc.

5. Preparing just week before the exams.

6. Preparing one night before the paper.

7. Not concentrating on the papers that you don’t like.

8. Irregular in studies.

9. Not attending the tests in between semester.

10. Absent mind in the class.

Students should do following to successfully face the exams …

1. Even if you didn’t start preparing for the exams from the first day, you should be aware of papers, total topics to be covered in each paper, books which are used and recommended, passing marks in each paper and combination of practical and theory, college schedule & teachers their abilities, qualities and feedback.

2. Be regular in the classes and tests.

3. Mostly don’t do the things I described in the above list.

4. Be effective on a time management policy according to your policy and priorities.

5. Be effective self manager.

6. Plan your studies well before the exams.

7. Revise the answers again and again, which will save your time during the examinations. If you don’t revise, it is difficult to remember during the examination.

8. Look at other students, how they are dealing with the problems such as difficult subject, difficult teachers, difficult points, time management and related problems.

9. Know yourself better ………

1. Like your sleeping patters,

2. Your bad habits (specially in smoking in senior students),

3. Time required concentrating on studies.

4. Group study or alone.

5. Reading and absorbing skills.

6. Writing skills and time required to write a 3 hours paper.

7. How you deal with difficult paper/ point.

8. Your allergies and medical conditions according to season.

9. Your confidence level while in tension and exam season.

10. Your ability to deal with multiple things at the same time.

10. Prepare the easy chapters first, which will build the high concentration in you.

11. Prepare the figures, difficult diagrams two to three times to avoid confusion in the exams.

12. Prepare according to last 5 years papers.

13. Carefully study the paper pattern.

14. First, secure the passing in each paper, which will built your confidence and provide opportunity for the better growth.

15. Know the paper performance & result ratio in your senior class.

16. Know the ratio of internal and exam marks. Try to secure maximum internal marks.

17. Read another article How to write Answer paper in exams ….

Comments are most welcome. farooquinajam@gmail.com

Mission Admission

Getting admission in the colleges after you complete your 10th exam is a great mission. As a student you must be aware of too many things involved in the admissions to different colleges. There are lots of complications, issues, challenges involved in this process.

Just do the following things before you start the admission process in junior, degree or a senior college. Please note that this article is written specially for B.Sc., M.Sc. and Junior College Admissions.

Before the Admission

1. Immediately after the exams, start preparing for the admission process.

2. Just study the process which is being followed by the college, university you desire to get the  admission.

3. Seniors advice is very helpful.

4. Start preparing all the documents required for the admissions.

5. Sometimes you require additional documents besides the educational documents.

6. Like you will require Residential proof, income proof of your parents..etc.

7. Keep an eye on the admission process of your college because every year junior and senior  college admission is tend to change according to the requirements.

8. Be ready to accept whatever results that you are expecting.

9. You are best person to know the results after giving exams.

10. Keep a back up in case you didn’t get admission in the desired college.

11. Selecting the best field after your 12th or bachelor is a different issue.

12. Making sufficient number of photo copies of the required documents along with the certified  true copies is necessary. This file of documents will help you everywhere.

13. Always be careful or your original documents during the fast and tension period of admission  and particularly when you are roaming around campus and canteens.

14. During the P.G. admission, exploring more options is very good.

15. Especially when your age and economical condition permit to go to other location which is  considered as best for education.

16. May be you can try admissions in some places like USA, UK, Australia or good colleges  around your city.

17. Searching web, reading admission blogs are good options. Now a days students share their  info on admission blogs.

During the admissions

1. Be in contact with your senior for the advice.

2. Always be on the spot with all required documents on time may be early in the morning.

3. Always ready to face new requirement and things from someone.

4. Always have some passport size photos with you.

5. Always be ready with photos, documents, true copies, fee in required format (DD, Cheque, hard  money...Etc).

6. Always be ready mentally to change branch or subjects during your senior college admission in  case you have more option available.

After Admissions

1. Do not forget to thank everyone who helped.

2. Keeps an eye on the admission list being displayed on the notice board / websites.

3. Keep in touch with your friends in the same class or different.

4. Keep you fee receipt and admission receipt at safe places with multiple copies.

5. Join the classes as early as possible.

6. Know your teacher and their qualities well in advance.

7. Know your subjects, passing marks, syllabus in advance.

8. Know the books which are being used in the college at least for first semester.

9. Library is the best place to meet some seniors and good students interested in studies.

       10. Library is the place where you can find material useful for your near and far feature.

If you are reading this, and know something more than this, please comment at farooquinajam@gmail.com so that I could add your comments along with your name.