Are you intimidated by your college professor? Yes, your teachers can sometimes be scary, but remember that your profs are people too! How your professor feels about you can influence your letters of recommendation or how much time your teacher is willing to help you with the course.  Here are some of our top seven tips on how to make the grade by impressing your teacher:

1. Look interested – professors love to see alert and attentive students in their classroom. After all, it’s pretty demoralizing for a teacher to have a room full of snoozing co-eds! If you do your best to follow what’s going on in class and take notes, you’ll be sure to stand out from the rest of the crowd.
2. Ask questions –by asking intelligent and thoughtful questions during class, it sends your professor the message that you are genuinely interested in the material. Bonus points go to students who ask questions about the reading or integrate information from a previous lecture.
3. Continue the conversation outside of the classroom – you are sure to get on your professor’s good side if you approach him or her with a question or comment about the course outside of class. The best time to talk to professors is during their office hours, but some may have time to chat before or after class.
4. Join the team – some professors offer undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to work on special projects with them. Not only is this a good way to forge an important relationship with your teacher, but helping your professor publish an article or conduct research is an impressive bit of work experience to add to your resume.
5. Alert your professor to current events related to the class – bringing in an article from a newspaper or a report from the Internet will show that you’re thinking about class…outside of class. Teachers love to see their students applying their classroom knowledge to real-world events.
6. Tell your professor you are enjoying the class – many students don’t realize that professors actually worry about how their class is going. If there is something specific that you like about the class, don’t be afraid to slip it in! On the flip side, your teacher will know if you’re not being sincere or are just hankering for a good grade, so be sure you are genuine with your compliments.
7. Say “thank you” – many students don’t realize that professors aren’t obligated to do the things that are often taken for granted.  If your professor answers e-mails on nights and weekends, writes a letter of recommendation, gives an extension, or helps with a paper, be sure to express your gratitude. Professors remember the students who thank them, and that might come in handy when you need another favor.