Novel study sessions equip students for more than just exams
STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Spider students looking for some extra help on coursework and exams often mention that their professors are available to lend a hand in surprising ways. Michael Leopold, Saif Mehkari, and Bo Yun Park are a few of the faculty who take a novel approach to office hours that include marathon study sessions, evening and weekend meetings, and conversation that extends beyond the next test.
Leopold, a chemistry professor, holds regular office hours, walk-in availability for much of the day, and allows students to schedule time with him through an appointment booking app. However, when exams are imminent, his office hours turn into marathon study sessions, sometimes lasting until 2 a.m.
Often, students come to the sessions worried that they might fail their exam. “Multiple students, double digit sometimes, feel that way before the session, and I help for hours until they gain the confidence that they can do it,” said Leopold, the Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry.
The essence is getting students to realize, as people, they are capable of so much more than they think they are.
And while chemistry can be challenging for students, Leopold’s lessons stretch beyond the subject. “The real essence of what I do is more about work ethic, study habits, rising to challenges, and getting students to realize, as people, they are capable of so much more than they think they are,” Leopold said.
Mehkari, an economics professor and Paul Clikeman Teaching Fellow, has an open-door policy for students to come to his office to study or do homework. He often meets students over the weekend and evenings, which he finds works best with everyone’s schedule. Starting last fall, he began holding a study group in D-Hall on Sundays.
“It provides a great opportunity for students to intermingle and learn at the same time,” Mehkari said. During the study group, they go over homework in preparation for their weekly quiz.
Mehkari said his approach is more efficient than meetings during the busy daytime. “It leads to a better connection with the students, which leads to a better learning environment in the classroom."
It provides a great opportunity for students to intermingle and learn at the same time.
Professor Bo Yun Park, who teaches leadership studies and sociology, offers extended office hours and enjoys developing intellectual bonds over the course material.
She and her students often engage in extended conversations — not just about course content, she said, but broader questions about the social world and patterns of human behavior.
Sometimes the connections she makes with students allows them to talk freely about their lives.
I know how helpful it was to be able to connect with instructors outside of the classroom setting.
“My students know that my door is always open and that my office is a safe space to share any concerns that get in the way of their academic journey,” she said.
From her own experience as a student at a liberal arts college, Park said she understands the importance of being available.
“I benefited from lengthy conversations during professors’ generous office hours,” she said. “I know how helpful it was to be able to connect with instructors outside of the classroom setting.”