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> And this can be very confusing, unless you come from a self-centered elite worldview where (a) and (b) aren't highly differentiated. I'm a white dude from a

> And this can be very confusing, unless you come from a self-centered elite worldview where (a) and (b) aren't highly differentiated. I'm a white dude from a family that was totally fine financially (though more due to good money management than sky-high income) so I can't and wouldn't claim any disadvantage on those fronts, obviously, but socially there's just so much my upbringing didn't prepare me for in the world, or didn't expose me to. We 100% did not run in privileged social circles, even a bit. Rural poor, mostly, in my extended family and such. It's been wild learning how differently those with other social backgrounds see the world, and what's considered acceptable behavior. It would never, ever have occurred to me to attend office hours just to get to know my professors. Woulda seemed pretty dickish, actually. But it's normal and expected and confers all kinds of advantages. Go figure.

secabeen 7y ago
>It would never, ever have occurred to me to attend office hours just to get to know my professors. Woulda seemed pretty dickish, actually. But it's normal and expected and confers all kinds of advantages. Go figure. I wouldn't necessarily say that people go to office hours just to get to know their professors, that would be presumptuous. What people do do is go when they are temporarily stuck on a concept, or want to work through a problem in the exercises, or when developing an idea for a paper. All temporary, normal steps in the process, that most students could get by on their own, or by working in a group with other students or the TA. Privileged students feel comfortable going all the way to the professor for help (even just a little help), in a way that less privileged students don't seem to.
- Izkata 7y ago
  > I wouldn't necessarily say that people go to office hours just to get to know their professors, that would be presumptuous. This. I was a teacher's assistant in college for 3 years for the introductory programming courses, and most years there were only a handful of students who bothered coming to my office hours. One semester in particular stands out, one student came in every single week, not directly for help, but because class was during her part-time job and as a single mother she had no free time at home. It was the only chance she had to get an overview of the lesson (she had a good mind for the topic and didn't need much instruction from me) and complete the assignments each week. Just being in the same room like that for extended periods, conversations tend to wander - or outside life intrudes through phone calls - hence how I know what her situation was.

secabeen 7y ago

>It would never, ever have occurred to me to attend office hours just to get to know my professors. Woulda seemed pretty dickish, actually. But it's normal and expected and confers all kinds of advantages. Go figure. I wouldn't necessarily say that people go to office hours just to get to know their professors, that would be presumptuous. What people do do is go when they are temporarily stuck on a concept, or want to work through a problem in the exercises, or when developing an idea for a paper. All temporary, normal steps in the process, that most students could get by on their own, or by working in a group with other students or the TA. Privileged students feel comfortable going all the way to the professor for help (even just a little help), in a way that less privileged students don't seem to.

Izkata 7y ago
> I wouldn't necessarily say that people go to office hours just to get to know their professors, that would be presumptuous. This. I was a teacher's assistant in college for 3 years for the introductory programming courses, and most years there were only a handful of students who bothered coming to my office hours. One semester in particular stands out, one student came in every single week, not directly for help, but because class was during her part-time job and as a single mother she had no free time at home. It was the only chance she had to get an overview of the lesson (she had a good mind for the topic and didn't need much instruction from me) and complete the assignments each week. Just being in the same room like that for extended periods, conversations tend to wander - or outside life intrudes through phone calls - hence how I know what her situation was.