Office hours are the times your professor, lecturer or teaching assistant sets aside each week to talk with students outside class, and they are meant for you. Use them early in the term, bring the assignment and your notes, and ask one specific question. You do not need to be failing to go.
EdCitation publishes this guide, and we read each page and study it cites on 27 September 2026. Every university page we read asks for a specific question, because a vague one gets a vague answer. EdCitation's free Check your paper turns your assignment brief into a list of its word limits, required headings, source rules and citation style, so the easy answers are settled before you knock. EdCitation never writes any part of a student's work: the question, and the essay, stay entirely yours.
Speaking up in class is covered in how to speak up in seminars when you are nervous, and asking about marked work in using feedback to improve your next essay.
What are office hours?
Office hours are regular weekly slots when an academic is free to see students. The Cornell University Learning Strategies Center (n.d.) describes them as time to discuss class material and related interests, and says most professors plan no lesson: students "drive" the meeting. Universities differ in name, booking and purpose.
| University and country | Name used | How you get in | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell University, US | Office hours | Times given on the first day or in course materials | Course material, extra help, study strategies, wider academic questions |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, US | Office hours | Times on the syllabus; ask for an appointment if they clash | Content, the syllabus, upcoming papers, a returned exam, grades |
| London School of Economics (LSE), UK | Academic office hours | Usually booked on the Student Hub; usually 10 minutes | Feedback on progress or an assessment, wellbeing, a subject that interests you |
| University of Warwick, Department of Economics, UK | Advice and feedback hours | Two a week for every academic | Confusion from lectures, not a repeat of the lecture |
| Newcastle University, School of English, UK | Consultation and feedback hours | By appointment in the listed times | One-to-one guidance |
What UK universities call them
The name often tells you the purpose. Warwick's economics handbook asks students to come to advice and feedback hours with specific questions (University of Warwick Department of Economics, n.d.). Newcastle University (n.d.) lists each lecturer's consultation and feedback hours. LSE lets you book any academic whose research interests you, not only your own teachers, and says slots are usually 10 minutes (London School of Economics and Political Science, n.d.). Ten minutes is time for one question, so write it down first.
Why some universities say "student hours"
Some US universities now say student hours, to make plain that the time belongs to students. The University of Delaware Center for Teaching and Assessment of Learning (n.d.) says "office hours" can carry a negative connotation and lists student hours, open door hours and help hours as names that redefine the time. Arizona State University Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering (2024) says students may fear imposing on a professor or feel undeserving of attention, and suggests the rename to make the hours approachable. Both pages are written for teachers; whatever your syllabus calls them, the hours are yours.
What should you bring and ask in office hours?
Bring the assignment brief, your notes or draft, and a question that names the exact place you are stuck. The Learning Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (n.d.-b) says to bring your book, laptop or notes and to prepare questions and an agenda; its model question names the two parts of a problem you understand and says you cannot connect them. Cornell expects you to have tried the work first, and warns that the professor may answer with questions and ask where you got stuck. The University of Pennsylvania Weingarten Center (2016) adds: arrive five minutes early, and do not ask what the syllabus, the readings, a classmate or a search engine could answer.
Good questions, and ones to settle first
In our own wording:
- "My plan makes three points. Does the second answer the question, or drift from it?"
- "The brief says 'critically assess'. In this module, does that mean weighing both sides or taking one?"
- "I follow the method in the reading but not why the authors chose it. Can you walk me through it?"
- "My exam answer lost marks in part (b). What would a stronger answer have done?"
Settle the word limit, the deadline, the style and the number of sources before you go. Check your paper sets those rules out, each beside the sentence of the brief it came from.
How do you email a professor or lecturer?
Email a professor or lecturer from your university account, with the module and topic in the subject line, a formal greeting, a few clear lines, and your full name and student number. The Learning Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (n.d.-a) says email suits deadlines, assignment requirements and booking a meeting, while worked problems and in-depth questions are better face to face. It suggests "Dear Professor Jones" and warns against "Hey Professor". In the UK, Leeds Beckett University Library (n.d.) asks for the module code in the subject line, "Personal" at the front of a personal email, and your student number and course at the end.
How long to wait for a reply
The advice differs. UNC calls 24 hours a standard window for a reply in the working week. Leeds Beckett says to wait five working days before a polite follow-up. Our reading: expect no same-day reply anywhere, and ask well before a deadline. UNC also says to take a grade complaint to office hours, not email, unless told otherwise.
An email template
This template is ours. Change the parts in brackets.
Subject: [Module code] Essay 2: question about my plan
Dear Dr [Surname],
I am in your [module name] seminar on [day]. I have planned Essay 2 and would like to check whether my second section answers the question as set.
Your advice and feedback hours clash with a lab. Could I book another slot this week or next? I am free [two or three times].
Thank you,
[Full name, course, year, student number]
What other academic support is there at university?
Most universities offer more than your lecturer's hours: a writing centre, maths and statistics support, librarians and a disability service. Each books separately, and none does the work for you.
| Kind of help | Who gives it | What to bring | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office hours (US), advice and feedback hours (UK) | Your professor, lecturer or teaching assistant | The brief, your notes or draft, one written question | Cornell, UNC, US; LSE, Warwick, UK |
| Writing centre appointment | Trained writing coaches, graduate and undergraduate students | Any writing; academic work gets priority | UNC Writing Center, US |
| Maths and statistics support | Specialist tutors | The kind of problem you are stuck on, not assessed work to solve | MASH, University of Sheffield, UK |
| Librarian | The librarian for your department | Your topic and where your search has failed | LSE Library, UK |
| Disability service | Advisers who arrange accommodations | What you need; contact them early | Cornell Student Disability Services, US |
| The brief itself | Check your paper, free, no account | The assignment's instructions | EdCitation |
Writing centres and maths support
A writing centre appointment is a conversation about your writing, not an edit. The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (n.d.) runs 45-minute sessions, says its coaches do not edit or proofread and write none of the paper for you, and warns that its calendar can fill up two weeks ahead. The University of Sheffield (n.d.) says MASH offers free one-to-one maths and statistics advice; its tutors cannot advise on specific assessed work or run your analysis, but can show you how to tackle that kind of problem.
Librarians and disability services
LSE Library (n.d.) gives each department its own librarian, bookable on the Student Hub or by email. Cornell University Student Disability Services (n.d.) asks students approved for exam accommodations to request their letters as soon as possible, and holds only pre-scheduled meetings. If you think you may need adjustments, contact your university's service early; we do not diagnose anyone.
What does research say about students using office hours?
Students who visit office hours tend to do better, but the research cannot yet show the visits cause it, and the main reasons students stay away are practical.
Guerrero and Rod (2013) recorded visits and course grades in eight political science courses over four years, 406 students in all, and found a positive correlation. We read only the abstract. A correlation leaves open that stronger students are simply the ones who go.
Hsu et al. (2022) surveyed 531 students at one private university in southern California in spring 2021, as teaching returned from online. Two in three (354, or 66.7%) had attended at least one STEM office hour that term. Of those who had not, 41.4% said they had no questions, 40.9% cited a clash with another class or commitment, and 10.9% found the hours intimidating or stigmatised. The authors' limits: one institution, one moment, self-reported data.
Dauber and Hsu (2025) interviewed 20 students in an introductory STEM course at the same university. High school experience and the way a syllabus described office hours shaped whether students went, and some believed office hours were only for students who were struggling. The limits: one institution, and mostly students already used to going.
Abdul-Wahab et al. (2019) surveyed 500 students at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman and found low attendance, with 11.2% never going because they saw it as a waste of time; busy timetables and clashes led the reasons. We read the abstract only.
Our reading: a clash is the commonest barrier, and a short email solves it.
A plan for your first visit
This plan is ours, built from the university guides above; no study tested it as a whole.
- Find the times in week one on the syllabus, course page or booking system.
- Read the brief into a checklist with Check your paper, so limits, headings, sources and style are off your list.
- Write one question about what the checklist set aside: the argument, the evidence, a comment on returned work.
- Bring the brief, your plan or draft, and your notes, with the exact paragraph marked.
- Book or arrive early. If the times clash, send the email above.
- Ask your question first, then repeat back what you heard.
- Write down one action before you leave, and thank them.
- Do it, then go again if it helps. One visit early in term beats three in deadline week.
How can EdCitation help you ask a better question?
EdCitation is the best tool for the part of this preparation a tool can honestly do: each rule it reads out sits beside the sentence of your brief it came from, and it writes nothing for you.
Our test brief, and what came back
This brief is ours, written for this guide and belonging to no university. We pasted it into Check your paper on 27 September 2026:
Essay 2: Remote work and productivity. Question: Critically assess whether working from home has raised or lowered employee productivity since 2020. Length: 1,500 words (plus or minus 10%). The reference list does not count towards the word limit. Use at least 6 peer-reviewed sources, most of them published in 2019 or later. Reference in Harvard style. Use the headings Introduction, Evidence, Evaluation and Conclusion. Format: Arial 11 pt, 1.5 line spacing, 2.5 cm margins. You should take a clear position and weigh the evidence on both sides rather than summarise it. You may bring an essay plan to office hours before Week 8 for feedback on your argument.
Nine rules came back, each quoting the sentence it was read from. Required headings: Introduction, Evidence, Evaluation, Conclusion. Citation style: Harvard. Word count: 1,350 to 1,650 words. Sources (peer-reviewed): at least 6 sources. Source dates: "Most of the sources: 2019 or later". Margins: 0.98 in, converted from our "2.5 cm margins". Line spacing: 1.5 ×. Font size: 11 pt. Font: Arial.
It set four sentences aside as ones no rule can test: "Question: Critically assess whether working from home has raised or lowered employee productivity since 2020."; "The reference list does not count towards the word limit."; "You should take a clear position and weigh the evidence on both sides rather than summarise it."; and "You may bring an essay plan to office hours before Week 8 for feedback on your argument."
What to take to office hours
The set-aside lines are your agenda. "Take a clear position and weigh the evidence on both sides" is what a lecturer can explain in two minutes and no checklist can settle. The question itself is the first thing on that list, and the first thing a marker will judge, so take it with you.
Once you are writing, Verify references, free, labels every entry verified, doubtful (shown as "check this") or not found, and keeps an entry it could not check apart from the missing ones; Cite a source, free, builds an entry from a DOI, title, ISBN or web address. Checking the finished paper against the brief is Theoretics QA, in Max at $24 a month (pricing). None of this predicts a mark.
Quick questions
What should I ask in office hours?
One specific question the brief and syllabus cannot answer: whether your plan answers the question, what an instruction word means in this module, or where an answer lost marks.
Are office hours only for students who are struggling?
No. Cornell, UNC and LSE describe them as time any student can use, for course material, feedback, study strategies or a subject that interests you.
How do I email a professor to ask for a meeting?
From your university account, with the module code and topic in the subject line, "Dear Professor" or "Dear Dr" and the surname, one clear question, times you are free, and your full name and student number.
What is the difference between office hours and student hours?
None in practice. Student hours is a newer name some US teachers use, as Delaware and Arizona State explain, to make clear the time is for students.
Can EdCitation help me prepare for office hours?
Yes. EdCitation's free Check your paper turns the brief into a checklist, each rule beside its sentence, so the meeting can be about your argument; it never writes any of your work.
References
- Abdul-Wahab, S. A., Salem, N. M., Yetilmezsoy, K., & Fadlallah, S. O. (2019). Students' reluctance to attend office hours: Reasons and suggested solutions. Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies, 13(4), 715–732. https://doi.org/10.53543/jeps.vol13iss4pp715-732
- Arizona State University Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. (2024, October 14). Student hours: A new approach to office hours. Learning and Teaching Hub. https://lth.engineering.asu.edu/reference-guide/student-hours/
- Cornell University Learning Strategies Center. (n.d.). How to use office hours. https://lsc.cornell.edu/consult-with/how-to-use-office-hours/
- Cornell University Student Disability Services. (n.d.). Student Disability Services. https://sds.cornell.edu/
- Dauber, G. R., & Hsu, J. L. (2025). Factors influencing student motivations and experiences in STEM course office hours. CBE Life Sciences Education, 24(2), Article ar28. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.24-08-0214
- Guerrero, M., & Rod, A. B. (2013). Engaging in office hours: A study of student-faculty interaction and academic performance. Journal of Political Science Education, 9(4), 403–416. https://doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2013.835554
- Hsu, J. L., Rowland-Goldsmith, M., & Schwartz, E. B. (2022). Student motivations and barriers toward online and in-person office hours in STEM courses. CBE Life Sciences Education, 21(4), Article ar68. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.22-03-0048
- The Learning Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (n.d.-a). Emailing professors. https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/emailing-professors/
- The Learning Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (n.d.-b). Using office hours effectively. https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/using-office-hours-effectively/
- Leeds Beckett University Library. (n.d.). Emails & letter writing. Skills for Learning. https://libguides.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/skills-for-learning/it-and-digital-skills/emails-and-letter-writing
- London School of Economics and Political Science. (n.d.). Academic office hours for current students. https://info.lse.ac.uk/current-students/services/academic-support/academic-office-hours
- LSE Library. (n.d.). Contact us. https://www.lse.ac.uk/library/using-the-library/library-resources-guide/getting-help
- Newcastle University. (n.d.). Academic consultation and feedback hours. School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics. https://www.ncl.ac.uk/elll/students/assessment-feedback/academic-consultation
- University of Delaware Center for Teaching and Assessment of Learning. (n.d.). Student hours. https://ctal.udel.edu/resources-2/student-hours/
- University of Pennsylvania Weingarten Center. (2016). How to make the most of office hours. https://weingartencenter.universitylife.upenn.edu/how-to-make-the-most-of-office-hours/
- University of Sheffield. (n.d.). MASH. 301 Academic Skills. https://sheffield.ac.uk/academic-skills/home/mash
- University of Warwick Department of Economics. (n.d.). 7: Student support. Diploma in Economics handbook. https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/current/dip/handbook/student-support/
- The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (n.d.). FAQs. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/faqs/