The Q: When a teacher has office hours, are they only limited to students having class-related issues? Or do professors mind students coming up with other problems (other classes, personal, whatever)?

The A: Office hours should, in general, be used for professional interactions between student and teacher. In this sense, it's not limited to course questions only, although those students will probably have some priority. But office hours are also for discussing graduate school and career plans, academic advising and matters of intellectual interest.

Generally speaking, your personal life is not the concern of your faculty. If you are having personal problems, you should discuss them with someone at the counseling center. If, however, your personal life is impinging on your ability to keep up with the classwork, it is entirely appropriate to discuss that with your instructor. Sometimes, you may end up needing to drop a class and take it again with the same professor another semester. It's better if they know why. Or you may need an extension on a deadline, and if you've chatted with them beforehand, it's less likely to seem like an excuse.

As a rough rule of thumb, you can go to someone's office hours with anything pertaining to the class, to your performance in the class, to your professional future or to the topics of the faculty member's expertise.

—Anahid Kassabian, Chief Advisor

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