Dearest Professor,

In high school, I was silly, naive, and pretty much close-minded to the world around me. I did not understand past my boundaries of Cleveland, Ohio, nor did I really want to. When I came into your class, I discovered so many stigmas in the world around us, through the history of the world around us. Understanding the past leads to a better understanding of the present, and a possibility of change for the future. There were various “hot topics,” you covered, like how religion, sexism, and racism were all social constructions. You made me analyze, read for hours on end, write — but most importantly, you made me formulate my own opinions and not fear stating them publicly. Your intellect is endless, and your humor is something that makes me smile every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Who knew a history class could be so mind-boggling and amazing all at the same time? Not only do you care about portraying the information, you also genuinely care about me as a person, not just another student in your class. When you asked me how my father was doing at the end of class, my heart stopped for a minute because you remembered who I was and what was happening in my life. That truly shows who you are as a person.

Thank you for being an amazing professor, and ultimately changing my life.

Sincerely,

A Changed Young Woman.

Coming to college, I always had the idea that college professors do not care about you. They do not care if you succeed, and so on. My second semester of college proved this notion incorrect.

After switching my major to something I truly loved, that being history, my academic life immediately shifted in a positive direction -- not only did I enjoy what I was doing, I was enjoying who was teaching me the material.

My professors proved to be an important aspect in my life when I began to get deeper into the material and the structure of their classes. I can assure you that they do not care where they are in the world, they will always answer your fifty thousand questions, and I personally think they secretly enjoy students who are always searching for more information. Not only does that please them, you, in turn, develop into a more well rounded individual educationally.

College is ultimately about you furthering your education, and these “scary” figures known as professors are there to assist you. You will not like all of the professors you have throughout your academic career, trust me. But even the ones you dislike will teach you important skills -- maybe how to deal with people you cannot tolerate or how to communicate properly. There are learning experiences all around you, you just need to take them with a grain of salt and pray for sugar.

So whether you are a current college student or a high school senior getting ready to begin this adventure, just remember that professors are one of the most important aspects and assets in your college career and never take them for granted.