People never really say things like, “I want to be a Greek so I can invite my professor to dinner at our house,” but ‘Professor Dinners’ are often one of the overlooked benefits of being part of a sorority or fraternity.Let’s be honest, getting to know your professors in a lecture hall of 300-plus students is not an easy task, unless you are always sitting in the front, asking questions or wearing an unforgettable neon shirt, chances are he or she will not remember you.

And on the first day of class we have all heard the usual, “Feel free to come to my office hours, even if you don’t have any questions, just drop by and say hello,” but even that does not seem like a compelling recommendation. So why not take advantage of the ‘Professor Dinner’ your house accommodates and use it as a means to create a comfortable space to get to know a professor on a more personal level? Whether it is a professor you hope to make a connection with for future recommendations, to assist in their research or just to show your appreciation and get to know them more, inviting them to dinner is a subtle way to do so.

Now that it is established that inviting your professor to dinner is in fact a great idea, there are many aspects of going about inviting your professor.

Emails are a good form of communication when you have to ask a question about a paper or exam, but refrain from simply inviting your professor via email and then waiting until the night of the dinner to introduce yourself in person.

Initially, you should send an email with an introduction of who you are, what class you are taking, the date, time and location of the event and ask them to reply with a response if they can attend or not. Unfortunately some professors can be very busy and your invitation may be declined, but do not get discouraged, the important thing is that you tried and the professor will remember you for that. But regardless of their response, always try to follow up to their email by speaking to them in person, this way they can associate a face with your name.

Try to stay a couple extra minutes after class and introduce yourself, if they are not able to attend say something like “Thank you for letting me know you will not be able to make it in advance.” And if they will be attending you could say, “Thank you for making time to attend our dinner, I look forward to seeing you there.”

Once you know your professor is attending and they know who you are, try to think about potential dinner-time topics.

Small talk is always good in the beginning as a social lubricant to ease into conversations. Asking questions about how they ended up teaching the class, and what their area of expertise is, are great questions to start off with, but do not limit yourself to only speaking about the class and school related topics. Feel comfortable asking about what city they are from or what they like to do for fun, questions like these are a great way to know your professor on a more personal level and go beyond information you could find about them on the internet.

Professors will most likely be interested in your life as well, so be ready to answer questions like “How do you like the course so far?” or “What do you want to do after you graduate?” But also try to mention your interests, accomplishments and goals; the dinner is just as much about them getting to know you as it is about you getting to know them.

During the dinner, balancing between eating, conversing and listening can be difficult when you are in a room filled with people and distractions, but a good rule of thumb is to take small bites as you listen, and alternate between making eye contact and portioning your food as you speak.

Consider sitting next to a friend who may also be interested in the class as well and introduce them to the professor, that way some pressure is lifted off your shoulders while they are conversing. The most important thing is to not be nervous and be as natural as possible.

Sending your professor off with a “thank you” after dinner is over is not the end of your ‘Professor Dinner’ experience. Write a formal card thanking them again for their attendance and the card is where you could add information about contacting you if they ever need an assistant for research, or simply letting them know it was a pleasure getting to know them. Hand them the card in person with a final “thank you,” and you will be well on your way to making a lasting impression on your professor with the help of your sorority or fraternity.

Getting to know your teaching aides who conduct discussions can be just as important as getting to know your professors and creating an atmosphere to do so is also challenging. Even though going to office hours can come in handy, fitting them into a busy schedule can be tough. So take the opportunity and invite them to dinner instead, following the same guidelines. Do not let the title ‘Professor Dinner’ throw you off, the dinner is meant for not only professors, but also faculty members and teaching aids.

Now that you have an idea of the invectives of inviting someone to a ‘Professor Dinner’ and how to go about the entire process, definitely try to do so! Also urge others to do the same, do not underestimate the power of a ‘Professor Dinner,’ it gives you a unique experience and opportunity to get to know a professor, faculty member or teaching aid outside the usual university setting and can be very enlightening as well.