I feel like I didn't establish close relationships with my professors during grad school

[Just Jeff]

I went to NYU for my Master's in Philosophy and Lit Studies, but I was a commuter living in Delware with my uncle

 

I did really well in grad school. I got a 3.9 GPA, but I feel like my professors were always so busy or nonchalant. To be honest, every time I would email them to make an appointment, THEY WOULD NEVER RESPOND! It's an inside joke here at NYU that if someone emailed a professor with a question, they would respond six months after the semester was over.

 

I'm graduating next month, and as you might know, I deferred my PhD admission to Temple because it was unfunded. I'd like to go to a competitive school with funding (hopefully), but I need to strengthen my application. One of my weakenesses is probably the LOR.

 

Should I take classes at NYU in the fall to meet more professors, do well in their class, and establish relationships?

[TakeruK]

In my opinion, it's really hard to establish relationships with professors when you are only taking classes. Sure, taking a class is a good way to initiate a relationship and introduce yourself, but if you want to actually know them, you need to interact with them in some other way. In my field, the best way is to work on a research project with them. However, if your Masters wasn't/isn't a research based one, that could be difficult. Other non-research ways to build relationships with faculty members would be to 1) TA for their classes, 2) volunteer to departmental seminars, 3) getting involved with the department in some way (e.g. be the grad student rep on some departmental committees etc.), 4) maintain a "presence" in the department.

 

By maintaining a "presence", I mean be around and available. If you have an office in the same building/floor that really helps but sometimes Masters students don't get offices. In my department, the students run informal social events (coffee breaks, happy hour etc.) and we get our profs to come and it's a good chance to talk to them as a person instead of as our instructor or supervisor etc. We also play sports with them, or go on hikes, or ski trips etc. What I ultimately mean is that if you are only at school to take classes and then go home, it will be very difficult to build any meaningful relationship with your department. I don't know how your department works so I am not sure how you can modify any current behaviours! Also, a lot of times, there may be opportunities for more prof-student social interactions but it might just be that no one has stepped up and organized them. Take leadership and do so--it won't really hurt you if it fails and it can be a lot of fun if it works!

 

I don't really know what else you can do at this point, only one month before graduation, to change things, though. In my opinion, coming back next fall just to do more of the same won't make much of a difference. Can you talk to some profs now about working with them this summer or fall (is that possible in your field?).