Student Blogger Tarela Osuobeni, Certificate ’17, SAIS MA ’19, shares her experiences taking advantage of faculty office hours at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center.
“请进, 请进 (please come in)!” My professor enthusiastically welcomed me through the doors of her office. Today I had come to discuss ideas for my paper on death penalty law for my Chinese Constitution course. I wanted to know her thoughts on the law’s relationship to the Chinese Constitution and Chinese history more broadly. She directed me to a chair across from her and began to ask me questions about my project. She patiently listened to my reasoning as I explained my paper’s argument. When I stumbled over a few Chinese words, she was quick to rephrase my meaning in a way that made sense. During the hour that we spent together, her advice and encouragement sharpened my thesis and gave me the confidence to complete the paper.
At the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, I valued faculty office hours because it was an opportunity to understand more about concepts we studied in class. I initially attended office hours with the intention of introducing myself to my professors, but I ended up frequently visiting throughout the year to ask broader questions about China. During the 30 minute to 1 hour meetings, I was able to practice my Chinese and hone in on international relations-related Chinese vocabulary. While professors accommodated to my Chinese-language level, they also challenged me to understand complex concepts in Chinese. The discussions I had during office hours strengthened my understanding of China more broadly and helped me establish relationships with my professors. During office hours, my Chinese politics professor prepared me for in-class presentation topics by showing me how to use Chinese state-media to examine issues of politics and economic growth in China. Since she had completed her PhD in the United States, she also asked me about my career aspirations and recommended different options of further study in the United States. My international law professor and I often analyzed and discussed Chinese-language versions of different international treaties. Our discussions illuminated the nuances behind legal translations. My professor for my courses on Southeast Asian politics and foreign policy taught me about China’s approach to alliances during office hours. He explained China’s approach to the international community, and asked me questions about the U.S. alliance experience. These conversations were insightful. They often supplemented what I was learning in class which made for a more enjoyable learning experience.
At the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, go to office hours! You learn a lot more about China from professors with tangible experiences and insightful ideas!
Written by Tarela Osuobeni, HNC Certificate’17, SAIS MA’19
