The recent Wabash National Study of the University showed that 61 percent of Brandeis students had never interacted with their professors "on activities other than coursework." Maybe it's just me, but I am bothered that so many students could refuse to take advantage of the opportunities we have at this university to interact with the best and brightest in their fields. Many of us come here expecting that we're not just going to be another number in a classroom, anticipating that our world-class, prestigious professors are going to know us.

I find it even more astounding that first-years in particular wouldn't take advantage of their situation and take the initiative required to reach out to professors. Yes, I understand that it can be daunting. After all, it's a whole new system, and first-years are still trying to figure out what their place is in this new setting.

However, considering it is a new environment, it would make more sense to try to adjust to college expectations, which can best be done by learning from the professors themselves.

Coming out of high school, you learn great tools that will help you in college, but generally you're still not doing college work, even if you were in an Advanced Placement class. First-years need to understand what a college professor is looking for in a paper; the essay I had to write for the AP English Literature test wouldn't succeed as a college-level paper. First-years should be encouraged to go to office hours and ask questions in order to clarify expectations.

The only clear way to transition into college academic life is to have guidance by the very people who will be judging such a transition. Yes, it's an overwhelming change, but it's no excuse for sitting around and hoping that something will change without ever being proactive.

I may just be an anomaly, but I've always striven to interact with my teachers. In high school, I was the person who would stay for hours after school talking to my teachers. This quality of mine was something that made me admire Brandeis, because the relatively small number of students would allow similar student-faculty interaction.

The discussions I had with my teachers in high school were about everything under the sun. Speaking to professors about their experiences can help you learn extensively about their fields, their accomplishments and the insights they may have into your education. It blows my mind that others wouldn't feel the same way.

More importantly, by speaking to professors about topics that aren't directly related to work, you get a sense of their humanity. Professors aren't just deities ruling over the classroom; they are people with life experiences that may just be worth listening to. If you get a sense of a professor's true personality, you are less inclined to be shy about asking questions and about delving completely into the topic. This is because you understand that this person in front of you was once in your shoes.

Professors wouldn't be teaching if they didn't want to help us learn. Would it really hurt to let them know you want to be taught? Meet them halfway, even if it means stepping up and taking the initiative. Send a professor an e-mail, drop in on office hours or stay after class. Do something to show that you care enough to make the first move.

Ultimately, we're paying for the opportunity to learn from these knowledgeable people. Office hours are a free, yet terribly underutilized, service. Why spend $200,000 for textbook learning and nothing else? We have 4 years to learn everything we can, and sitting in front of a computer screen instead of listening to a human being isn't the way to do it.