For some students, class participation comes naturally. Other students are more inclined to quietly absorb but rarely speak up. From a professor's point of view, we are usually thankful for students who are willing to participate, but we also want to draw out the quieter students; we want every student to feel involved and invested in the course material.

If you are one of the students who speaks out frequently, you may need to check the impulse (sometimes) so that other students have more opportunity to speak. For students who are quieter in class, it may be time to consider how you can speak up and participate a little more. Why, you ask? 

Speaking up in class, at least occasionally, is important two particular reasons:

1. Practically speaking, it may impact your grade. Like it or not, many professors include a "participation grade" in their syllabus and will keep track of which students speak in class and how often. This may not be fun for you,  and may even make you uncomfortable, but it is worth considering if you want a high grade in a class.
2. Philosophically speaking, participating vocally in class enriches both you and your fellow students. Every student brings a unique perspective and set of experiences to the classroom. We are all richer when the classroom where a wide diversity of voices are heard. 

If you wish that you could participate more vocally but feel uncomfortable doing so, there are multiple ways to make the experience easier and less daunting.

Emailing is one of the most pervasive forms of professional communications, and yet, no one ever actually teaches you how to send a professional email. You're just supposed to know how to send professional emails, cold contact people you've never met, and ask for favors in writing. And we can all agree that hidden expectations are bullsh*t, so let's discuss this one. If you're pretty sure that you already send emails like a pro, you can skip this blog post. But if you're not 100% certain, please read on. 

There are two types of mentorship - mentorship between you and a person who is older / more advanced in their career or life; and mentorship between you and people who are in your same position in life (aka peer-mentorship). I have written about peer mentorship before. This post is about the other type of mentorship - the kind between you and someone who is more advanced in their career. This kind of mentorship is very useful when you want someone who can shine a flashlight up the dark road ahead, describe the lay of the land, maybe give you a road map. Bear in mind, of course, that their road map might not perfectly match your eventual map. They might be walking in different shoes, have different advantages or disadvantages, or whatever else - I think I'm belaboring the metaphor. So let's get to a few FAQs about mentors: