TIPS FOR EFFECTIVELY USING THE OFFICE HOURS

TA office hours for EML2322L serve several purposes, some of which might not be obvious.  Please review the following list so you can most effectively use the office hours to provide to best learning experience possible in the course.

1. Academic assistance.  Like any course, the TA office hours are the best time to obtain help with any material covered in the course lectures, homework assignments, quizzes or laboratory sessions.  Being able to see the machines, tools and materials in the laboratory environment usually makes it easier to understand the concepts covered in the course.

2. Project assistance.  As you work on the project, the TA office hours are a great time to get your questions answered.  Typical assistance ranges from discussing how to get started on the project, to evaluating design ideas, reviewing drawings, and helping fill out important documentation used in the later part of the project (like purchase orders and engineering change notices).

3. Group meetings.  You will spend a lot of time meeting with your group members to work on the course project.  The TA office hours in the lab are often an ideal time and location to hold these meetings, as you will be able to get questions answered immediately and you will be able to look at the various project components and materials available for use in the lab.

4. Manufacturing practice.  The TA office hours offer an ideal opportunity to obtain additional manufacturing experience on the processes and machines covered during the normal weekly activities.  Many students benefit from a one-on-one review of using the machines, where the TAs can teach at a pace that's tailored for you.  Other students may wish to improve their proficiency through practice so they can maximize their group’s productivity during the formal lab periods during which robot manufacturing takes place.  Finally, some students may simply desire to gain additional knowledge of more advanced techniques which can make them more effective manufactures and thus designers.  We gladly accommodate these requests and enjoy the opportunity to work with you to teach you what we know!  We will have a signup sheet in the lab so you can let us know if you would like to schedule some one-on-one learning time during the TA office hours.  Common examples include additional turning, milling, welding or sheetmetal fabrication practice.

We hope to see you in the lab during the office hours!