<p>There are hundreds of professors at Chicago, and they all have unique personalities. Some are extremely approachable, others not so . . . just like everywhere else.</p>
<p>What’s more, “approachable” only scratches the surface. Some are perfectly approachable, but scary when you talk to them, because they are intense, hyper-intelligent, and perhaps lacking in humor. Some seem standoffish because they are shy. Some enjoy explaining basic concepts to undergraduates who don’t understand what they don’t understand yet, and others prefer to leave that to their grad students, and talk to the undergraduates only after they have a clue. Some occasionally go through periods when they are really busy, and they don’t want to talk to anyone then if it’s not absolutely necessary.</p>
<p>Grad student teaching: You may (or may not) get advanced grad students teaching sections of popular Hum or Sosc sequences, and of 160s and below math courses. Grad students will lead discussion sections and labs for lecture courses. Grad students will also offer seminars in areas they know well, usually related to their dissertations.</p>