In a typical Nigerian university setting, the classroom/lecture hall can sometimes feel like a sea of anonymity with rows of students, each clutching notebooks or laptops, trying to absorb as much as they can while remaining as invisible as possible. For many undergraduates, the goal is simply to get through the semester unnoticed, attend compulsory lectures, pass exams, and move on.
But what if that strategy is doing more harm than good? Contrary to popular belief, university isn’t just about grades. it’s about connections, personal development, and positioning. One of the most undervalued strategies students overlook is building meaningful, respectful relationships with their lecturers. No, this isn’t about sycophancy or unnecessary familiarity. It’s about academic visibility, personal engagement, and professional development.
Here are seven compelling reasons why your lecturers must know who you are beyond just your matric number.
1. They Can Advocate for You (When You’re Not in the Room)
Whether it’s during a faculty board meeting or a scholarship nomination committee, lecturers are often called upon to vouch for students. If they don’t know you, they can’t mention you. But if you’ve asked insightful questions in class, submitted strong assignments, or had meaningful academic interactions, your name is more likely to come up in positive conversations. Visibility breeds opportunity.
2. You’ll Get Better Feedback That Improves Your Academic Performance
When lecturers know your learning style, your weaknesses, and your progress, they’re more likely to offer constructive feedback that is tailored to you. This helps you improve academically far more than generic comments. Imagine receiving a remark like, “You’ve improved your arguments significantly since the last paper; keep working on your references”—that’s feedback rooted in familiarity.
3. Recommendations Require Relationship, Not Just Results
Planning to apply for scholarships, internships, postgraduate programmes, or study abroad opportunities? You’ll need at least one academic reference. A lecturer who doesn’t know you beyond your grades might struggle to write a meaningful recommendation. But one who has watched your growth, read your work, or mentored you informally is more likely to write something that stands out.
4. Access to Research, Grants, and Opportunities Often Comes Quietly
Lecturers are often gatekeepers to academic and professional opportunities—assistant roles on research projects, grants, competitions, training programmes, conferences, and even jobs. These opportunities aren’t always posted on the department’s notice board or social media page. They are shared quietly, and those who are visible often get first dibs. You want to be on that mental shortlist.
5. Clarity in Conflict Situations
Mistakes happen—missing scripts, exam result issues, attendance errors. In such cases, it’s easier for a lecturer to listen, empathise, or take action when they can place a face and voice to your name. A student they’ve interacted with is more likely to be heard and given the benefit of doubt, especially in a rigid academic environment where errors can cost dearly.
6. Personal Growth and Mentorship
Beyond academic roles, many lecturers are mentors, professionals, and thought leaders in their fields. A healthy academic relationship can evolve into a mentorship that shapes your career path. They can guide your reading, connect you with professionals, or even share stories of their own struggles and wins. These are insights you won’t find in textbooks.
7. It Builds Your Confidence and Communication Skills
Engaging with your lecturers sharpens your ability to communicate respectfully, ask questions, challenge ideas, and defend your opinions. These are lifelong skills that will serve you in interviews, presentations, and professional settings. You also learn how to carry yourself confidently in the presence of authority—an underrated skill in today’s world.
So, How Do You Make Yourself Known—Respectfully?
It’s important to clarify that academic visibility doesn’t mean being overly familiar or crossing boundaries. It means:
1. Asking thoughtful questions in class.
2. Attending office hours when you need clarity.
3. Participating actively and sincerely in academic discussions.
4. Submitting quality assignments that reflect original thought.
5. Following up on feedback with curiosity and humility.
6. Visibility rooted in value will always be respected.
In today’s competitive world, your degree alone may not set you apart. But your relationships, communication skills, and the support network you build while earning that degree can. Your lecturers don’t need to be your best friends. But they should know you by name, by quality, and by engagement. You are not just a seat in a lecture hall. You are a voice, a mind, and a future worth recognising.