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History professor Steve High takes his students on walking tours and then has them over to his home for pizza. He has an open-door policy.

And the self-professed e-mail junkie can be found at the university on weekends checking his messages while his two-year-old son runs up and down the school hallways.

"We all remember what it's like to be a student," said the 36-year-old when asked about his availability outside classroom hours. "We like to spend time with our students."

Friendly, non-intimidating instructors like Prof. High are sought after on every campus. But at Nipissing University, where he teaches, they are much easier to come by. Students gave the school an A+ in the University Report Card survey for the availability of faculty outside of classroom hours, making the tiny North Bay, Ont., institution the only one to receive such a high ranking.

Whether its through office hours or e-mail, most professors make themselves available to students. But many say there is a reluctance on the part of their pupils, especially those in first-year, to approach them.

"For many of them, they are in awe of their professors. They are afraid that they may be asked a question by the professor and not know it," says Nancy Schmidt, co-director of the Learning Commons at the University of Guelph. "I think they're really afraid to admit ignorance to people that they admire and to people who are actually going to be grading them."

Ms. Schmidt advises students, especially those entering their first-year, to know how to address their professors and to make sure they know their instructors' office hours.

Here are some other things Ms. Schmidt suggests on how to get the most out of your professors:

• Figure out your question in advance. "Students have to take a bit more responsibility as learners if they are going to take advantage of that resource. So they have to be able to sit down and figure out what is it they don't understand."
• If you are intimidated to approach your professor alone, go with another classmate who has a similar problem.
• Meet with your teaching assistants early on in the year, so they can put a face to your name.

The use of e-mail to communicate is growing in popularity.

But Ms. Schmidt cautions that it may inappropriate at times. For example, students shouldn't e-mail their professors the evening before a mid-term saying they don't understand a major concept. An immediate reply may not be forthcoming, Ms. Schmidt says.

"I find that for new students to see their course instructor in person helps to personalize it," she adds. "It helps to establish more of a relationship. Faculty and [teaching assistants] are your primary source of additional information and students should be actively taking advantage of them. They have to get beyond the initial resistance."

Fourth-year student electrical engineering student John Nelson admits to being a bit nervous to approach his professors when he first started studying at the University of Ottawa. But after chatting with a few senior students, he worked up the nerve.

His advice echoes that of Ms. Schmidt. "This is not high school where you get spoon fed. Go prepared with your question," he says. "As long as they can tell that you are making an effort, they will go that extra mile to help you."