Why Office Hours Are Underused, and What to Ask
Office hours sit empty most weeks, usually because students do not know what counts as a good question.
In most courses, office hours are nearly empty, and the same few questions come up: "Can you re-explain the whole lecture?" is hard to answer well in fifteen minutes, so the hour feels wasted on both sides.
A better question names the specific point where understanding broke down: "I followed the proof up to step three, but I cannot see why that line implies the next one." That single sentence gives a teacher something precise to work with, and usually takes less time to resolve than a vague one.
It also helps to bring your own attempt, even a wrong one. Showing the wrong turn you took is often more informative than the right answer would have been, because it shows exactly which assumption needs correcting.
Office hours exist for exactly these moments. Using them for one clear question, instead of saving every doubt for an exam week, is usually the better trade.