Office hours sign-up sheet
Office hours have a strange pattern. Nobody comes for six weeks, then twenty students turn up the day before the exam and line up down the hallway. Bookable slots spread that out and let you see what is coming.
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- 2–2:15pmMaya R.
- 2:15–2:30pmOpen
- 2:30–2:45pmDev K.
- 2:45–3pmOpen
- 3–3:15pmOpen
- 3:15–3:30pmOpen
- 3:30–3:45pmOpen
- 3:45–4pmOpen
- 10–10:15amOpen
Slot length
Fifteen minutes is enough for most questions about an assignment. In exam weeks, drop to 10 so more students get a turn. For project, thesis or advising meetings, use 30 and fewer of them.
Leave a gap every hour. Questions run over, and the student at 2:45 should not have to wait in the doorway while you finish with 2:30.
Keep some drop-in time
Some students will never book ahead, and they are often the ones who most need help. Keep a drop-in block next to the bookable slots and give it a larger limit, like "Thu 4-5pm drop-in x10". It lets them say they are coming, which tells you whether to bring the spare chairs.
What to ask
One question earns its place: "What would you like to go over?" Students who write "question 4 on problem set 3" let you look at it first, and the meeting takes half the time. Make it optional. Some students do not know what they do not understand, and that is exactly why they are coming.
Fair use
Set a per-person limit of one or two slots a week, so one anxious student does not take the whole afternoon. If a slot is still empty an hour before, it is fine for a student to grab a second one. Say so in the description.
Privacy
Students may not want classmates to know they are coming for help. Show booked slots as "taken" rather than with names. Dibs public sheets are not listed in search engines, but anyone with the link can view them, so keep grades and personal details out of the comments.
Reminders and changes
A reminder the morning of the meeting cuts no-shows. If a student cannot make it, they use the link in their confirmation to cancel or move, and the slot opens for someone else. Canceled slots matter most in the busy weeks, when there is a waitlist.
A ready list
The starter text above sets up two blocks of 15-minute slots and a drop-in hour. Change the days and times to match your timetable, paste it into Dibs, and put the link on your course page. Students book from a phone without making an account, get a calendar file and can reschedule themselves.
Office hours sign-up sheet: questions
How long should office hours slots be?
Fifteen minutes suits most questions. Use 10 minutes in the week before an exam, when demand peaks, and 30 minutes for thesis or project meetings.
Should I still keep drop-in time?
Yes. Some students will never book ahead. A short drop-in block alongside bookable slots serves both. Add it as one line with a larger limit.
How do I stop one student booking every slot?
Set a per-person limit of one or two slots per week. The limit is checked by email, so it catches the common case without making students log in.
Can students see who else booked?
Only if you want them to. Show booked slots as 'taken' to keep student names private.
Related templates
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Make yours in a minute.
Start from this list, change what you need, and share one link. Nobody needs an account.