Your first semester is not too soon to get to know your professors. Not only will you feel more confident about course material from going to their office hours (really, they schedule them for you!), but also you will learn more about the department, the discipline/field, research opportunities, and the university. Make a point to go to office hours once a week for each of your courses. If you don’t have specific course questions, bring in an article that might be of shared interest. An additional option is to invite your professor or advisor to lunch and bring another classmate or advisee with you. Establishing a good academic relationship will help the faculty member to write you a substantive letter of recommendation should you need one for a summer job or internship.
Check out the piece by former Student Academic Resources Intern, Claire Wright ’16, entitled “How Do I Get to Know My Professors?” She has some good suggestions. Note that while you can still take a professor to lunch, the process is different now. You will be hearing more about it from Dean Mike, the Vice President for Student Affairs, sometime in early September.