Talk to a Terp
Check the pulse on how Terps relate to the work you’re doing, whether that’s teaching a class, building a program, collaborating on a team, exploring a business, or something else entirely!
Talk to a Terp is a self-guided tool that helps you quickly gather multiple perspectives through short, focused conversations. You’ll identify the questions you want to explore, decide who to talk to, and head into conversations with clarity and confidence.
This tool is ideal when you want to learn from many perspectives in a short amount of time. If you’re hoping to go deeper into one or two individual experiences, check out Shadow a Terp!
Learn more about UMD students
Wondering what it’s like to be a UMD student today? Curious how students experience your program or class? Developing a new course or looking to try something new in your pedagogy? Want to understand why students aren’t sharing their ideas in class? Use Talk to a Terp to hear directly from students and use their perspectives to inform your next steps.
Gauge interest in your event or idea
Planning an event or thinking about starting a new club? Use these materials to gather early reactions, test assumptions, and think through how to best serve your audience.
Spend time in the problem space
Trying to work through challenges in an existing project or process? Talk to a Terp can help you uncover needs, pain points, and opportunities before jumping to solutions.
Understand who your customers are for your business idea
Have a startup idea but aren’t sure who would actually be interested? Use Talk to a Terp as part of your customer discovery process by talking with people who might one day become your customers.
Steps to Get You Started! 🚀
Follow the steps below or download the guide—both include the same content, so choose the format that works best for you.
When The Academy first got started, we held quick, 20-minute conversations with students to better understand their thoughts, beliefs, and hopes around innovation and entrepreneurship.
You can use this same approach to explore your own ideas or to learn how Terps connect with the work happening in your department, program, or initiative.
You can conduct interviews on your own or with a team. Walk around campus and chat with Terps spontaneously, or schedule short conversations in advance; whatever works best for your goals.
So… what questions do you want to ask a Terp? 👀
Take a few moments to plan what you’ll ask. Use the prompts below to help shape your questions:
- What would you like another perspective on? (This could relate to students, your department, or a specific program.)
- What ideas or experiences do you want to understand more deeply?
- What assumptions do you hold about the Terps you interact with that you would like to challenge or explore?
✏️ Your goal: Write at least five open-ended questions that spark thoughtful conversation.
AIE’s Example Questions
At The Academy, we often check the pulse on how students relate to innovation, entrepreneurship, and creative problem-solving—topics close to our mission. Here are a few questions we've asked:
- Do you see yourself as innovative, entrepreneurial, or creative? Why or why not?
- What does “design” mean to you?
💡 Tip: Keep your questions open, inviting, and curiosity-driven. Some of the best insights come from answers you didn’t expect!
Decide how many people you want to talk to (five is a great starting point!) and how you’ll connect with them—spontaneously or through scheduled conversations. Walking around campus or setting up interviews ahead of time are both great ways to gather perspectives.
You can do these interviews solo or with a partner. Just be sure to bring your questions and a way to capture notes. And don’t forget to thank each Terp for their time 😊
Helpful Tips for Talking to Terps:
- Be approachable. A relaxed, friendly vibe goes a long way—no suits required.
- Have a quick intro ready. For example:
“Hi, my name is ___. I work on campus / I’m a ___ major, and I’m working on a project to learn more about ___. Do you have a few minutes to share your thoughts?”
- Adopt a learning mindset. Stay curious and ask follow-up questions.
- Treat the Terp as the expert. Your goal is to understand their experiences—not to persuade or validate your own assumptions.
After your conversations, take a few minutes to pause and reflect on what you heard and how you might use it.
- What did you learn that shifted your perspective?
- How might this influence the work you’re doing?
- Who could benefit from these insights?
For additional prompts, check out our Reflection Tools to analyze and uncover more meaning from your data.