Why does the man go to see his professor? [originaltext]Listen to part of a conv

Listen to part of a conversation between a student and a professor. (S = Student, P = Professor)
S: Uh, excuse me, Professor Thompson. I know your office hours are tomorrow, but I was wondering if you had a few minutes free now to discuss something.
P: Sure, John. What do you want to talk about?
S: Well, I have some quick questions about how to write up the research project I did this semester— about climate variations.
P: Oh, yes, you were looking at variations in climate in the Grant City area, right? How far along have you gotten?