College students, there are some tips and guidelines for you, if you want to get more from emailing your professor. Michael Leddy, a professor, has written a guideline based on his experiences from reading his student’s emails. Summary of the main points are:
- Write from your college or university e-mail account.
- Include the course number in your subject line.
- Choose an appropriate greeting.
- Avoid rote apologies for missing class.
- Avoid direct requests.
- Proofread what you’ve written.
- Sign with your full name, course number, and meeting time.
- Don’t send unexpected attachments.
- When you get a reply, say thanks.
I understand where Michael guideline’s is coming from – I guess he has received many emails from students who expect him to remember which class are they in, do not treat email as a formal communication tool, and do not understand a professor may need to lecture many subjects per semester. Nevertheless, the guideline spells out very clearly on things should do on sending emails.
Thanks Michael for passing this along!
How to e-mail a professor – [Orange Crate Art]
