3 Things You Shouldn't Say in an Email to Your College Professor
Do you know how you come across in your emails? Even if you had no intention of rubbing your professor the wrong way, your email might be doing just that.
What you intended to say to your professor may not be what your email actually communicates. Before you type your next email, identify what you’re saying that is communicating the wrong thing about you.
“hey [first name]”
This may seem like a harmless start to an email, but there are two not-so-good things this greeting communicates about you as a student.
You’re lazy.
This greeting does not follow basic capitalization and punctuation rules. As a result, it comes across incredibly casual, showing little thought on your part. Because it doesn’t follow basic grammar rules, this greeting also comes across as lazy.
Why is this such a bad thing? This puts you in a category of a “not serious about school” student in your college professor’s eyes. If you didn’t even take the time to follow basic rules of grammar, you likely aren’t going to follow your professor’s class policies or instructions either.
This also puts you in the category of lazy student in your professor’s mind. This greeting took minimal effort. In fact, this greeting sounds more like a text or a direct message than an email. A college professor isn’t likely to sacrifice his or her valuable time for a student who didn’t take the time to craft a professional email.
You’re disrespectful.
This greeting does not follow standard email etiquette. If using email to communicate is a newer experience to you, be aware that this greeting will not give you bonus points in your professor’s mind.
Because your greeting is so casual, it comes across as slightly disrespectful. Why is this such a bad thing? This casual greeting doesn’t show respect for your professor’s earned degrees.
Some professors care less about being addressed by their title than others. In general, most professors like to be called doctor if they went to school for years to earn a doctorate. If they’re female, they typically prefer Ms. (even if they’re married).
This casual greeting also shows a lack of respect for your professor’s position. You and your professor are not only separated by age but also experience and knowledge.
A casual, first-name greeting makes your email sound more like a peer than an authority figure. If you’re asking for advice from an authority figure, you want to address him or her as such.
“I hate to be that student but . . . ”
This opening line may be one your professor’s least favorite. While he or she may know what you mean, you certainly don’t hate being that student. (You wouldn’t have sent the email if you really hated being that student.) This line communicates two things about you.
You hesitated to send the email.
Your instincts were probably right. You shouldn’t have sent this email; at least, not as is. A student who sends an email with this phrase is doing so for one of these two situations: contesting a bad grade or asking for repeated information already shared in class or online.
When debating whether or not you should contest a grade, know that these conversations are usually better in person. Why? Before you contest your grade, you need to prepare. You don’t want to offer invalid arguments or argue based on false assumptions.
When you contest your grade, you want to make sure you’ve carefully planned your words and avoid misunderstandings that can so easily happen over email.
When asking for repeated information, know that you’re communicating you didn’t listen well in class or that you didn’t truly try to find the information on your own. Both things signal to your professor that you’re going to be a handful.
Before sending this kind of email, check your notes, your course page online, and your syllabus. Talk to a classmate. Do all you can to ensure that you didn’t miss the information. Then email your professor.
You know you’re being slightly pushy.
You feel bad (at least slightly) that you’re sending this email, but you don’t really feel bad enough to refrain from sending the email.
Be completely honest and upfront that you are being slightly pushy. Instead of saying “I hate to be that student,” consider saying “I am being that student who is asking about his/her grade.”
Additionally, keep in mind your teacher does want you to succeed but good grades are not his or her main priority. Your teacher cares about actual learning. Word your email in a way that shows that is your main concern too. For example—
“I am being that student, emailing you about a bad grade. I want to continue finding ways to improve in your course. Could you meet sometime this Thursday or Friday so that I can discover the areas I need to grow in?”
This email focuses on the key goal—learning. When you meet with your professor, your grades will likely be discussed. This conversation can help you understand better why you received the letter-grade you did. It also can help you learn how you can improve your grades.
“I know you said . . . in class but . . . ”
If you’re email contains this line or something close to it, consider how this comes across to your professor.
You think you’re the exception.
Better to ask than not to ask, right? Well, not always. Your freshman year is probably not the best time to try questioning policies, guidelines, and deadlines. Why? You haven’t earned the respect of your teachers and peers yet.
You likely had the respect of some teachers and peers in high school, but your freshman year of college is not the time to try to be the exception. You need to do the work, even if you don’t understand why or you think there’s a better way.
Before finding ways to lessen your work or get out of something, you need to put in the time. You need to trust your instructor’s process and instructions. As the semester comes to a close, you may have an opportunity to share some feedback but until then put in the work.
You think you know a little better.
You may have some really valuable insight, but your professor isn’t likely to take you redesigning the course well. Your professor has put in many hours and semesters of teaching and adjusting to making the course what it is.
Your suggestions for improvement likely won’t go over well, since you’re taking this course for the first time and you have no classroom teaching experience. You may be able to share some of your ideas later this semester or in the years ahead, but for now do your best.
Your professor may consider you to be slightly arrogant if you push ideas on him or her. You need to earn the right to give feedback on class projects and assignments, so take notes and share that feedback later when your professor asks for it (like on a course evaluation).
This post is not exhaustive. There are many other things you should not say in an email to your college professor. Before sending your next email, read through your email to check how you’re coming across to your professor.
