One of the worst parts of taking college online is that you can’t ask your professor questions in person. But before you click send on another email to your professor, consider pressing pause.

As a teacher, I must admit that answering emails is probably my least favorite activity of the day. While I realize that emailing is one of the best ways to communicate with my students, crafting a clear, concise, and thorough email takes time.

While a student may quickly type and send an email in 30 seconds, it takes a teacher several minutes to understand what information they are truly asking, anticipate future questions that may be asked in another email, and craft a response.

Though I’m sure these students have no intention of communicating a lack of effort, their emails can sometimes make them look slightly lazy. Avoid looking lazy and save you and your professor time by checking these places before emailing the next question to your professors!

The online course page

As much as possible, your college professors regularly keep your online course pages up to date. They upload instructions, checklists, study guides, grading rubrics, syllabi, and more to help you succeed.

Now that courses are online, they have placed even more information on your course page to help you navigate the rest of the semester. So when in doubt, check the course page for instructions, guidelines, and more.

Your course syllabus 

Your professors carefully create a syllabus to help guide you in this course. With the change from in-person to online, your professors have likely updated their syllabi to reflect the course changes.

If you need information about due dates, requirements, or class policies, check this helpful resource. Your professor has likely uploaded a new copy on your online course page.

Previously sent emails

Many of your professors are regularly sending you emails. They may even send you weekly emails to help guide your progress. These emails provide a wealth of information.

Before asking a question about an upcoming assignment, check the previous email from your professor. By re-reading that email, you may find the answer to your quick question. 

Your class notes

Your in-class notes from before the coronavirus are still a valuable source of information. In preparation for the switch to online classes, your professor may have even shared some details with you about the rest of the semester.

As you listen to current lectures, take good class notes. While taking notes may seem unnecessary, you may find these notes help you not only grasp the material but also recall instructions and requirements.

Check these notes for little details you may have missed when taking a quick glance. You will be glad you saved yourself the hassle of emailing.

Comments on graded assignments

If you have questions about ways in which you can improve or wish to contest a grade, you may quickly send an email. Choose instead to pause and consider your professor’s perspective.

Your professor likely had a very real reason for rewarding your efforts with the grade you received. Before making assumptions about how much he or she dislikes you, take a moment to read through the feedback your professor provided. While the comments may be brief, they likely will shed some light on your grade.

*If you want to read more about when to contest grades, read this post.

**If you want to read about how to contest a grade, read this post.

More communication is usually better than less, especially when it comes to your college classes. Your professor wants to help you succeed, but before clicking send on another email check these 5 places first.