In college, you will find yourself writing for a variety of purposes and in a variety of contexts. You may write a lab report for a chemistry class with a very different structure than a literary analysis for a literature class, for example. You will also be writing to peers to organize group work, to faculty to ask questions, to administrative staff about advisement, and even to deans to ask for waivers and raise serious concerns. Each writing situation is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your professionalism and communicate effectively.

Writing Emails

In a college setting, whether you’re in an online class or a face-to-face classroom, email is one of the most common ways you’ll interact with your instructors and other staff on campus.

Many students make the mistake of thinking emails are very informal, but when you communicate by email, you should use a professional tone, one that you would in a professional setting. In both academic and professional settings, emails are one of the most common forms of communication. With that in mind, it’s important to develop some good strategies for writing emails. Here are some guidelines to adopt when communicating with instructors, advisors, or other university members:

• Use a professional email name. If you have a nickname you use with friends, create a different account with a professional name for use with instructors, work supervisors, and others. “BoatyMcBoatface” is not an appropriate, professional email name.
• Explain your email’s purpose in the subject line. Include something in the subject line that readily communicates the purpose/topic of your email: “May I make an appointment?” says something; “Help!” doesn’t. Some instructors may also want you to include your section number or class time in your subject line—check your course’s syllabus for information about this.
• Start your email professionally. Good options include “Good morning/afternoon/evening,”; “Hello (instructor’s name),”; or “Dear (instructor’s name),”. Your instructor may wish to be addressed formally with their title such as Dr., or wish to be referred to simply as their first name. Instructors typically explain their preferences on the first day of class and/or in their syllabus.
• Get to your point quickly and concisely. Faculty are busy! Your first sentence should let them know exactly why you are writing and what you are requesting of them.
• Use professional language. Write as you would in a paper for class, avoiding sarcasm, criticism, or negative language. Avoid abbreviations, nonstandard spelling, slang, and emoticons like smiley faces.
• Be courteous, accommodating, and respectful. Avoid stating expectations like, “I’ll expect to hear from you soon” or “If I haven’t heard by 4 p.m., I’ll assume you’ll accept my late paper.”
• Close your message politely: End the message with a “Thank you” or something similar, and sign off with your full name. You may also want to include your student ID number to help your professor identify you within their courses.
• Proofread your message before sending it. Make sure you spell your recipient’s name correctly, have used proper spelling and grammar, are concise about what you are requesting, and have provided all the information the person needs to help you.
• Wait to send it if you are upset. With any important message, it’s a good idea to wait and review the message later before sending it. You may have expressed an emotion or thought that you will think better about later. Many problems have resulted when people send messages too quickly without thinking.
• Keep context in your replies: When you reply to a message, leave the original message within yours so the receiver can refer back to it for context.

Emails are as important to making a good impression as a face-to-face conversation. It is critical to be concise and clear. It is important to try to avoid making careless mistakes or using a tone that is too informal. Use the proper subject line, attachment, respectful title, greeting, tone, grammar, and punctuation.

Example

A poorly written email may look like this:

Figure 1. This email has several typos and is not written in the appropriate formal tone for an instructor.

There are several errors in the above example. The subject line does not appropriately describe what the message will contain nor is it capitalized. The student forgot to attach the homework. The message is also missing a greeting, and there is poor grammar and spelling. The smile at the end is unnecessary as well. The author has not reflected on who would be reading the document, that person’s position, or in what context he or she would be reading the message.

Let’s consider instead an email written to a professor. Remember, your professor teaches many students and will not necessarily remember which class you are in. Professors are also busy, so writing a clear, informative email is likely to receive the quick response that you want. Remember the following:

1. Introduce yourself and identify the class you are in (including the time and section number)
2. Explain the purpose of the email
3. Thank the professor for considering your request
4. It’s also helpful to include your student ID along with your full name in the signature of your email
5. Don’t forget to be specific and informative in the subject line of your message

Figure 2. This is a much better email, as it is written professionally and politely, uses proper grammar, and shows an effort to take responsibility.

Notice that this email reflects the audience and tone of the message. The above message is directed toward an academic professional; therefore, the author uses the correct title, greeting, and salutation. The author also writes in full sentences, is respectful, correctly attaches the document, and has a specific subject line.

Emailing About Missed Classes and Extensions

Some college classes require attendance and even count participation towards your final grade. Others don’t. Research indicates that students who miss class are often over-confident and don’t realize what they may have missed or how their absence may impact their mastery of the material. In college, when you need to miss class, it’s up to you to make up for what you missed. That’s the case, regardless of why you missed class.

It is not effective to write to a professor to ask if you missed anything important. Instead, check first with a peer and ask for notes or a recap of class. You can also check the syllabus and ask the professor about any changes to the course schedule for the day. Finally, go see the professor during office hours to discuss the material further.

If you ever find yourself needing to ask for an extension from an instructor, consider using this extension request template and make the necessary adjustments so that it fits your situation. Remember to be professional in the request, but understand that your request may not be granted. The earlier you can communicate the need for an adjustment with your instructor, the better.