Emails, we all get them. Whether you read them or let them accumulate in your inbox, it’s undeniable that emails play a large role in digital communication, especially to contact professors. If you aren’t keen on going to office hours, sending a quick email to your professor is the best way to get hold of them. How you write emails to your professor makes a big impression, good or bad. You want to make that good impression, so keep reading if you’re struggling to start that draft!
The first step to writing a good email is figuring out why you want to email your professor in the first place. Common reasons to email a professor are to ask for excuses from class, help in a class, research opportunities and/or general questions about a course. You’ve decided on the topic, now you have to communicate it through the subject line.
Your subject line acts as a preview to the contents of your email. Strong subject lines look like “Absence from class on 5/1” or “Extension Request for Assignment 2”. A weak subject line looks like: “Going to be absent from class this week” or “Can I get an extension?” You see how the strong subject lines can directly state what your email is about, while the weak subject lines are vague and wordy.
Next is the process of writing out the rest of the email. Make sure to consistently use a formal tone as you begin typing out your message. Start with a greeting, such as “Dear,” “Good morning” or “Hello,” followed by “Dr.” or “Professor.” Do not address your professor using “Mister,” “Ms.” or “Mrs.” If you’re unsure of their title, default to “Professor.”
You may optionally open with a pleasantry, such as saying you hope they had a great weekend, but not including one isn’t the end of the world. After your greeting is the body of the email. Identify yourself at this point so your professor knows who they’re talking to. As for the rest of the email, you want to keep it short and simple because if you wouldn’t read all that, your professors definitely don’t want to either.
The length of your body can vary based on the message, but it shouldn’t be longer than a paragraph. To prevent yourself from writing an essay in an email, always include the information that your professor needs to know and omit what they don’t need to know.
Signing off your email is much more relaxed, as you can customize the sign-off however you like. Some people simply sign off with their names, while others use “Regards,” “Sincerely,” “Thanks,” etc. You can be fancy and include a signature, though this is uncommon. Once you’re done, proofread what you’ve written and run a spell check through it. If everything looks acceptable, send your email and wait patiently for the response.
The rule of thumb is to wait up to three business days for a response, not including holidays. After three business days pass and there’s no response, reply to the original email to confirm that they’ve received it. If this still doesn’t get you a response, you can go to office hours or talk to your professor directly after class.
Though this advice is geared toward emailing professors, it can also be applied to work or any situation where you need to write a professional email. The guidelines are roughly the same; formal tone and succinct messaging are key characteristics that will help you succeed beyond your time at college.
