When And How To Properly Email Your Professors 

More often than not, some students don’t know how to send an email properly or, better yet, are too scared to even compose one. Emailing your professor is not like rocket science, but there is an appropriate way to do this. 

Emailing your professor is more formal compared to when you send an email to your friends. Everyone wants to make a good impression on their professors, and sending a good email is one way to make it. Here are some tips on when and how to send an email to your professors.

When Do You Send Emails To Your Professors?

Before we start talking about sending an email, let us discuss first when it is the time to send emails to your professors. 

Emails are a formal way of communicating to another person and can include files and other attachments that are not possible through simple text messages. As much as possible, face-to-face interaction is still the best way to talk to your professor. But if it is not possible, then emailing them is the next best thing. It also allows you to backtrack and compile a particular conversation in one place. 

Use A Proper Email Address

Suppose your email address goes by “[email protected]” or “[email protected]” it’s time to retire them and use something more professional. 

Ideally, you should be using your university email. Avoid childish or offensive emails. An account with your first name then your last name would be the best format to use when creating an email address. 

Having a proper email address would also show your level of professionalism, which your professor would appreciate. 

Be Mindful Of Your Salutations

Remember, you are talking to your professor, not your roomie. Therefore, it is best to start your email with a proper salutation such as “Dear” or “Hello.” Do not use words that are too casual and informal. This is just a good way of showing respect to your professor.

Create A Proper Subject Line

Just like all emails, your subject line would let the receiver know at a glance what the email is all about. It should be something simple and should reflect your email’s content. One example could be “Question for Statistics101 Class: Trouble Creating Survey Questionnaires”. The subject line would immediately let your professor know that the email is about his statistics 101 class and a question about creating a survey questionnaire. This makes communication with your professor easier. 

Do Not Forget About Their Title and Name

After your salutation, follow it up with their name. If your professor has a Ph.D., address them as “Doctor” or “Professor,” then their name. It may sound too formal but remember that your email to your professor is like a business letter. Hence, the need to be proper. 

Be Clear On Who You Are

Your professor might be handling hundreds of students simultaneously and maybe receiving several emails every day. That is why it is good to put context on your email to help them identify you as more accessible. For example, indicate which class you are in and its schedule. This would at least give them an idea of who the person on the other line is.

Be Straightforward and Keep Your Emails Short.

Your professors are doing many things, so you must keep your emails short and straight to the point. Be clear on what you are asking. 

If you have multiple questions, then you can write in bulleted form. Include all the necessary information you think your professor needs to know. That way, you would keep your email exchanges short rather than going back and forth with your emails.

Proper Signing Off

Ending your email should not be that fancy. A simple “Thanks” or “Best Regards” followed by your name would suffice. Some university email addresses have signatures; if your email doesn’t have one, then just indicate your first name and last name at the end. 

There you have it, how to properly send an email to your professor. Use this opportunity to train yourself, as this would be the way you will be sending emails, especially when you choose to be in a corporate setting after graduation.