The professional email template you need to sound just impressive enough
This post is all about how to email your professor.
Sending an email to a professor you see every week might sound like a super dumb thing to get stuck on, but it’s not. If you’re googling how to email your professor and you ended up here, I want you to know for starters that pretty much EVERY college student has experienced this dilemma:
You don’t want to sound TOO formal (that’s just awkward)…
But you also don’t want to sound TOO casual because it might come across like you don’t care or you’re not all that professional.
Really, emailing your professor is quite an art.
And if you’re not that kind of artist, I’ve got a super easy template for you that I give you full permission to copy (and obviously adjust it to say what you need it to say).
This post is all about how to email your professor.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll earn a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Our full disclosure policy is pretty boring, but you can read it here.
HOW TO EMAIL YOUR PROFESSOR:
Here’s what you can copy…
Here’s a rough template so you can get an idea of how it goes:
Hello [1] Professor Name [2],
This line breaks the ice a little [3].
I’m in your Class Name, Section Number that meets on This Day at This Time [4]. This is the problem I have and what I’ve already done to try and solve it [5], and I think this is what I’m supposed to do [6], but I wanted to clarify first. This is what I want you to do about it [7].
Thanks in advance!
Your name [8]
[RELATED POST – Essay Writing Tips That Will Make College a Breeze]
1. The greeting
If you’re unsure of how to greet your professor, using a classic “Dear” is never a bad idea. If that feels too formal, or if you have established somewhat of a relationship with the professor, a simple “Hello” or “Hi” are also great options to put before you address them by name.
Products You Might Like:
✔️ Studygram Aesthetic Bluetooth Keyboard ✔️ Laptop Riser ✔️ Desktop Organizer ✔️ 2021-2022 College Planner
2. How to address your professor
When it comes to addressing your professor, it’s always best practice to address them the way that they introduced themselves. If you’re unsure, check how they usually sign their emails.
Professors are increasingly introducing themselves by first name and expect or allow their students to address them by first name (this is how it is at my school 90% of the time). But, only do this if your professor has specifically said you can call them by first name.
But if your professor tends to go by “Dr.” or “Professor” something, then go with that.
Oh, and about the “Dr” thing…
Make sure they actually have the “Dr” title before you assume you can call them that. If they don’t and they have to correct you, it just looks kinda embarrassing… for you.
3. The ice breaker
It’s always a good idea to have a casual ice breaker line. A simple, “I hope your week is going well” will suffice. This is really just to cushion the awkwardness of contacting your professor about a problem or question.
Here are some examples of what to write in that first line:
- Hope you had a great weekend.
- I hope you enjoyed your winter break!
- I’m really looking forward to learning from you this semester.
- You mentioned feeling sick last week; I hope you’re feeling better.
- I hope your week is going well so far.
4. Who are you again?
This may only be necessary the first time you email them. If you’re a ways into the semester and you’ve communicated with them before, you’re certain they know who you are, or maybe it’s even a small class of 30 rather than a lecture of hundreds so they probably already know who you are — whatever the case may be, the point is that if you’re not certain they know you yet, it’s probably a good idea to remind them what class you’re in.
This also just gives them a way to track down exactly what you’re talking about. They might be teaching multiple classes doing multiple things, and I can guarantee you they just have a lot going on in their lives in general.
So, why does this matter?
Giving a quick reminder of who you are will just help them know exactly how to respond and ensure they don’t have to spend their precious time trying to figure out what you’re talking about.
5. Get to the point
Okay, KEY TIP here on how to email your professor:
DON’T MAKE IT LONG.
They have stuff to do. More often than not, you’ll notice your professors responses to your emails are probably 10x shorter than your original email was.
They DON’T want to read some whole long explanation or story. If you have something more complicated to discuss with them, stop by during their office hours or set up a call with them.
But if it’s a simple question, then this is the part where you tell them your question/problem (essentially, the reason for your email). Just GET TO THE POINT.
And it’s always a great idea to briefly explain what you’ve done to try and figure out the answer, just to assure them that you’re not trying to waste their time.
Here’s a real life example of something I sent to a professor (just the ‘problem’ part):
“I have a question regarding the literary analysis. I read the Kindle version of the book, which as I’m sure you know doesn’t have the conventional page numbers a print book would have. You mentioned in class that in this case, chapter numbers should be used for in-text citations, but there are no chapter numbers in this particular book. Should I then use the location numbers displayed on Kindle or is there a better way to do in-text citations in this case?”
Super short. To the point.
Explained what was wrong. Explained how I tried to fix it.
Mentioned what I think I should do, and then clearly asked for clarification.
6. What you think you’re supposed to do
When it comes to figuring out how to email your professor, it’s debatable whether you really need to do this part, but if I can, I always like adding a brief sentence on what I did to try and find the answer to my question first.
Why?
I dunno. It just sounds thoughtful. Professors hate repeating things they’ve already explained, so show them that you’re being considerate of that.
7. Specifically outline what you want them to do
You might think it’s obvious… You want them to answer your email, duh!
But it’s still a good idea to clearly say what you want them to do for you.
I’ve had instances where I’ve asked professors multiple questions in one email and they’ve only answered one of the questions. So, sometimes you may need to spell it out for them a bit, or put your question in bold font or something, so they don’t miss it.
8. The easy part
The ending is the easiest part.
A simple, “Thanks!” or “Thanks in advance for your help!” and then your name, and there you go!
Do you now feel more confident about emailing your professor?
This post was all about how to email your professor.
OTHER POSTS YOU’LL LIKE:
Burnout in College: How to Recover Fast
First Year at College Advice: 50 Lessons for College Freshmen
