We’ve all been there – a heavy one at Crisis the night before, the third week you’ve forgotten to do the preparation, or that irritating person you’re trying to avoid. Either way, you just can’t face heading to that early morning seminar.
But now, unless you want to receive a bunch of threatening emails from your tutor, you have to email them with a great excuse. This can be a daunting prospect at the best of times- not only do you have to be uniquely creative with your excuse (because ‘family problems’ is now right up there with ‘the dog ate my coursework’), but you have to find a balance between friendly and professional. Fear not! Our one-of-a-kind guide will help you go from zero to hero when emailing your tutor.
1) The opening. It’s too easy to put ‘Hi’ or ‘Hey’ to begin an email; it’s what you’re used to everyday. However, you must remember that no matter how ‘down with the kids’ your tutor may seem, they’re not your friend. They’re your academic superior, so a more respectful ‘Dear’ followed by their name is probably the best start.
2) Grammar is really important. When you’re typing an excuse as quickly as you can because your housemates have just switched on ‘The Great British Bake Off’, it can be easy to forget to add a capital letter here or there. Sometimes it’s even tempting to abbreviate ‘u’ and ‘thx’, but this will only create a bad impression, and trust us, it’s much better to have a tutor who’s on your side.
3) We all know emoticons are fun, even when our parents discover them for the first time and send us pointless texts for days on end. One person who may not find emoticons fun is your tutor. Sorry everyone, put away the winky faces for now. (Unless your tutor is a hip young academic who starts it first, of course!)
4) Apologise! If you’re going to miss a seminar or a deadline, the first thing that you need to do is say that you’re sorry, even if you’re not sorry at all. A sincere sounding apology will go a long way with your tutor. Keeping tutors on side really is invaluable; it might not seem like it in the heady days of first year, but in a few years they could be the helping hand that makes or breaks your degree result.
5) Do as much yourself as possible! We all know how much of a faff Moodle can be- especially now it’s shed its old legible design to be replaced by neon orange. But this is where most tutors will post handouts and any preparation you need. If you can’t find anything then ask one of your course friends; the chances are they’ll have the information you need, especially if they noticed you weren’t there and got extra for you. If you’ve missed anything, only ask your tutors as a last resort.
6) Popular acronyms like LOL and ROFL may be convenient when texting your friends, but they are definitely not appropriate when emailing your tutor. A Maths Professor at Michigan University recently caused hilarity when he tore apart a student’s very casual email: “This ‘LOL’? You and I are not in a relationship yet where we can just chuckle and laugh about things…” Your tutor might not have such a sharp tongue, but they also probably won’t be ROFLing with you.
7) The sign off leaves a lasting impression. You definitely need to include your name, or your tutor will have no idea who they’re emailing, especially if you’re not using your University account. We would advise using your university account, no matter how good ‘fattybumbum97@hotmail.com’ seemed in High School. Something like ‘Kind Regards’ or even just a ‘Thank you’, followed by your name would be best.
So there you have it – a simple step-by-step guide to the Dos and Don’ts of emailing your academic tutor. It might seem tedious, but if you spend just that bit longer on a simple email, it’ll keep the relationship with your tutor healthy for the rest of the year. Just remember, you’ll probably need their help at some point, so it’s good to keep them happy!
Sources:
http://www.moneyaftergraduation.com/2012/07/21/saturday-personal-finance-gifs-8/
http://globalgrind.com/2014/03/12/what-the-world-wide-web-www-was-like-in-2004-list-photos
http://misandry-mermaid.tumblr.com/post/88012149830/sooooo-mr-morgan
http://wifflegif.com/gifs/194389-puss-in-boots-animals-gif
http://bffsinparis.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/scene-from-hp-1-light-reading-and.html
https://www.tumblr.com/search/poor%20mycroft
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/04/school-of-rock-nickelodeon_n_5647927.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/09/16/maths-teacher-funny-tutorial_n_5829170.html
Edited by Nicole Jones