How to Email Your Professor
SaveTo minimize your stress in emailing professors, follow these general rules.
Maybe an element of your assigned reading doesn't make any sense. Maybe your syllabus has two deadlines listed for one project. Maybe you want to check if an author was subtly referencing another thinker in the chapter you read for class. Or, maybe, you need to miss a day of class for an athletics competition — whatever the case, every freshman needs to email their professor eventually. All too often, though, writing an email can be stressful-especially for incoming students with little practice talking with professors and worrying about finding the correct phrasing. To minimize your stress in emailing professors, follow these general rules.
How to Email Your Professor
You might be asking: why should I seek out biophilic places in college? You may regard your college campus as When you begin an email, avoid both informal and overly dramatic greetings. In general, opt for common, respectful introductions such as "good morning" or "good afternoon." They're standard for a reason; rather than overthinking your introduction, you can feel confident relying on them!
Unless they tell your class to greet them by their first name, default to referring to your professors as "Professor [Last Name]" or "Dr. [Last Name]." It's better to be respectful than to seem arrogant or dismissive by using the wrong title. Always double-check the spelling of your professor's name before you hit send. A typo in the first line of an email can put you in a negative light.
Be Professional
When writing an email to your professor, use a polite and professional "voice." You likely already know one rule about professionalism in email — to avoid slang— but that isn't the only factor in effectively communicating over email. Besides, freshmen are sometimes so concerned about being professional that they overcorrect, instead becoming stiff or overly formal.
When practicing your professional "voice," one useful trick is reading your draft out loud to yourself or your roommate. Hearing the words aloud can help you to catch awkward or informal turns of phrases you may not have noticed on the screen. As you read, try comparing your phrasing to the kind of language you would use in a job interview — respectful, cheerful, and concise. This strategy can sometimes be a helpful rubric for judging whether an email sounds right or needs a few edits before you hit send.
If, by contrast, trying to be professional has made your writing stiff, you have a couple of quick fixes at your disposal. For example, try varying your sentence length to avoid monotony or using different punctuation. Something as simple as "Good morning!" instead of "Good morning:" in your greeting can dramatically change your email's overall tone.
Get to the Point
Other times, being professional can make you select overly formal phrasing. If your email starts to sound like a Victorian novelist wrote it, you're on the wrong track. Florid prose and unnecessarily lengthy sentences will make your email challenging to understand, delaying your professor's answer to the question you emailed. Instead, opt for more straightforward sentences and words that are more common in conversation. Simple changes, like swapping out "salutations" for "I hope your week is going well," can fix this problem quickly.
In general, using the right email voice means avoiding slang in favor of professional phrasing, choosing specific language rather than vague terms, and using the right greeting and signature. It may be difficult at first, but with practice, you'll become more and more confident in finding your voice!
Thank Your Professor for Their Time
Be sure to include a sentence thanking your professor for reading your email, taking the time to respond to your question, or being willing to discuss a topic further. Everyone appreciates a thank you, and your professors are no exception!
Creating Your Signature
Although ending your email on the right note can initially seem stressful, having a signature can alleviate that tension by giving you a reliable default option to conclude your emails. Many students choose a professional phrase such as "best wishes" or "respectfully" to precede their name or a more cheery, personal thought like "have a great day!" Pick something you are comfortable with and confident in for your signature. If you choose to add your on-campus job, major, and year of graduation below your name, as many students do, it might look something like this:
Best wishes,
Freshman Student
Campus Employee
Major, 2026
How Long Should My Email Be?
When drafting emails, it can be easy to work so hard on asking your question exactly right that you send a far more repetitive, lengthy email than you intended. In general, err on the side of brevity to respect your professor's time — they'll appreciate it and can always follow up to ask for more details if necessary. As a result, it is often wise to keep your email as short as possible so that they can quickly read it and reply to you.
For example, if you have a question about a paper's deadline, begin with a respectful greeting, use one sentence to ask if the paper is due on a specific day, add a sentence thanking them for their time, and end the email with your signature. They'll be able to scan through that email in seconds and reply quickly, rather than digging through paragraphs to find your question.
If you have a long question requiring a significant amount of context or discussion, consider setting up an office hours appointment to talk with your professor. Although email is often the quickest, most efficient way to contact your professor, that doesn't mean it's your only option for communication.
Ceanna Hayes Daniels
Ceanna Hayes Daniels is freelance writer and editor. In 2022, she graduated Hillsdale College summa cum laude with a degree in politics. In her free time, she continues to enjoy studying philosophy, political theory, and literature. She and her husband live in Michigan, where the two enjoy perusing bookstores together for new books and old records.Articles & Advice
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