As you planned for college, you probably heard about all the ways you’ll use technology as a student. First, you need to activate your college e-mail as soon as possible to receive information regarding class cancellations, weather-related closings, student events, and other types of communication that your college or your instructors may send you. Many colleges require you to use your student e-mail account to send and receive official communications. It is a good idea to get in the habit of checking that account daily, or at least every other day.
Whether your class meets online or face-to-face, at some point you will need to communicate with your instructor via e-mail. Although you may prefer to use Facebook or Twitter, be sure to use e-mail to communicate with your instructors unless they tell you otherwise. Writing e-mails to your instructors is different from writing e-mails or sending texts to your friends.
The Problem
You need help with an assignment or you have a question about the syllabus and have to send your professor an e-mail, but you’ve never sent an e-mail to any kind of teacher before.
The Fix
Take a few minutes to figure out what exactly you need to ask, jot down your main points, and then construct a clear and concise e-mail.
How to Do It
Look at the example shown here and follow its format in your e-mail.
It’s best to use your college e-mail address because it has your name and your college’s e-mail address, which will help your professor immediately recognize that your message has been sent by a student. If you have to use another e-mail address, use a professional, simple address that includes your name.
EXTRA STYLE POINTS: Set your college e-mail to feed into your phone, tablet, or regular online account. Tie it into your regular e-mail, like Google or Outlook. Most of these services can be configured so that you can receive e-mail from multiple accounts. This way, you will have all of your e-mail in one place that you’re sure to check.
*Note If you want to cut back on e-mails from Web sites that you visit, use a free service like UnRollMe (https://unroll.me) that condenses the blanket e-mails you get, but allows you to read them when you have time. You can list your instructors as “favorites” so you don’t miss their e-mails.