Favorite student emails

[Cheerful]

"When can we meet this week?  Let me know when you're available."

Um, it's summer and I'm not "on the clock" again for a few weeks.

It's not the student's fault. Some don't know that many faculty don't receive summer salary.

[Grinch]

I would not give a pass to a freshman, even a first generation one, who asked if a textbook was needed.  Virtually all classes they would have had in hs, other than some non academic ones, would have required a text, so why would they assume college classes would somehow be textless?  I would mot be rude in response but would certainly make it crystal clear they had to have all required texts for college success.

You would think, but not necessarily. I have one who just finished high school and another still in high school. They don't have textbooks for their classes. Some classes have copies in the classroom to be used while in class, but neither of my teens have had textbooks to bring home in years. For most of their classes, they don't use textbooks at all, unless it is an online copy accessed through the school's LMS. It is mind boggling, yet it also helps me understand a little more the first year students.

[the_geneticist]

Warning - the Fall semester will soon be here!  This, quoted here in its entirety, just arrived.

"Hello! I will be a future student in your class this fall. I would like to know if we need books for your class?"

I've found that this is a place my freshpeeps and first-gen students honestly don't have the "how to college" know-how.  So, props to hu for being proactive and reaching out, and I'd just send the information as suggested below.

If one teaches a lot of fresh peeps, reaching out to the office/person who does new student programming may be useful to be on the same page about expectations.  At Super Dinky, we managed to cut down a lot on the lack of "how to college" know-how questions by including some instructions in the acceptance packet with timelines including how registration will work that includes a cohort trip to the bookstore to acquire materials.

Yes to these & most of the other comments - I'm just going to do it Monday...

Polly, I'm not sure exactly what information our new students get, but the programs are run by highly motivated professionals so suggestions are doubtless unnecessary as it's certainly a comprehensive orientation and completely wonderful!  [/sarcasm]  Hopefully they've now stopped telling students to email each of their professors to introduce themselves before classes start.

Yup. First sign of a "high-maintenance" student.

If the email is a one time question, then I typically think it's just a students who is planning ahead.  Truly high maintenance students will demand copies of the syllabus and send panicked emails asking why the course website isn't available three months in advance.

[polly_mer]

Inside Higher Ed has an article on how to teach students to write emails.

I read the templates and wonder about the great diversity of students who exist in US higher ed because those templates seem to be missing the realities of many students.

[dr_codex]

If the email is a one time question, then I typically think it's just a students who is planning ahead.  Truly high maintenance students Educational Technologists will demand copies of the syllabus and send panicked emails asking why the course website isn't available three months in advance.

Fixed that for you.

(No prizes for guessing the hot issue on my campus this semester.)

dc

[RatGuy]

I've received three "Are you going to cancel classes on the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving Break and Monday-Wednesday before Fall Break?" emails. In one case, a student replied that the Facebook Group for University Parents has come to the conclusion that professors should just cancel classes on those days because they're all going to buy tickets for their children to fly home anyway.

[downer]

There are not many University Parent FB groups that are visible. How tempting to join one. The Northeastern U one has 30+ posts per day. I never knew they existed.

[0susanna]

I've received three "Are you going to cancel classes on the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving Break and Monday-Wednesday before Fall Break?" emails. In one case, a student replied that the Facebook Group for University Parents has come to the conclusion that professors should just cancel classes on those days because they're all going to buy tickets for their children to fly home anyway.

OMG. And I thought we had problems with entitled students.

[Thursday's_Child]

I've received three "Are you going to cancel classes on the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving Break and Monday-Wednesday before Fall Break?" emails. In one case, a student replied that the Facebook Group for University Parents has come to the conclusion that professors should just cancel classes on those days because they're all going to buy tickets for their children to fly home anyway.

OMG. And I thought we had problems with entitled students.

I guess that's where they learn it, and that's sad.

[the_geneticist]

I've received three "Are you going to cancel classes on the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving Break and Monday-Wednesday before Fall Break?" emails. In one case, a student replied that the Facebook Group for University Parents has come to the conclusion that professors should just cancel classes on those days because they're all going to buy tickets for their children to fly home anyway.

OMG. And I thought we had problems with entitled students.

I guess that's where they learn it, and that's sad.

Time to dust of my "life is full of choices, choices have consequences, choose wisely" speech. 

[Dismal]

After becoming a parent and spending more time with other parents, I now have a different understanding of motives underlying annoying student emails such as "Will we have class before Thanksgiving" or "is there anything I can do to improve my final grade?" 

Now I believe that parents are behind this.  It is the parents who are telling their kids to ask about Thanksgiving so the parents can buy the plane tickets, and it is the parents who are encouraging their kids to grub for grades.  So I cut the kids some slack.  Its not them.

Also, on the topic of books, our college staff encourage us to look for free online books for our students although I have never run into a free textbook that I prefer.

[ciao_yall]

Also, on the topic of books, our college staff encourage us to look for free online books for our students although I have never run into a free textbook that I prefer.

And, if a student wants a hard copy, the cost of printing the "free" text typically exceeds the cost of the previous edition, used.

[aside]

I recently received an email from a student I had never met that began "Hey Dr. [familiar form of first name that I don't use]."  I am used to "hey prof," etc., but this was a new one for me.

[craftyprof]

I recently received an email from a student I had never met that began "Hey Dr. [familiar form of first name that I don't use]."  I am used to "hey prof," etc., but this was a new one for me.

In the days of yore/ before caller ID, that false familiarity was how we would screen calls for my father.  If you didn't know he was (the equivalent of) Will and not Bill, you didn't actually know him.

Maybe your student has a future in sales?

[dr_codex]

I recently received an email from a student I had never met that began "Hey Dr. [familiar form of first name that I don't use]."  I am used to "hey prof," etc., but this was a new one for me.

In the days of yore/ before caller ID, that false familiarity was how we would screen calls for my father.  If you didn't know he was (the equivalent of) Will and not Bill, you didn't actually know him.

Maybe your student has a future in sales?

Similar practice in our house. Spouse and I have different last names; anybody who uses the wrong one clearly doesn't know us. Screens out a surprisingly high percentage of callers.