Fundamentals of College Email Etiquette

Do you know how to send an email, or do you just think that you do? Believe it or not, there is a proper way to go about and send an email. Just as when you write a letter, there is a proper etiquette to writing and sending email. One of the primary purposes of college is to prepare us for the "real" world, and in today's world that means learning exactly how to do just that. By following these ten simple guidelines, enable you to be able to deliver perfect emails to your professors.

• Know when to send an email. One of the things that you need to know is when you can or cannot send an email. If your professor is available for a one-on-one meeting, why not actually set up a meeting with them. Email is not meant to be a replacement for interpersonal interactions. You also do not want to send an email too late at night. Your professors are going to be able to see what time it was when you sent your mail. If you send it late at night, it is a slightly more polite version of calling them late at night. Only send something after midnight if it is due prior to an early morning class the next day.
• Identify yourself. Keep in mind that your professor's have hundreds of students. It is pretty much a given that your professor is not going to be able to remember who you are. In order to remind them of just who you are, include your full name (first and last) as well as which class it is for. This way your mail does not appear as spam and accidentally get erased
• Always use subject lines. When filling the subject line, make sure that you mention what the email is for or in regards to. You don't want it to seem like a randomly generated subject, like you see in many spam messages.
• Use proper grammar. Prior to sending your email, be sure that you proofread your message. Keep in mind that you are going to be sending this to a professor, it would look kind of silly to send an email full of errors to an English professor, don't you think?
• Be professional. When sending an email to your professor, do not fill it full of slang, or use emoticons, or other forms of familiar address. You need to keep the conversation on as professional of a level as you can, so that means no goofing around!
• Stay concise. Your professors are going to have probably hundreds of email messages to wade through each day. Keep your message short and to the point. Doing that alone might help keep your name in their mind, and make a good impression.
• Double check your work. Prior to sending anything to your professor, whether it be email, or any attachments, be sure that you have gone over and double checked your work. Spell check, and grammar check are wonderful tools, but do not rely solely on them.
• Ask about size restrictions for attachments. Before to sending any attachments along with your email, make sure that you know of any restrictions that your professor may have placed on the size of any files that they want sent. This helps to avoid any possible rejection by the computer system, or from your professor.
• Organize your email. Most email providers allow you to place filters on your account. Why not take advantage of this so that you can properly organize the email that comes in.
• Don't argue. Do not use your email to make or continue any argument. This is another example of where you want to be sure that you maintain a professional demeanor.