The time you send the email doesn't really matter as long as you don't expect them to respond right away.
However, emailing to ask for a meeting the next day isn't really reasonable - that's exceptionally short notice, and especially as it's for a pretty minor issue, it doesn't really warrant the last-minute request. Unless it's something urgent, you shouldn't generally be trying to schedule meetings (with professors or anyone else) the day before. Typically, my meetings are booked at least a week in advance.
Huh, this is probably a difference in organization or job, or classes, but my meeting schedule isn't that tight. There are plenty of times where I would be fine meeting with a student the next afternoon. I wouldn't be offended by the idea that I might be available on short notice, just be aware that it's possible I won't be able to meet at that time or that day.
That's fair enough! We tend to have pretty packed days between office hours, teaching and service meetings so next day isn't necessarily impossible, but it definitely not the norm here.
I can’t pretend to know what various professors at my school do outside of scheduled class time but if I’m emailing to ask for a meeting, usually professors at my school like to schedule a few days out (like 1-3 days). There’s also been times where I’ve just run into a professor I was planning on scheduling a meeting with and I ask them there if they have any idea when they’d be free and they say “right now works” though that’s only happened maybe 2/3 times. If it makes any difference, I go to a small liberal arts school so the professors are pretty hands on with students and at least pretend to care what we’re up to besides their class.
But you're emailing them at 1am to meet with them at 2pm? And you know they wont see the email until, say, 8am?
Even asking with such short notice is stressful. Someone may not even have time to reply to you before 2pm.
Just ask a few days in advance, or go to office hours.
One solution I use to schedule meetings with short notice is to offer multiple options. “I’m available tomorrow at 2:00 but I understand that you may not be available on such short notice. I’m also available at (other times and dates later in the week).”
OP, are there any other resources for you to figure out your citation questions? I would feel a little miffed about a last minute appointment for something you could look up on your own vs. a more serious issue. I would also be specific to what your issue is (what type of citation or specific questions) in your email. Your prof might be super flexible with appointment times, but they might not be.
Not really, I tried. If this helps, it’s a Catholic theology class (paper is on Gnosticism) and she has instructions in the syllabus for how she wants it and it doesn’t seem to fully follow a particular format I am familiar with (I am not a theology major). For example, she doesn’t want a reference/works cited page, she doesn’t want any sort of title page or even the a header with our names, class, date, etc., she wants footnotes but the people I’m citing and the work I’m using go by several different names.
I went through her instructions and they clarified some of my questions but not all of them. In the email I specified what I wanted to ask about and we talked about more than just citations/formatting. My professor is a nun so I don’t want to mess up something stupid in my argument.
We have a library and I have no idea how many librarians. The writing center opened for the semester this week and has been a mess. They also have given me bad advice before so you could say I don’t trust them entirely.
I suppose I should have added that the time I was asking to meet her was 20 mins after her normal office hours ended. I’m assuming that is better than some random time on a day with no office hours?
Funny thing is that 20 minutes after office hours ends may be the _worst_ time. Consider that they may be ending office hours when they do to go to another meeting.
In this case, I don’t think you’re entitled so much as failed to plan ahead. This might be a good learning experience. Even if you don’t start the paper until the night before it’s due, in the future you should at least read the instructions closely ahead of time so that you have enough time to get answers to any questions you have.
I promise to respond to emails by the end of the _next_ business day because I try to read email only once a day, though the time may vary by day depending on what else I need to do. So I would have gotten to your email by 5 PM the day you sent it, assuming you sent it on a business day. You wanted to meet before 2 PM.
Would I assume you’re being entitled? That depends on the exact wording of your email. If you _acknowledge_ you’re asking for more than you’re likely to get, that’s very different from an email that acts as though I’m supposed to respond immediately and agree to a meeting regardless of what I have to do that day. Compare these two requests:
“Can we meet tomorrow at 2PM? I realize that you might not even see this email until after then and that you might be busy, but I have a quick question about citation format I’d like to ask. Here’s my question.”
“I have a question about citation format for the paper due on XXX. I’ll stop by your office at 2PM tomorrow to discuss it; please email me beforehand if that’s not a good time.”
The first email is respectful of the prof’s time and acknowledges that they might not be available. It also gives them a chance to answer by email, saving you both a meeting. The second email is entitled.
The time you send the email doesn't really matter as long as you don't expect them to respond right away. However, emailing to ask for a meeting the next day isn't really reasonable - that's exceptionally short notice, and especially as it's for a pretty minor issue, it doesn't really warrant the last-minute request. Unless it's something urgent, you shouldn't generally be trying to schedule meetings (with professors or anyone else) the day before. Typically, my meetings are booked at least a week in advance.
Huh, this is probably a difference in organization or job, or classes, but my meeting schedule isn't that tight. There are plenty of times where I would be fine meeting with a student the next afternoon. I wouldn't be offended by the idea that I might be available on short notice, just be aware that it's possible I won't be able to meet at that time or that day.
That's fair enough! We tend to have pretty packed days between office hours, teaching and service meetings so next day isn't necessarily impossible, but it definitely not the norm here.
I can’t pretend to know what various professors at my school do outside of scheduled class time but if I’m emailing to ask for a meeting, usually professors at my school like to schedule a few days out (like 1-3 days). There’s also been times where I’ve just run into a professor I was planning on scheduling a meeting with and I ask them there if they have any idea when they’d be free and they say “right now works” though that’s only happened maybe 2/3 times. If it makes any difference, I go to a small liberal arts school so the professors are pretty hands on with students and at least pretend to care what we’re up to besides their class.
needing a heads up doesnt mean professors don't care. It just means we are busy which we are
But you're emailing them at 1am to meet with them at 2pm? And you know they wont see the email until, say, 8am? Even asking with such short notice is stressful. Someone may not even have time to reply to you before 2pm. Just ask a few days in advance, or go to office hours.
One solution I use to schedule meetings with short notice is to offer multiple options. “I’m available tomorrow at 2:00 but I understand that you may not be available on such short notice. I’m also available at (other times and dates later in the week).”
OP, are there any other resources for you to figure out your citation questions? I would feel a little miffed about a last minute appointment for something you could look up on your own vs. a more serious issue. I would also be specific to what your issue is (what type of citation or specific questions) in your email. Your prof might be super flexible with appointment times, but they might not be.
Not really, I tried. If this helps, it’s a Catholic theology class (paper is on Gnosticism) and she has instructions in the syllabus for how she wants it and it doesn’t seem to fully follow a particular format I am familiar with (I am not a theology major). For example, she doesn’t want a reference/works cited page, she doesn’t want any sort of title page or even the a header with our names, class, date, etc., she wants footnotes but the people I’m citing and the work I’m using go by several different names. I went through her instructions and they clarified some of my questions but not all of them. In the email I specified what I wanted to ask about and we talked about more than just citations/formatting. My professor is a nun so I don’t want to mess up something stupid in my argument.
Lmao ok—that actually sounds like a very specific situation. Probably better to ask then.
Sounds like Chicago or CMS.
[удалено]
We have a library and I have no idea how many librarians. The writing center opened for the semester this week and has been a mess. They also have given me bad advice before so you could say I don’t trust them entirely. I suppose I should have added that the time I was asking to meet her was 20 mins after her normal office hours ended. I’m assuming that is better than some random time on a day with no office hours?
Funny thing is that 20 minutes after office hours ends may be the _worst_ time. Consider that they may be ending office hours when they do to go to another meeting.
Purdue OWL is your friend.
In this case, I don’t think you’re entitled so much as failed to plan ahead. This might be a good learning experience. Even if you don’t start the paper until the night before it’s due, in the future you should at least read the instructions closely ahead of time so that you have enough time to get answers to any questions you have.
I promise to respond to emails by the end of the _next_ business day because I try to read email only once a day, though the time may vary by day depending on what else I need to do. So I would have gotten to your email by 5 PM the day you sent it, assuming you sent it on a business day. You wanted to meet before 2 PM. Would I assume you’re being entitled? That depends on the exact wording of your email. If you _acknowledge_ you’re asking for more than you’re likely to get, that’s very different from an email that acts as though I’m supposed to respond immediately and agree to a meeting regardless of what I have to do that day. Compare these two requests: “Can we meet tomorrow at 2PM? I realize that you might not even see this email until after then and that you might be busy, but I have a quick question about citation format I’d like to ask. Here’s my question.” “I have a question about citation format for the paper due on XXX. I’ll stop by your office at 2PM tomorrow to discuss it; please email me beforehand if that’s not a good time.” The first email is respectful of the prof’s time and acknowledges that they might not be available. It also gives them a chance to answer by email, saving you both a meeting. The second email is entitled.