BY: Lashundra M. Daniels
When it comes to effectively communicating with professors, certain boundaries are to be respected
As students, we want stuff when we want it and not a minute later. Just think about it for a second: If you have an assignment due at 11:59 p.m. and you have questions about that assignment at 9:30 p.m., then you might feel as if you should email your professor at that time and get an automatic response. Is that fair? Is it fair that as students we sometimes forget to respect boundaries when it comes to our professors having lives outside of school?
Don’t get it misconstrued. In no way, shape or form am I saying that you can’t contact your professor to ask questions about assignments. I highly encourage communicating with professors outside the classroom when it concerns completing assignments. Rather, I am suggesting that you be a little more considerate of their time.
Our professors have lives outside of just being our professors. Some have extracurricular activities, some have kids and spouses and some simply don’t want to be bothered late at night after teaching numerous classes throughout the day. Our perception as students is sometimes blurred because we might not feel as we are stepping outside of boundaries when we email our professors in the evening.
Let’s look at it from this standpoint: Imagine you are eating dinner with your family and your phone keeps dinging with email alerts. This situation can create discomfort, and that should never be the goal. The goal is to effectively communicate with our professors while respecting healthy boundaries. A good rule of thumb to practice is not emailing professors after the average evening ends. Typical evening classes end at 7:25 p.m. I think that is a respectful time to end communication.
Don’t be discouraged. In fact, I want you to be encouraged to ask questions or reach out about concerns related to grades. I understand that sometimes there are emergencies that arise, and that is okay too. However, you cannot become upset or irritable if you don’t receive an immediate response from your professors. Healthy communication is key, and if you plan to have a pleasant college experience, I encourage you to communicate with your professors. Nevertheless, be considerate and respect their boundaries.
