Transcription
Hi, my name is Anna. I'm an upcoming graduate, and I want to talk to you guys a little bit about communicating with your instructors while you complete your degree.
Since this is a fully online degree, you're not getting classroom time like you would with other programs. So, you're not seeing your instructor several times a week. You're not seeing your classmates several times a week. So, you're not getting that kind of in-person interaction that you would typically get on a pretty regular basis.
So, it's really important that you utilize email. This is like our form of communication. It is vital to use email. If you have a question about something, send an email. If your instructor gave you feedback and you're not totally sure what it means, send an email. If you're not sure if you were completing an assignment correctly, send an email. Email! I can't stress it enough.
My first semester, I had a hard time emailing just because I was fearful that I was being a nuisance or that my question was dumb. And that's simply not the case. And I've never emailed an instructor and felt that way. They've always been very responsive and very helpful. And I, I can't, I can't stress it enough. And I really think it is vital to success in this program.
When you're sending these emails, make sure you're doing it in a timely manner. Don't send an email Friday night and expect a response Sunday morning. Keep in mind, holidays exist, weekends exist. Work ahead. Manage your time so you can have time to ask questions and get responses.
Instructors have office hours. Some of them are virtual office hours. I know some also have in-person office hours. Utilize those. Email. Schedule a meeting. The instructors really do want to help you succeed, and there are so many ways that you can go about it. And communication is vital to all of that.
When you're sending these emails, make sure you're being professional. Don't send them like a text you would send to your friend. So, make sure you have like an opening like, "Hello," "Greetings," "Good morning," "Good afternoon," stuff like that. And then you have your academic writing in the center, right? So they can understand you. Full sentences. And then the end, a farewell of some kind. "Thank you," "Have a good day," stuff like that.
Email. Utilize email. Communicate with your instructors. It's so important, and it's been so, such a resource to me and so many people in this program.