Welcome back! I’m sure we’re all looking forward to a lively and intellectually stimulating term together. Here are some tips about getting off on the right foot with me. I’m guessing that they’ll work with your other professors too.
- Just because you can e-mail me doesn’t mean you should. Sure, there’s only one of you in particular, but overall there are a lot of you, and I can’t realistically attend to each of you individually. If you remain determined to try the personal approach, take a look at these excellent tips on how to e-mail your professors. Are you sure that you want me to know you as ‘hotpants@mymail.com’?
- Still on the subject of e-mail, do your homework first. You’d be surprised how much information is online about almost everything you are planning to e-mail me about…and if you were really as dedicated to taking my particular course as you claim, you’d probably have found that out already. E-mails that begin “Dear Sir” are a dead give-away.
- Surprise: I know the degree requirements for our programs! I helped draft them! I voted on them! That means I also know whether my course is “absolutely necessary” for you to graduate. I appreciate your apparent interest in getting into it, but let’s not start out lying to each other.
- If you think I’m grouchy, try this site. Or this one. Or, worst of all, this one. When I’m not jet-lagged, I’m actually pretty cheerful and accommodating. And so far, I have answered every one of your messages, usually within 24 hours. I hope that if you do take my course, you’ll be prompt and courteous too.
See you soon!
Novel Readings 