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Request for Feedback on Email to Organic Chemistry Professor?
Hi everyone,
I’m currently struggling in organic chemistry and am just a few points away from passing. I’ve drafted an email to my professor to ask about potential options for leniency, such as extra credit or revisiting my exams for partial credit.
Could I please get some feedback on my email? I want to make sure it’s professional and polite while explaining my situation clearly.
Thank you
Here’s the draft:
I hope this email finds you well.
I’m writing to you regarding my performance in your Organic Chemistry course this semester. While I’ve worked diligently to understand the material, I’ve found it particularly challenging, especially as I’ve been navigating some personal and academic stresses throughout the term.
I was hoping to explore any options for improving my grade. Specifically, I was wondering if there might be opportunities for extra credit assignments or projects. Additionally, if possible, I would be grateful if you could review my exams to see if there are any opportunities for partial credit or reconsideration.
I fully understand if these requests cannot be accommodated, but I wanted to reach out and explore any potential options. I deeply value the material I’ve learned in this class and remain committed to doing everything I can to demonstrate my understanding.
Thank you for your time, support, and consideration. I truly value the opportunity to learn in your class and appreciate any guidance you can provide.
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6 answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello again, Angel !
The e-mail that you have composed to your professor is very well written and well-expressed. As you recall in my first response to this, I advised FIRST meet with your academic counselor to see what they say. They are familiar with the professors and the system. If you go directly to the professor (and not in an e-mail that can be ignored, rather in person) for this, you may come off as wanting special perks that other students are not getting. But if you check with your academic counselor FIRST and the Science Department Dean first, before going to the professor, you may have the insight as to how to approach it with the professor.
You should explore the options I mentioned to you in your previous question about this. It's best to not act in haste and cover a few bases before expecting a professor to focus on this. Also keep in mind that it is very close to the semester's end and how busy professors can be and giving out a special project for one student so they'll pass is not customary, nor is fudging a student's grades so they'll pass. Go to the counseling office and then the Dean to learn more about what is done at your college in these instances. Don't make quick decisions. I know it's hard because it's something on your mind and you are concerned about it, but think about it and wait till the weekend is over to talk in person to counselor, Dean and then if possible the professor.
Everyone who doesn't like their grade wishes they could have some way to magically change it to an A or B. Professors are in their career to teach and evaluate students, not to find ways for everyone to be a straight A student. That's how it was in the olden days when I was in college and things certainly have changed quite a bit in colleges since then. But I still say to take it slow and don't take the victim role in this. Everyone has personal issues while they are a college student and that is up to you to tend to. But please do not be discouraged. Re-read the options I mentioned to you in the first inquiry and consider your options. You will have to be making your own decisions all through life, but you need to be well-informed to make a decision that will benefit you.
I hope this works out and I wish you all the best !
The e-mail that you have composed to your professor is very well written and well-expressed. As you recall in my first response to this, I advised FIRST meet with your academic counselor to see what they say. They are familiar with the professors and the system. If you go directly to the professor (and not in an e-mail that can be ignored, rather in person) for this, you may come off as wanting special perks that other students are not getting. But if you check with your academic counselor FIRST and the Science Department Dean first, before going to the professor, you may have the insight as to how to approach it with the professor.
You should explore the options I mentioned to you in your previous question about this. It's best to not act in haste and cover a few bases before expecting a professor to focus on this. Also keep in mind that it is very close to the semester's end and how busy professors can be and giving out a special project for one student so they'll pass is not customary, nor is fudging a student's grades so they'll pass. Go to the counseling office and then the Dean to learn more about what is done at your college in these instances. Don't make quick decisions. I know it's hard because it's something on your mind and you are concerned about it, but think about it and wait till the weekend is over to talk in person to counselor, Dean and then if possible the professor.
Everyone who doesn't like their grade wishes they could have some way to magically change it to an A or B. Professors are in their career to teach and evaluate students, not to find ways for everyone to be a straight A student. That's how it was in the olden days when I was in college and things certainly have changed quite a bit in colleges since then. But I still say to take it slow and don't take the victim role in this. Everyone has personal issues while they are a college student and that is up to you to tend to. But please do not be discouraged. Re-read the options I mentioned to you in the first inquiry and consider your options. You will have to be making your own decisions all through life, but you need to be well-informed to make a decision that will benefit you.
I hope this works out and I wish you all the best !
Thanks, can't wait to put this advice into action!
angel
You're welcome, Angel !
Michelle M.
Robert Rossi
Many things! But mostly chemistry and chemical engineering
63
Answers
Updated
Robert’s Answer
Teachers have to consider fairness with respect to any request. If you are asking for something that others do not get, or especially for something that not everyone could get, your request is unlikely to be granted. If grades are already submitted and you have taken the final, you are also unlikely to get much grace; professors usually do not look kindly on those who only take a keen interest in their grade after it is set. Hopefully this professor has been hearing from you throughout the term, and you will not be a stranger to them with this request. Asking for a professor to look through your exams for you to try to find ways to improve your grade is never going to work; that's your responsibility. But if you go through your exams and have a genuine concern or question about the way something was graded, bringing that to the professor may help you.
If this is the first time this professor will hear from you about anything like this, and you don't have any specific grading concerns you can bring to them, I would instead urge you to simply try to convey how hard you have worked and how important your grade in this course is to you. But not having approached the professor earlier will certainly count against your credibility on that point. If there are solid reasons for your not approaching the professor sooner, spell them out; don't be vague...and this might best be done in person.
I taught pre-meds for many years and got a number of requests along these lines over the years. They read as "I need to get into med school, so I need you to give me a higher grade than I actually earned." When coming from a stranger who (on the grading spreadsheet, anyway) was satisfied doing just barely enough to get that A, never putting in an extra effort that I could discern, this was not usually a request I honored.
Michelle's advice is solid. You are here asking for advice, which is great, but we don't know the specifics the way someone at your school would. An academic counselor who can vouch for the legitimacy of your struggles would go a long way, but you have to be willing to share and document them, and get some help with them going forward.
If this is the first time this professor will hear from you about anything like this, and you don't have any specific grading concerns you can bring to them, I would instead urge you to simply try to convey how hard you have worked and how important your grade in this course is to you. But not having approached the professor earlier will certainly count against your credibility on that point. If there are solid reasons for your not approaching the professor sooner, spell them out; don't be vague...and this might best be done in person.
I taught pre-meds for many years and got a number of requests along these lines over the years. They read as "I need to get into med school, so I need you to give me a higher grade than I actually earned." When coming from a stranger who (on the grading spreadsheet, anyway) was satisfied doing just barely enough to get that A, never putting in an extra effort that I could discern, this was not usually a request I honored.
Robert recommends the following next steps:
I am really grateful you took the time to answer this question.
angel
Hey Angel, I'm sorry if it was a bit harsh, but I do hope it helps. I missed the key detail that you were a few points away from passing when I wrote this...you will find a good deal more compassion when it comes to passing, as opposed to getting an A, especially if you had an unusually rough semester and the course isn't central to your degree ambitions. Kim's suggestion of an incomplete might work, but with a pass/fail situation I would doubly suggest taking Michelle's advice about contacting a counselor, especially if you want to consider that option. A counselor can give you a sense of how that would work, the likelihood of it being approved (indexing even for the personality of the professor in question), and advice on how to approach it...and may also suggest some other options.
Robert Rossi
A professor may also be more willing to help if they know you are working with a counselor, because they know the counselor will keep track of whether you make similar requests in the future, which is a common concern. In the absence of that, they may well ask their colleagues about you (especially a general chemistry teacher), particularly if you are at a small school. If that person remembers you as diligent and hard-working, your request has far better chances. I do hope this works out for you.
Robert Rossi
Robert Rossi
Many things! But mostly chemistry and chemical engineering
63
Answers
Updated
Robert’s Answer
Teachers have to consider fairness with respect to any request. If you are asking for something that others do not get, or especially for something that not everyone could get, your request is unlikely to be granted. If grades are already submitted and you have taken the final, you are also unlikely to get much grace; professors usually do not look kindly on those who only take a keen interest in their grade after it is set. Hopefully this professor has been hearing from you throughout the term, and you will not be a stranger to them with this request. Asking for a professor to look through your exams for you to try to find ways to improve your grade is never going to work; that's your responsibility. But if you go through your exams and have a genuine concern or question about the way something was graded, bringing that to the professor may help you.
If this is the first time this professor will hear from you about anything like this, and you don't have any specific grading concerns you can bring to them, I would instead urge you to simply try to convey how hard you have worked and how important your grade in this course is to you. But not having approached the professor earlier will certainly count against your credibility on that point. If there are solid reasons for your not approaching the professor sooner, spell them out; don't be vague...and this might best be done in person, if that is possible.
I taught pre-meds for many years and got a number of requests along these lines over the years. They read as "I need to get into med school, so I need you to give me a higher grade than I actually earned." When coming from a stranger who (on the grading spreadsheet, anyway) was satisfied doing just barely enough to get that A, never putting in an extra effort that I could discern, this was not usually a request I honored.
p.s. I sympathize with trouble in organic chemistry...I'm great at every kind of chemistry except organic, which I find befuddling. That divide is common: those who like organic tend to like it a lot more than they do most of the rest of chemistry because organic is qualitatively different, more like learning a foreign language than the math and logic courses that are most other chemistry classes.
Michelle's advice is solid. You are here asking for advice, which is great, but we don't know the specifics the way someone at your school would. An academic counselor who can vouch for the legitimacy of your struggles would go a long way, but you have to be willing to share and document them, and get some help with them going forward.
If this is the first time this professor will hear from you about anything like this, and you don't have any specific grading concerns you can bring to them, I would instead urge you to simply try to convey how hard you have worked and how important your grade in this course is to you. But not having approached the professor earlier will certainly count against your credibility on that point. If there are solid reasons for your not approaching the professor sooner, spell them out; don't be vague...and this might best be done in person, if that is possible.
I taught pre-meds for many years and got a number of requests along these lines over the years. They read as "I need to get into med school, so I need you to give me a higher grade than I actually earned." When coming from a stranger who (on the grading spreadsheet, anyway) was satisfied doing just barely enough to get that A, never putting in an extra effort that I could discern, this was not usually a request I honored.
p.s. I sympathize with trouble in organic chemistry...I'm great at every kind of chemistry except organic, which I find befuddling. That divide is common: those who like organic tend to like it a lot more than they do most of the rest of chemistry because organic is qualitatively different, more like learning a foreign language than the math and logic courses that are most other chemistry classes.
Robert recommends the following next steps:
James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian & Software Developer since 1972 => Nutrition Education => Health & Longevity => Self-Actualization.
6308
Answers
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James Constantine’s Answer
Hello Angel!
**Here's a revised draft of the email, incorporating suggestions for a more professional and impactful tone:**
Dear Professor [Professor's Name],
I hope this email finds you well.
I'm writing to express my concern regarding my current performance in your Organic Chemistry course. While I've dedicated significant effort to understanding the material, I've encountered challenges, particularly while balancing academic and personal commitments this semester.
I'm reaching out to inquire about potential opportunities to improve my grade. Specifically, I'm interested in exploring options such as extra credit assignments or projects. Additionally, I'd be grateful if you could consider reviewing my exams for any potential partial credit or reconsideration.
I understand that these requests may not be feasible, and I fully respect your decision. However, I'm committed to demonstrating my understanding of the course material and would appreciate any guidance or support you can offer.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Student ID]
[Contact Information]
**Here are some specific improvements:**
* **Clear and concise:** The revised email maintains a clear and concise tone, directly addressing the professor's concerns.
* **Professional tone:** The language is more formal and professional, avoiding overly casual expressions.
* **Emphasizes effort:** The email highlights the student's dedication and hard work, which can positively influence the professor's perception.
* **Specific requests:** The requests for extra credit and exam review are specific and reasonable.
* **Positive closing:** The closing expresses gratitude and reinforces the student's commitment to learning.
By incorporating these changes, the email becomes more impactful and respectful, increasing the likelihood of a positive response from the professor.
God Bless!
JC.
**Here's a revised draft of the email, incorporating suggestions for a more professional and impactful tone:**
Dear Professor [Professor's Name],
I hope this email finds you well.
I'm writing to express my concern regarding my current performance in your Organic Chemistry course. While I've dedicated significant effort to understanding the material, I've encountered challenges, particularly while balancing academic and personal commitments this semester.
I'm reaching out to inquire about potential opportunities to improve my grade. Specifically, I'm interested in exploring options such as extra credit assignments or projects. Additionally, I'd be grateful if you could consider reviewing my exams for any potential partial credit or reconsideration.
I understand that these requests may not be feasible, and I fully respect your decision. However, I'm committed to demonstrating my understanding of the course material and would appreciate any guidance or support you can offer.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Student ID]
[Contact Information]
**Here are some specific improvements:**
* **Clear and concise:** The revised email maintains a clear and concise tone, directly addressing the professor's concerns.
* **Professional tone:** The language is more formal and professional, avoiding overly casual expressions.
* **Emphasizes effort:** The email highlights the student's dedication and hard work, which can positively influence the professor's perception.
* **Specific requests:** The requests for extra credit and exam review are specific and reasonable.
* **Positive closing:** The closing expresses gratitude and reinforces the student's commitment to learning.
By incorporating these changes, the email becomes more impactful and respectful, increasing the likelihood of a positive response from the professor.
God Bless!
JC.
Updated
Kim’s Answer
Angel,
Michelle is always a strong voice on this site, and I personally appreciate her perspective!
One thing that stood out to me right away, (especially since it is soooo difficult to convey tone in an e-mail) was the use of the word "Your" as in "your organic chemistry course." Whose course is it? His? or yours? Or ours? Petty? Maybe. But if it hit me, it could hit him. You could delete that word altogether and it would still read okay. Or, change it to "our."
The next thing that stood out was your asking him to look over previous exams to see if he could happen to find a few points, but you didn't ask if you could correct those exams and turn them in for extra credit. That entire part of your request sounds a little odd, like you are questioning his grading of the papers. Just my opinion.
As the others have pointed out, waiting this long to take an interest in bringing your grade up is a hard hurdle to overcome. If it was me. . . .I'd take full ownership of my role in not addressing this sooner, remove all reference to anything that makes it sound like you are asking for a favor or making excuses, and proceed by asking if it would be possible to receive a grade of Incomplete for this semester, and then complete whatever additional work the professor assigns next semester to bring up the grade. Doing this, you may have to enroll for the course again next semester (not sure!) which would cost you financially, and you relieve the professor of having to do any additional work this semester other than whatever documentation he's required to complete in assigning a grade of Incomplete.
I encourage you to keep an eye on the academic calendar in the future. If it appears you may fail a class, I think there is an option to Withdraw from the course by a certain date and not receive a letter grade. I also encourage you to look at how you schedule your classes. This includes time of day (if your brain isn't awake at 8 a.m. for example), number of classes back to back, total class-load, number of classes with lots of reading/writing/homework, reviewing professors ratings on-line, etc. It's better to take 5 years to finish school than to carry too many hours while also dealing with personal issues.
I can tell by the effort you put into composing the email that this has been a valuable lesson for you, so, I really hope it gets resolved favorably!
Please update us and let us know the outcome.
Good luck!
Kim
Michelle is always a strong voice on this site, and I personally appreciate her perspective!
One thing that stood out to me right away, (especially since it is soooo difficult to convey tone in an e-mail) was the use of the word "Your" as in "your organic chemistry course." Whose course is it? His? or yours? Or ours? Petty? Maybe. But if it hit me, it could hit him. You could delete that word altogether and it would still read okay. Or, change it to "our."
The next thing that stood out was your asking him to look over previous exams to see if he could happen to find a few points, but you didn't ask if you could correct those exams and turn them in for extra credit. That entire part of your request sounds a little odd, like you are questioning his grading of the papers. Just my opinion.
As the others have pointed out, waiting this long to take an interest in bringing your grade up is a hard hurdle to overcome. If it was me. . . .I'd take full ownership of my role in not addressing this sooner, remove all reference to anything that makes it sound like you are asking for a favor or making excuses, and proceed by asking if it would be possible to receive a grade of Incomplete for this semester, and then complete whatever additional work the professor assigns next semester to bring up the grade. Doing this, you may have to enroll for the course again next semester (not sure!) which would cost you financially, and you relieve the professor of having to do any additional work this semester other than whatever documentation he's required to complete in assigning a grade of Incomplete.
I encourage you to keep an eye on the academic calendar in the future. If it appears you may fail a class, I think there is an option to Withdraw from the course by a certain date and not receive a letter grade. I also encourage you to look at how you schedule your classes. This includes time of day (if your brain isn't awake at 8 a.m. for example), number of classes back to back, total class-load, number of classes with lots of reading/writing/homework, reviewing professors ratings on-line, etc. It's better to take 5 years to finish school than to carry too many hours while also dealing with personal issues.
I can tell by the effort you put into composing the email that this has been a valuable lesson for you, so, I really hope it gets resolved favorably!
Please update us and let us know the outcome.
Good luck!
Kim
Thanks for your encouragement!
angel
Robert Rossi
Many things! But mostly chemistry and chemical engineering
63
Answers
Updated
Robert’s Answer
Teachers have to consider fairness with respect to any request. If you are asking for something that others do not get, or especially for something that not everyone could get, your request is unlikely to be granted. If grades are already submitted and you have taken the final, you are also unlikely to get much grace; professors usually do not look kindly on those who only take a keen interest in their grade after it is set. Hopefully this professor has been hearing from you throughout the term, and you will not be a stranger to them with this request. Asking for a professor to look through your exams for you to try to find ways to improve your grade is never going to work; that's your responsibility. But if you go through your exams and have a genuine concern or question about the way something was graded, bringing that to the professor may help you.
If this is the first time this professor will hear from you about anything like this, and you don't have any specific grading concerns you can bring to them, I would instead urge you to simply try to convey how hard you have worked and how important your grade in this course is to you. But not having approached the professor earlier will certainly count against your credibility on that point. If there are solid reasons for your not approaching the professor sooner, spell them out; don't be vague...and this might best be done in person, if that is possible.
I taught pre-meds for many years and got a number of requests along these lines over the years. They read as "I need to get into med school, so I need you to give me a higher grade than I actually earned." When coming from a stranger who (on the grading spreadsheet, anyway) was satisfied doing just barely enough to get that A, never putting in an extra effort that I could discern, this was not usually a request I honored.
Michelle's advice is solid. You are here asking for advice, which is great, but we don't know the specifics the way someone at your school would. An academic counselor who can vouch for the legitimacy of your struggles would go a long way, but you have to be willing to share and document them, and get some help with them going forward.
I sympathize with trouble in organic chemistry...I'm great at every kind of chemistry except organic, which I find befuddling. That divide is common: those who like organic tend to like it a lot more than they do most of the rest of chemistry because organic is qualitatively different, more like learning a foreign language than the math and logic courses that are most other chemistry classes.
If this is the first time this professor will hear from you about anything like this, and you don't have any specific grading concerns you can bring to them, I would instead urge you to simply try to convey how hard you have worked and how important your grade in this course is to you. But not having approached the professor earlier will certainly count against your credibility on that point. If there are solid reasons for your not approaching the professor sooner, spell them out; don't be vague...and this might best be done in person, if that is possible.
I taught pre-meds for many years and got a number of requests along these lines over the years. They read as "I need to get into med school, so I need you to give me a higher grade than I actually earned." When coming from a stranger who (on the grading spreadsheet, anyway) was satisfied doing just barely enough to get that A, never putting in an extra effort that I could discern, this was not usually a request I honored.
Robert recommends the following next steps: