Ethos: Minnesota Nice and Minnesota Ice
by The Editors on March 16, 2006 in Culture
Dear Minnesota,
Relationships are so important! That’s why I send at least one email per day to each of my professors.
Sometimes, I’ll ask them questions about what kind of pencil I should use for note-taking, or where they recommend I study at KSG (Taubman carrel, or 3rd Littauer - which is better?!?). Other times, I’ll tell them about how specific television programs I watched the night before do - or don’t - relate to our class discussions.
Last week, I sent an email to my statistics professor asking whether I should eat lunch before or after class. If I eat before class, I may get tired and unable to concentrate on the material. But if I wait until after class, I might get too hungry to concentrate!
But it’s been over a week now, and I haven’t gotten a response - despite numerous follow-up emails! I try to catch her after class, but she keeps avoiding me. What should I do?!?
Sincerely,
Rebecca H.
Dear Rebecca,
You’re right - relationships are important. However, developing relationships with professors takes hard work, and tact. Emailing your professors with such frequency is probably perceived as an intrusion. Try sending your more procedural questions to the CAs. That way, you can save the real good ones for the Professor! ?
Good Luck,
Minnesota Nice
Dear Minnesota,
There is a student in my class who sends me a large volume of infantile emails. I find it completely inappropriate, and have stopped replying. I don’t want to hurt her feelings, but I don’t know how else to handle the situation. But I’m also worried that the student will give me a bad course review, which could affect enrollment in my class next year. What should I do?
Yours,
Susanne Cooper
Professor Cooper,
This is ridiculous! Course evaluations be damned - you need to teach this student a lesson! Next time you get one of these ridiculous messages, try the following reply: “GET A LIFE!!!”
That will “send the message” loud and clear (pardon the pun).
Yours,
Minnesota Ice
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