Most of us have been in that situation at some point in college. You try to keep track of many things as best you can, but something unexpected comes up.
It’s not easy, but sometimes you have to put off one job so you can do something else. Since most teachers don’t take attendance, you might miss a class to take care of things that are much more important. Unfortunately, this can cause people to miss tests and other ways of being graded.
But if you miss a test for any reason, you should always talk to your professor to describe what happened and, if possible, make plans for a make-up test.
This piece will give you tips on how to start the email to your professor to make things easier. We’ve also given you some examples that you can change as needed for the purpose.
How to Write a Letter to a Professor
Keep these tips in mind if you want to improve your chances of getting a good answer from the professor.
Use email from school
Colleges give students and workers personal email addresses for a reason. Always use the email address given to you by the school to make sure the email gets to the tutor.
If you don’t know where to look for the professor’s email address, we’ll tell you where to look in a bit. Don’t use your personal email to talk to professors, because spam filters might block it.
Explain Your Situation
Now is not the time to tell a lie to the teacher. They used to be students, so they know how to spot lies that are easy to spot. Tell them what happened and why you didn’t take the test.
If you’re honest with them, most teachers will understand. Keep in mind that students try to lie to their teachers all the time.
If you lied to them, it would only make them mad. If you were honest with them, they would understand.
Everything About Teachers Canvas Tabs, Switching and Detecting Tabs, Phones, Copy-Paste
Request a second chance.
If you don’t want to lose points, you should ask the teacher for a second chance to take the test. This is also the time to be honest about why you didn’t take the test.
If you’re honest about why you missed the test in the first place, they’re more likely to be understanding.
Subject Line Is Clear
Professors get a lot of emails every day, and an email without a title may be missed. Make sure the email’s subject is clear so that its goal is easy to understand. This is a common example:
Sorry I Missed Your “Class Title” Exam
Address in Writing
Use the right term for the teacher when you talk to them. When you call a professor “Dr.” it may seem like an easy mistake, but academics can be very particular about their titles.
Don’t call teachers “doctor,” because that title is important to them. Recognise their role and make sure you know what their legal names are. If you want to avoid making a bad impression, call them by their legal titles (Dr., Prof.).
Visit the school’s website and the teacher’s page to find out what their real title is. You could also go to the course page on your learning management system to find out more about the professor teaching the course.
Top 10 Universities in Canada that do not require IELTS in 2023
Tone De Corps
No matter how close you are to the professor, you should never use casual language in a business email.
Don’t use acronyms, emojis, and other forms of shorthand in your emails. Don’t talk about things about yourself that have nothing to do with the conversation or matter.
Identify Yourself
Some professors teach more than one class and talk to more than one student every day. Sending an email with just your name won’t help them figure out who you are and what class you’re in.
Don’t make them work harder by making them look at their list of students to figure out which class you might be in. The worst part would be going through their list and finding out later that you’re not even in their class or at the same school.
Most likely, they would ignore your email and deal with more important things. Give them your full name and the class you’re in that they teach. This will make it easy for them to find you.
Right use of grammar
A professor’s job is to teach their students, and at that level of education, they expect their students to have good grammar skills. If you send an email that is hard to read, the tutor will just ignore it.
If you’re not sure about how well you write, have someone else look over the email before you send it. You can also use programmes like Grammarly to help you find mistakes in your work.
Keep in mind that these tools aren’t perfect, so you should look over your writing to find any mistakes.
Simple and Direct
Don’t send your tutor an email with a whole essay. They get many emails from students, parents, peers, and other academic and non-academic sources every day. So, if you don’t want to waste too much of their time, it’s best to keep your email clear and short.
English Teacher Appreciation Letter: Tips and Examples for Writing a Thoughtful Note
Be Polite
When you send an email, being polite can help you get a lot of points. Make sure the tone of your email is polite and shows the right amount of respect.
Regardless of how you feel about the professor, it’s best to treat them with care when you talk to them.
Formally End
At this point, you should thank the professor for taking the time to read the email all the way through. Just thank them for their time and end your email with “Sincerely” or “Best regards” followed by your full name.
How to Find the Email of a Professor
If this is your first time writing the professor and you don’t know where to find their emails, you can try:
School Website
Check out the staff pages on your school’s website. The professor’s name, email address, and other public contact information would be on their faculty page.
System for managing learning
If your school has a learning management system, the course information page is a good place to look. The legal way to get in touch with the professor will be listed on the course’s overview page.
Course Outline
Check the course syllabus for the proper way to get in touch with the professor. Most colleges and universities put the email address of the professor for each course on the schedule. This makes it easy for students to find their professors’ email addresses and get in touch with them when they need to.
Kindergarten Student’s Guide to Writing a Heartfelt Teacher Appreciation Letter
Ask Other Students
Most likely, you are not the first student in your class to email the teacher. Ask your peers for the email address of the teacher.
Your class probably has a group chat on WhatsApp, Telegram, or even a website. On these sites, you can ask other people. Even if none of your friends knows the professor’s email, you might at least get some tips from someone.
Sample Email To Professor About Missing Exam
{{Class and section number}}
Template 3 – Missed Exams Due To Technical Difficulties
Email Subject
Missed {{Exam title}} Exam Due To Technical Difficulties
Body
Dear Professor {{last name}},
I hope this finds you well. I am writing to inform you that I was unable to take the {{Class title}} test due to technical difficulties. Unfortunately, the {{Exact technical issue}} made it difficult for me to {{What it caused}}.
I attempted to {{What you tried}} without success. I’ve attached screenshots of the error messages for your reference and would appreciate it if you could let me know of the available options to make up for missing this exam.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely
{{Your name}}
{{Class and section number}}
Template 4 – Missed Exams Due To Miscommunication
Email Subject
Missed {{Exam title}} Exam Due To Miscommunication
Body
Dear Professor {{last name}},
I would like to apologize for missing the {{Exam title}} {{Day}}. I was not present for the exam as I was informed that it was going to be on {{Date}}.
I understand the importance of staying on top of the course schedule and I take full responsibility for the miscommunication.
That said, I am dedicated to doing well in your class, and would appreciate the opportunity to make up for missing this exam, at your convenience.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely
{{Your name}}
{{Class and section number}}
Template 5: Request for a Make-Up Exam Due to Illness
Dear Professor [Professor’s name],
I am writing to request a make-up exam for your [course name] class. I was unable to attend the exam on [date of exam] due to illness.
I have been a diligent student in your class and have always attended class and completed assignments on time. I am confident that I would have been able to do well on the exam if I had been able to attend.
I have attached a doctor’s note that excuses my absence from class on [date of exam].
I would be grateful if you would consider granting me a make-up exam. I am available to take the exam on [date and time of make-up exam].
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely, [Your name]
Template 6: Excused Absence from Exam Due to Family Emergency
Dear Professor [Professor’s name],
I am writing to request an excused absence from the exam for your [course name] class on [date of exam].
I was unable to attend the exam due to a family emergency. My [relationship to family member] was in a car accident and I had to go to the hospital. They are now stable but I had to stay with them overnight.
I have been a diligent student in your class and have always attended class and completed assignments on time. I am confident that I would have been able to do well on the exam if I had been able to attend.
I would be grateful if you would consider excusing my absence from the exam.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely, [Your name]
Teacher Appreciation Letter to Parents (Ultimate Guide with 8 Examples)
Template 7: Late Submission of Exam Due to Travel
Dear Professor [Professor’s name],
I am writing to request an extension for the submission of my exam for your [course name] class. I was unable to submit the exam on time due to travel.
I was out of town for a family emergency and did not have access to my computer or internet. I returned on [date] and immediately began working on the exam. I am submitting it today, [date].
I have been a diligent student in your class and have always attended class and completed assignments on time. I am confident that I would have been able to do well on the exam if I had been able to submit it on time.
I would be grateful if you would consider granting me an extension.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely, [Your name]
Template 8: Request for a Late Exam Due to Other Reason
Dear Professor [Professor’s name],
I am writing to request a late exam for your [course name] class. I was unable to take the exam on time due to [reason for late exam].
I have been a diligent student in your class and have always attended class and completed assignments on time. I am confident that I would have been able to do well on the exam if I had been able to take it on time.
I would be grateful if you would consider granting me a late exam. I am available to take the exam on [date and time of late exam].
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely, [Your name]
Teacher Appreciation Letter from Principal: Heartfelt Templates for Easy Use