Why won't professors respond to my e-mails?

NJSue
Fri, 10 Dec 2010 06:16:28 +0000

You do not need to be taking a professor’s class to attend his posted office hours. Most faculty have some “drop-in” office hours where no appointment is necessary. Students have become overly reliant on email to make complex requests. As a faculty member, I’m not going to sit down for twenty minutes and draft a personal email to you outlining your undergraduate research options. Showing up in person is always more effective; plus, the faculty member has already put the time aside to see students anyway, so you wouldn’t be a distraction.

I also agree that right now (December) is a fairly terrible time to demand extra faculty attention. It’s like asking an accountant for extra advice in early April.