Welcome to r/AskProfessors!

I got diagnosed with an auto immune disease last year after years of getting sick with no explanation. But I'm fine, I just sometimes have a surge of symptoms due to a shitty immune system and it affects my studies. This semester I have a 4.0 while taking full time studies and working part time because I don't use this disease as an excuse and I try my best to keep up.

But I have to request extensions sometimes and especially from this one prof who has a very demanding course. I always attach my doctor's note explaining my illness a bit when I email him but on the body of the email I just say "..due to a surge of symptoms in my illness" and don't specify because I feel like the prof probably doesn't care and a cold vs. this type of illness isn't gonna affect his decision. And I also don't want it to be like a sob story or whatever.

But at the same time, because I asked extensions so many times (they're very nice abt it always gave me one) I feel like I owe them a quick explanation at least?

Something like:

...I wanted to quickly explain my illness and how it affects my studies because I know I have asked for a lot of extensions so far and I wanted to share the reason for transparency purposes and out of respect.

Is that too much? Does he not wanna hear or would it make a difference?

ALSO, since this is something that affects me this frequently, should I notify someone at the school about this or something? Just so they know what's happening.. Idk... Any answer would be appreciated and sorry for the long post.

University holiday was the 25-29 last week. Staff got off 28-29. My professor had class the 25. They are do not see how it was wrong and they are trying to say it counted as internship hours. I am currently signed up for 6 internship credit hours specifically meant for internship hours. The class they held was Seminar for Interns and it can be seen on canvas. Class was held during the normal block time that it usually is and activities done can be found on the Seminar class syllabus. If the professor gives me a 0 for class participation and activities conducted during that time, is that wrong? Should I file a complaint or are they in the right? I also want to say, we need to opt for doing internships during break. We got thanksgiving off for internships but some on my classmates asked to internships during break anyways.

Hello! I'm a 23 year old woman in my last year of undergraduate at a university. My university is not offering a required class this semester, my final semester, so I am taking a class online through a local community college (about an hour away). This week, this community college had a different Thanksgiving break schedule than my university- which the professor was aware of- but still scheduled an exam during the time that they were in session. I was not able to take it in my hometown with my family, as my family is very poor and lives in a one bedroom apartment. Not only would I be unable to take the exam for focus reasons, but the lockdown browser is extremely sensitive to sound and other people being in the room. It would not have been possible for me to take it. So I waited until I got home (8 PM Sunday) to take it. But after studying, I was unable to access the lockdown browser through my laptop. I switched over to my roommate's laptop, but the lockdown browser download caused his laptop to crash. I then borrowed my boyfriends, and was able to take the exam. Unfortunately, there is a data processing software that is necessary for the exam that I did not realize I would be unable to access from my boyfriend's laptop. Long story short: I got the worst grade of my life. By the time I was able to access the exam, I had 30 minutes and none of the necessary software to complete it.

I emailed my professor once it was done and apologized profusely. I tried to avoid over-explaining, as I didn't want to come off as though I was making excuses. And I also realize I should have emailed her sooner, I just genuinely wanted to get into the exam as soon as possible. But now, after checking my grade, I have an F, despite having a B before taking the exam. I am heartbroken, and I am now at risk of not getting my bachelor's degree because of one exam. What do I do? How do I handle this conversation with my professor? Was I irresponsible?

I studied engineering abroad and never really got into research during my education except for my capstone project, which is in an unrelated field(deep learning) to my studies. After I went back home, I decided that I want to apply to grad school but I do not have any research experience. I am thinking of asking my final project professor to help him on research.

I understand this would he a RA role but I don't currently reside in the country which I graduated from and I want to do this after working hours. I have already started studying on my own and plan on doing my own projects but I am kinda lost and need guidance.

Is this a thing, like can I assist on research without being officialy employed by the university? Is it worth reaching out or should I just forget it. Advice is appreciated.

[Edit: resolved]

I am filling out an application to a basic(no gpa, no research methods required)undergrad research assistant internship that is 3 units. I know that is a mentorship sort of thing where one may be guided by honor students or the PI for projects already in motion.

I have never done an application like this.

*Q: denotes additional questions

Q: Is using ChatGPT for only critques or getting an opinion for how my writing may come off as (from a social norms/application perspective)is useful, useless, or counterproductive?

Even if I scrutinize and carefully read whatever comments it generates?

Q2: For mentoring/internship independent study opportunities like these, is it wrong to fill out questions from the perspective of how the opportunity would benefit my growth within the major and discerning career paths?

I was told that this perspective is sometimes helpful, but the opposite perspective of how the employer/company would benefit from choosing. me is suggested for applications to a job.

Then another perspective for grad programs comes down to one persuasive thesis: I'd be good for the job/career you're training me to do.

Q3: What would I need to convince the application evaluator, the PI, of?

It is a mentoring internship so my guess is balancing both how it may benefit me and their research depending on the specific application question.

Q4: I have been told that statements of purpose should be written with depth rather than breadth. If there is an interview step that happens if an application is accepted, then how do I not overload my application responses if there is no word/length limit? Estimation?

I got my Master's in English about two years ago and currently teach Non-Credit classes at my local(ish) community colleges. It's a decent job but I was just wondering what everyone's thoughts/recommendations/advice would be on pursuing a PhD?

Anything would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

hi, so i'm applying for a scholarship due at the end of January that needs 2 letters of recommendation. i was gonna ask for the letters of rec this week, but one of the professors i was gonna ask just announced today they are going on parental leave for the rest of the semester. by the sounds of it, they'll still be working a bit but will be out of office.

i'm wondering if it would be rude to ask for the letter of rec now. i would completely understand if they said no and didn't have time to write it, but i'm scared that i can't come up with anyone else to write a lor (or at least a good one) because i was pretty close with this professor and not many others. is it still worth asking or would that come across as rude?

(Might’ve used the wrong flair)

I’m not currently in school but my girlfriend is a media production major. She is currently taking a mass communications course and this professor literally has a deadline on when you’re allowed to email him questions about an assignment. Is that normal? What if I don’t have a question about an assignment until i’m in the middle of it? I just thought that was such a strange rule. I know students should plan ahead and follow the syllabus but it just seems quite harsh. I guess im just wondering if this is a common/normal practice?

Hi everyone! I have a European-style oral exam tomorrow in German literature. I am quite nervous as I have never done an exam of this type before. Our department introduced them to avoid AI! Understandable! I know the material well; I'm just asking for any last-minute tips on what professors could be looking for in an exam like this. Thanks!

I just finished undergrad with a B.S in biology and a minor in psychology. Now I'm to appling for grad school and the more research I do, the less certain I am which degree to pursue. I know that at the end, I want to do gut microbiome research; specifically how it can affect mental health. Now I'm not not sure if a PhD in microbiology would be best suited or a PhD in neuroscience. Then I start to think what if I do something in nutrition or even health and disease. I would really appreciate the help as I feel very lost.

I’m in a physics 2 class and there is a flipped classroom component that is worth 5% of my grade. We are supposed to teach a part of the chapter to the class and the professor randomly picks who goes next and asks questions. The rubric is based on our understanding of the content, participation to other students’ presentations and student’s attitude. I have severe anxiety, it wasn’t as bad in the past but due to my mental health dwindling, presentations give me panic attacks. Physics isn’t my strong suit and I only have a simple understanding of the chapter no matter how much I’ve reviewed it, I’m afraid I won’t have as much extensive understanding that the professor expects of me. The students in the class also contribute to the anxiety as I’ve had bad experiences with them. I’ve been with them for collaboration on work and they have made me do the work alone multiple times. Presenting in front of them absolutely terrifies me. I’d like to ask my professor if I could at least present only in front of them, but I do understand it can be a bit unreasonable as participation for other students contributes to the overall grade.

I get that people are human and sometimes they can be forgetful but this is like the 4th time this has happened this semester. We use Pearson Revel to complete 3-4 multiple choice quizzes a week that are part of our grade. Usually we have the whole week to do them, and they are due the Sunday of that week. The issue is she has to actively assign the quizzes to us, so if she doesn’t it says “Not assigned” and there’s no way of completing the quiz.

The last few times I usually email her and tell her that the quizzes she wants us to complete haven’t been assigned, but I’m getting tired of it. I don’t rush and email her Monday or anything I usually wait until Wednesday or Thursday to see if she’ll notice herself but she’s only noticed it herself once. But it annoying because the options are pretty much wait until later in the week and have to cram all the quizzes on the last few days of the week (when I honestly prefer to knock the quizzes out right after I’m done reading the chapter) or be forced to act as her reminder every week. It’s Sunday and I left the quizzes until today because I’ve been with family enjoying Thanksgiving. The quizzes are still saying not assigned. Should I just leave it, I mean if it hasn’t been assigned then no one else can complete it either. Do I just wait until she notices? I feel like this isn’t my job to ask her to assign something she’s supposed to assign

What happened is our professor assign us to turn in the idea/ first step for our end of semester project by the 25th of November but my group forgot to turn it in (only the group leader could access the link) and because of that, now we cant do it anymore and risk failing the course. I admit i was careless and should have pay more attention to the deadline but i had other project more immediate project to do. Plus, i had already sent a suggestion to the group on the 15th anyways so i thought it was done.

For context, i was working with a group of stranger fot this project. My usual friends already formed a group on the first day because i was absent from class that day and so i was forced to join in any open slot available. The group members this time was unresponsive whenever i tried to message them through messenger but they did sent me my part of the work when the smaller group assignment was due so i didnt pay much mind plus i heard from my friend that they were good the previous years of college as well .

After hearing it, i emailed my professor instantly with a photo proof and tried to explain the situation and ask if i could continue the project solo but he hasnt respond and im afraid he will reject my request. Is there anything else i could do to fix the situation. This is my last semester so i really want to graduate and quickly find a job before the job market in my country get anymore saturated

I feel like an idiot.

I’m in an advanced writing course alongside my Capstone for my degree. For the Capstone, I asked the professor if I could expand upon a previous research essay that I had done and I sent all previous drafts, along with annotated bibliographies, etc, to ensure that I wouldn’t be plagiarizing. I’m using all new sources and addressing a related but separate topic so no worries there.

Then, for the advanced writing course, our research paper was to be conducted in relation to our major, so I thought (like an idiot) “hey, what if I just write similar essays for both classes! Then I can get really good feedback and really improve upon my writing.”

My thought process for this was (moronically) purely out of wanting to improve my writing skill and nail an excellent paper, as I’m really wanting to go to grad school and advanced writing skills are also necessary in my career field. But I won’t lie, despite them being substantial essays that I’m really proud of, they are nearly identical in nature.

For context, the rough draft for the writing course was due last week. I wrote up the rough draft for that couse and received excellent feedback on it. Revised that rough draft and added a bunch of content/additional sources to it and submitted that as my rough draft for the capstone, which was due today. The issue is, the final draft for the writing course was also due today and also required additional sources. So since the rough draft for the capstone was also technically the revised rough draft for the WRTG course, I submitted that as my final draft for my writing course today, too.

It was only after I submitted both of these assignments that it finally hit me that I might have made a huge mistake and I am totally freaking out. I didn’t make it to my last semester in college, writing original papers for every single class (my major is very writing-heavy) and getting Dean’s List most semesters only to blow it in my last semester with an honest, albeit totally idiotic, mistake.

I just don’t even know what to do here. I’ve never even had to so much question or worry about Turnitin, as every single one of my essays has always been completely original. I’m totally freaking out. Will these come back similar and assuming they most likely will, what can I even do at this point?

Ugh, I hate myself right now.

sorry for the confusion on the GPA thing at my institution we have an overall gpa and and our UCF gpa so two GPAS. But , I am getting a medical withdrawal due to my migraines from all my classes and if it’s approved i can get a refund of my tuition money :). Thank you all for the kind words!!!!

It’s the end of the term and one of my professors almost always forgets his class notes in his office. It makes no difference to our lecture but we all get a good laugh when he tells us he spent all this time on beautiful notes he left behind.

I was thinking of giving him a tongue in cheek gift at the end of the semester of a photo frame saying something to the effect of “Remember your notes!” for him to put on his desk. Probably with a thank you card for everything he’s done this semester. I don’t want it to seem odd just coming from me so I may ask some other students to sign the card as well.

He seems to have a good sense of humour and is a very kind man so I am not worried about him being offended. I am overthinking if this is appropriate/professional. If it makes a difference he is a law professor so there is a strong expectation that students must be professional in every aspect.

I’m a first year student studying geography, one of my professors was talking about the government organisation of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) but instead he refers to it as BRICI, telling us the second I stands for Indonesia, who isn’t even a part of this trading bloc, this information is in the slides he’s shown us and says it as fact. I know it’s probably an honest mistake but how should I go about reaching out to him about it?

I haven’t had to email a professor about anything yet and honestly haven’t spoke to many of them since starting college in September.

Basically I get an EC for some back to back rough events and my last module deadline was today. Ive got 68% consistently on all my other modules this year and avraged a 74% last year so just needed to pass this one for a 2:1 no stress. Anyway due to the EC setting UNI back we had seriously run out of money and had an unexpected visit from the debt collectors for an old debt of my partners she had no idea about. We managed to borrow some money from my freind to get them to leave and set up a payment plan. So I had 4 weeks to do this assighment and pay that off. I prioritised that so our house didnt get raided and worked every waking minute I psychially could and paid it off a few days ago. Giving me 3 days to do the assighment. I did okay onit, but the issue is I worked upto the deadline and submitted my play at 3pm (the deadline) by mistake. I noticed this mistake at 3:30 and re-uploaded the correct document. However given this is my final chance to "re-take" the assighment I dont think I'll be able to have a late submission capped at 40% and am hence expecting my plan to get less then a 40% and fail the module. Giving me a (I think its called honours degree) instead of my 2:1 undergrad. Is there any chance my tutor may cut me some slack and not cripple my career over this? I need the 2:1 to advance onto the next step, and dw I am taking a year out to get ontop of life before carrying on my studies as univerrsity given my current circumstances isnt feesable and I would have 100% took a break if I could have at 3rd year.

I'm a prof, and I have a student in her late twenties whose struggling in my class, despite her being very motivated to pass. In my one-on-one tutoring with her, she exhibits ADHD traits - alternating between hyper-fixation and an inability to stay focused, frequently interrupting when I'm in the middle of an explanation, and skipping steps in the proof we just reviewed - she's even said "my mind goes too fast." But I'm certain she hasn't considered the possibility she has ADHD. In my unprofessional opinion, I think it's pretty clear she has it, and if it's not that, it something else cognitive (my class really isn't that hard for neurotypicals).

Obviously I know this can be a sensitive subject and I'm not qualified to diagnose her, which is why I would never say "You're struggling because you have ADHD." But:

1. I think it's very likely she does.

2. A lot of people with ADHD make it to adulthood without ever being diagnosed as children.

3. ADHD can have tangible negative effects on a person's life and a diagnosis can help.

For comparison, my cousin has ADHD but wasn't diagnosed until his 30s, and he is now happy to be taking meds for it, but he's also sorta bitter that no one told him when he was younger when in retrospect it was clearly impacting his behavior and held him back academically (and in other ways).

Most of the literature I've seen online about this topic is geared to K12 teachers, and it says to talk with the parents. But my student IS the adult. What say you, AskProfessors?

This application is due on December 2, the Monday after Thanksgiving break. Unfortunately, I emailed a professor for help too late last Friday, and everyone has the whole week off now, so I figured it would be inappropriate and too late to ask for help from anyone from my university.

Does anyone have any good internet resources to help guide someone who has never applied to an undergrad campus research assistant internship?

Most of the application questions (the ones that I think need more careful consideration are bolded) (all typos/wording are as seen in the application form)

1. Why would you like to be a part of our team?
2. When do you plan to graduate?
   1. I am part-time, I do not know if that is irrelevant or will hurt me to mention
3. What are your career goals?
   1. I think it is fine to say I am trying to discern by applying for opportunities like this one.
4. What evidence an you provide that shows you have excellent attendance?
5. If you are selected, you will need to sign up for 3 units of [independent study in psychology].  How many units will you have in Spring 2025 when you include these 3 units.  
   1. Why do they ask this?
6. What else do you think we should know about you as we review the applications?
   1. I am currently not sure what to put in this section

If you have the time, energy, and desire (which is unlikely at this time of year)... here is more context and additional questions below (bolded are Qs and important context):

• According to one lab member and the catalog, the internship, which requires signing up for three units, is similar to P/F grading because it uses satisfactory/unsatisfactory. So, while an unsatisfactory would leave a negative impression and maybe burn bridges, neither grade would influence GPA.
  • That same lab member claims that the professor is "very understanding," but I am telling myself that can mean anything because I did not ask for examples of what that looks like and in what contexts. Even though the lab member shared this and the professor's research is related to mental health, I assume the professor still shows kindness to students' long-term success by upholding high standards, including with applications to their lab/research projects.
• I am in a course with content that serves as advice on graduate program applications and statements of purpose. The one line of guidance I assume translates well to fill out the application: "Personal statements are argumentative essays, where your thesis is- I'd be good at doing the job that this graduate program will train me to do."
  • Is that applicable to this application?
  • job, to me = duties and learning opportunities
  • graduate program, to me = the internship
• Based on one professor's commentary and what ChatGPT (like I said, no one else to ask right now...) told me, the only appropriate instance of asking the PI/evaluator of the applications for help with said application is for clarification on what is being asked, especially if there might be a mistake.
  • Agree or disagree with this?
  • An actual question I want to ask about a discrepancy: The application has a question textbox asking for evidence that I have excellent attendance. However, the linked lab page has a qualification bullet point for proof of responsible and reliable participation in volunteer work, employment, or clubs, including a reference for requesting information on that. Is that qualification something I need to include in my application answer textbox, or will I need it only for the interview if my application is accepted?
  • An actual question I want to ask an application question regarding evidence that shows I have excellent attendance + a question about a qualification from the lab page: (1) Since the textbox has no way to submit links or screenshots, can I state examples of outstanding attendance, with promises of providing screenshots, pictures at an attended obligation, or an official document (internship review) to back up those claims? (2) Can an official signed document be a substitution for a reference? The person who provided the document may be too busy to be my reference via a call, text, or email.
    • The picture would show proof that I attended a significant student conference where I needed to wake up early to commute to catch a campus bus before 4:30 AM to attend it.
    • The signed document would have positive comments from the internship evaluator and a comment from the store manager saying they would hire me due to showing XYZ.
    • While that signed document has a comment about being late by a few minutes (within punctuality/attendance), I would elaborate in either the application or interview on how

Hello wonderful professors!

I have been so curious lately. As a high school student, how aligned are your problem sets, lectures, and textbooks to the exams you all give?

In high school, it is a lot of almost regurgitation, where the textbook 'spoonfeeds' everything you need to know, and the homework if any tends to be very aligned with the tests the teachers give.

I have heard that college exams are not at all alike to this sort of regurgitation, and require higher-order thinking. This made me think: do the lectures and textbooks at least give the steps to solve test problems for STEM courses, or for non-STEM do the lectures and textbook give all of the steps needed for the critical thinking exams? And especially the problem sets, are they similar to the test or not?

My final major, major question is whether or not students need to do extra research beyond the lectures and textbooks to learn about all of the content on the exams. To rephrase, do your textbooks and lectures give all of the content tested on the exam or not? If not, then how do students know what to research in order to succeed on the exam?

I understand that each class will certainly be different, however, I want to hear what some different professors do so I can get an idea. Additionally, I have put this as a study tip so that way I can know what to prepare for and how to prepare for it in my future university years.

Thank you all so very much, I have the most profound and enduring respect for the knowledge you all bring!

My question is for Chemistry/Chemical engineering/Material science/ Environmental science professors. While deciding on a new project, how do you get confirmed that a new experiment (say formation of a photocatalyst by using 2 compounds) will not lead to a hazard? What things do you look at before starting a project or is it always continuation of any previous work from that field? I'm not sure if this question sounds stupidic, but I'm very curious.

I (F23) took a class with my professor last semester and also was her TA. I visited her a month ago and she said she wants to get lunch with me when I’m free after the semester. Do professors always want to do that with past students or not regularly? How do I go about doing that? Btw I do like this professor so I would want to get lunch and probably can use her as a reference later… but I would kind of be a little nervous

I’m about to apply for a PhD program at U.S. universities, but since a PhD is such an intensive commitment, I want to make sure I’m choosing the right path. Right now, I’m feeling a bit confused.

I studied English Applied Linguistics for both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and my thesis focused on a psycholinguistics (AQ) topic. While I’m interested in teaching at the college level and I love English, I’m not drawn to traditional research topics in the field. Honestly, I find most research in English Applied Linguistics boring, even though I like the core idea of teaching and English.

I’m not really into linguistics theories and methods, but I am much more drawn to research in psycholinguistics and communication. I consider myself a good communicator with experience in public speaking, and I’m very passionate about communication, public speaking, non-verbal communication, and charisma.

I’m not sure what research focus or program would be the best fit for me. I’ve been considering fields like communication arts, Linguistics, or leadership. However, since my academic background is in English Applied Linguistics, I’m wondering if it’s better to stay within that field and focus on research related to speaking or public speaking.

I’m struggling to tie my interests together and identify the best path forward. I’d really appreciate it if professors or students could suggest programs or research areas that align with my interests. If you know of specific PhD programs in the U.S. that might suit me, that would be even more amazing. Thank you in advance for your help!

TL;DR: I’m a TEFL graduate (BA & MA in English Applied Linguistics) with a thesis in psycholinguistics. While I love teaching and English, I’m not into traditional linguistics research or theories. I’m more passionate about psycholinguistics, communication, public speaking, non-verbal communication, and charisma. I’m unsure whether to stick with linguistics or shift to fields like communication arts or leadership. Looking for advice on PhD programs in the U.S. that align with these interests. Suggestions appreciated!

hello! I wanted to ask this Professor for an online meeting to discuss about being my co-advisor for my thesis. We already set up a meeting but he was unable to attend because of an urgent matter. He emailed again and asked to see me the next day, however my schedule for class and presentation was already plotted for the week and I told him I was only free on friday afternoon. Then I told him my free time’s for the next week and onwards. Was I rude?

I just checked that I didn’t add anything about working to see which dates would be convenient for him 🥲 not sure if im just overthinking this

I am a junior in high school and my parents told me that I should look into teaching as a career last year, and the only thing I really enjoy doing is art! I would like to know if anybody has any experience with this, and if I could apply as an assistant professor straight out of education. I would also like to know if there is any other requirements I need to meet before I apply.

I plan on getting a bachelors in illustration and animation, as well as a masters in illustration! (Apologies if this was a mess to read, I'm not too great with words)

So for reference I’m an undergraduate and I’ve been doing research for 3 years. I want to ask 3 professors for letters of recommendation for next summer’s research programs, and I’ve worked directly with all three of these professors as my primary research advisor for 3 years, 6 months, and 2 months with each.

The issue is these professors are all really high up in academia. One of them is the dean of grad studies for a university. Another is a director for a department and the third is the grad program coordinator for another university.

They are all extremely busy people, and i am well aware of how much of a commitment it is to agree to write one. I emailed one of the professors 2 weeks ago, and they didn’t respond. I understand that professors get flooded by hundreds of emails every day, especially since this is such a busy time of year. I don’t want to inconvenience them, but I really need those letters.

How do you recommend I approach?

My last semester at community college, and I have a nightmare professor. Seriously, he gets extremely angry with students, and makes inappropriate remarks constantly. I have been ignoring this the entire time. Unfortunately, he will knock (30+) points off an otherwise perfect paper if you write “References” instead of “Reference” at the bottom for our sources. He is extremely condescending and tells us it’s so simple and to check the library- i did, it’s not “Reference”. I genuinely do not know what to do. I emailed him 4 sources from the school library all saying “References” and he just rage emailed the class about it. At this point, what do I do?

EDIT for clarity: I got deducted 30 points out of 250, not out of 100. Sorry for the confusion.

Am i sure that was the only reason? Feedback received says “It is Reference, and NEVER references. The title for the page is “Reference”. Bedside that, good work!”

I currently have a 98.99% in this class

Hi, I'm a first year student in university and I feel like I'm in trouble. So, I had a course which I really enjoyed a lot and I wrote an email to thank my professor at the last day of my class. However, the problem is that I wrote it before my semester ends, and I haven't received my grades yet. Would he see this email suspicious? Am I in trouble for this? All I wanted was to thank him that I really enjoyed this course.

I used chat gpt to write a essay recently, I eventually put it in my own words and blended everything together and added my own info. Regardless of, it wasn't perfect and I ran it through a chat gpt detector, and it said 25 percent chance it was A.I. or something along those lines. What would you do in this situation? I feel like I just used it for ideas sort of a thing,