Archives for January 2013

Hey. How’s it going? Are you busy? Are you so busy you want to email your professor asking them to send you today’s assignment you seem to have misplaced? Well, before you press ‘send,’ maybe you should rewrite that email.

Here are some tips to writing emails to your professors (and to your colleagues).

• Always check Inquire to make sure your course materials are not published before you email your professor, asking for course materials. Chances are those articles and assignments are already there- you’re just not looking hard enough for them.
• Use a meaningful and short subject line. If the email is about a class, mention that specific course number and time it takes place.
• Be concise and to the point.
• Use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation. Remember- this email is meant to convey a message, so be sure it does so properly. Also, sarcasm is hard to read in an email, so it’s best if you don’t attempt it.
• Don’t make it personal, especially overly personal. Maintain a professional attitude when writing your professors; always use your professors’ proper title: Dr. or Prof. and unless invited do not use their first name. They are not your Facebook friends. Think of them as your potential employer and show them the respect they deserve.
• Again, be respectful and say things like ‘thank you,’ ‘please,’ and ‘you’re the best professor I’ve ever had.’
• DO NOT WRITE IN CAPITALS AS IT SEEMS THAT YOU ARE SHOUTING.
• How many question marks is too many??? More than one. If you ask a question, end it with one question mark, even if you are meaning to imply your frustration. Same can be said of exclamation marks.
• Be careful with emoticons and abbreviations. Your professor may not know what BOCTAAE means, so “when in doubt, spell it out”.
• Use a professional font (Times New Roman) in black ink. Teal Curlz font does not convey professionalism.
• Don’t expect an immediate response to your email. Your professors are very busy, and some of them may not check their email every minute of every day.
• Use proper structure and layout. Use short paragraphs and blank lines between each paragraph.
• Read the email before sending.
• Read it again. And don’t forget to sign your full name.

The Roanoke College Book Club (sponsored by the Honors Program) is reading Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Come by Fintel Library to get your copy of the book, located on the first floor near the new CUPS coffee cafe. The Book Club will be meeting to discuss the book on Sunday, January 27 at 4 pm in the Library Room 1 (Ground Floor).

Today is the first day of spring classes. It’s a dreary day- moderately warm with rainy skies- but there is coffee in the library to perk you right up. CUPS on Campus has officially opened, and to celebrate their arrival at Roanoke College they even named a roast after our mascot- Rooney’s Blend. In addition to this excellent coffee, they also have divine baked treats, such as cookies and brownies. These goodies are baked at Kneadful Things bakery in Roanoke, and, wow, they are good! Come on by the library and get some Rooney’s Blend coffee and a gingersnap cookie. Not into coffee? They have smoothies, teas, and Italian soda. There’s just no excuse.
Also, CUPS on Campus takes Maroon Cards.

Happy first day of the semester!

Have you heard the news? Fintel Library will be home to a new CUPS cafe. Read the full story here.

See you at the library!

Looking back over the years, it seems that most of my New Year’s resolutions have been destined for failure, and I am not alone. By the end of January, a third of our resolutions are broken. Why is that? Apparently we make our resolutions too difficult for ourselves to accomplish, thus setting ourselves up for failure. Willpower is the key to keeping your resolutions, or just make them easier to attain. Woodie Guthrie’s 1942 New Year’s resolutions list is a perfect example of making your resolutions an easy goal to attain:

“Take bath”

“Wear clean clothes- look good”

Take a look at the complete list here. And let’s make those resolutions stick this year.

“Study at the library more often”

“Ask the librarian for help”

Happy New Year!