Sending thank-you cards to professors?

[seals44]

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I was contemplating the idea of sending a thank you card to one of my professors from last semester. Basically, it would just be thanking her for doing what she does (explaining that she really helped confirm that the sciences related to the human body are what I want to dedicate my life to), and thanking her for pushing us so much, as her weed-out class is what I needed to really get focused for college.

However, it IS a pre-med weedout professor, who probably sees neuroticism like non other. I don't want to come off as it being a "please like me and write me a good rec letter later," because I probably will be using her for a rec letter. I have talked to her since last semester, and went to all of her office hours, so it wouldn't be a "who are you" moment, but I still am worried about the above. So: will it look too neurotic?

 

[Xenops]

I was contemplating the idea of sending a thank you card to one of my professors from last semester. Basically, it would just be thanking her for doing what she does (explaining that she really helped confirm that the sciences related to the human body are what I want to dedicate my life to), and thanking her for pushing us so much, as her weed-out class is what I needed to really get focused for college.

However, it IS a pre-med weedout professor, who probably sees neuroticism like non other. I don't want to come off as it being a "please like me and write me a good rec letter later," because I probably will be using her for a rec letter. I have talked to her since last semester, and went to all of her office hours, so it wouldn't be a "who are you" moment, but I still am worried about the above. So: will it look too neurotic?

I would go for it--if nothing else, she will see that her patience with you is appreciated. 😛

 

[Ashley1989]

I don't think it would be bad at all. I went to the office hours of one of my professors and as we were talking I bashfully confessed to google searching her and that I already knew all about her. She laughed and got all red in the face, but I seriously thought her specific Curriculum Vitae was awesome. After the quarter ended and the grades were finalized I sent her a thank you letter, and she emailed me offering me a position in her lab even though she had to make room and will be training me herself. Always show appreciation if its sincere, you never know the wonderful and unexpected opportunities that may result! 🙂 <3

 

[Barcu]

There's no problem with this.

 

[mimelim]

No issues with this at all.

 

[Aerus]

I don't think it would be bad at all. I went to the office hours of one of my professors and as we were talking I bashfully confessed to google searching her and that I already knew all about her. She laughed and got all red in the face, but I seriously thought her specific Curriculum Vitae was awesome. After the quarter ended and the grades were finalized I sent her a thank you letter, and she emailed me offering me a position in her lab even though she had to make room and will be training me herself. Always show appreciation if its sincere, you never know the wonderful and unexpected opportunities that may result! 🙂 <3

This was an awesome story, haha. I wonder if it will be looked at in a more creepy light if a guy did this and the professor was a woman. Gender norms, sigh.

 

[Ashley1989]

This was an awesome story, haha. I wonder if it will be looked at in a more creepy light if a guy did this and the professor was a woman. Gender norms, sigh.

I think it would have been more creepy to her if I was a man, but hey on the flip side had my professor been a man he may have seen it as me hitting on him :-0

 

[wholeheartedly]

Depends on what you write I suppose, but honestly I don't know of many people who don't like to feel appreciated like that. I say go for it.

 

[seals44]

Thanks guys!

The only thing is that I don't want it too look weird that I did it so late (the class was last semester, my school has been back for ~a month), especially since I have been in contact with her via email multiple times since then, and talked to her in person today about other matters, and have never specifically mentioned any of what I just told you before. I guess I'll just start it with something like "I realize this is a little late to do something like this, but I wanted to make sure you had finalized our grades before you received this." ?

 

[Mako555]

don't be weird. if you're going to ask her for a letter, you should do it now. unless you will take another class with her. so just ask her for a letter and thank her at the same time. preferably in person because it seems like this is someone you see a lot. if you think she might not feel comfortable writing a letter than you might want to email her about it, to give her a chance to say no.