During your time at college, you may be lucky enough to have the occasional great professor. Such professors go beyond teaching the material — they ensure the subject resonates with their students on a deeper level and they find extra opportunities for students to learn. To properly express your gratitude after a class like this, you should consider sending your professor a short note.
- Handwrite Your Note
Although it may be much easier to send a quick email, a handwritten note will have much more impact — partially because of the extra effort it involves. You can send your letter by mailing it to the school or by leaving it in the professor’s office. - Use Formal Salutations
Make sure you address the recipient appropriately using “Dear” and the professor’s preferred title. End the message with a sign-off like “Sincerely” or “With gratitude” followed by your full name. - Make the Purpose of the Letter Clear
Start the note by immediately thanking the professor to make it clear that this is the purpose of the letter. It’s extra important to be explicit in a written letter because there’s no subject line like you have with an email.
In the next paragraph, give an example of how the professor helped you, being as specific as possible. It could be that the professor supported you when you were struggling, provided you with the inspiration you needed to pursue a particular career, or gave you useful feedback that helped you see a big improvement over the semester. Your note will be more meaningful when you give some detail. - Infuse the Note with Your Personality
Avoid writing a dry letter. If you allow your personality to shine through, it will come across as more sincere. Plus, this will help a professor who had many students that semester remember who you are. - Keep the Letter Positive
If the professor helped you through a particular difficult period, you need to be careful not to dwell on the negatives. After all, this is a thank-you letter! You may like to briefly mention your situation, but you should avoid dedicating more than a sentence or two to anything negative. - Be Concise
In fact, your entire letter should be reasonably short. You should be able to fit all the above information into a few paragraphs at the most. There’s no need to add anything else — this will just detract from the message. - End by Thanking Your Professor Again
Close your letter by thanking the professor one last time. Use the last line to wrap up your note like you would the concluding paragraph in an essay.
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