Email Etiquette

Email etiquette is necessary, especially when communicating with professors, colleagues, and your boss. Although as a society we've shorted words and phrases to mere letters (lol - laughing out loud, ttyl - talk to you later, or wdteg - where did the elephant go), they have no place in an email. Emails appear to be informal, but that informal email can be forwarded to every single person with an account at the click of a button. Therefore, you need to make sure it is well composed. Who wants to be known for bad writing on an already scandalous email (I'm just assuming it's scandalous if it's good enough to be forwarded to everyone)?

When writing an email, start with a greeting. It does not need to be super formal, but here are a few examples:

Professors - "Dr. Smith," or "Prof. Smith," if you are unsure if they have a doctorate.
Boss - "Mrs. Courtney,"
Colleague - "WASSUP CASEY!" Okay, bad example. Try, "Hey Casey,"

Then include a body of well-constructed sentences. Example:

"I was reviewing my notes from your Monday and Wednesday American literature class, and I still don't understand why Ginsberg was HOWLing?"

Make sure to use capitalization and punctuation. Also, use the spell check. Nothing looks worse than a person who doesn't spend the extra 10 seconds to double check their work.

And always end with your name:

"Thanks,
Johnny Doe"

Before you hit send, read your email again. These guidelines are simple and easy to follow, but they'll take you a long way. You can talk to your friends however you want, but when you're in a professional setting, you want to be professional.

Purdue's OWL (online writing lab) has a great page with tons of information concerning other aspects of email etiquette.

How To Use Your Writing Center

We here at the Writing Center love to help. We love discussing comma splices, gerunds, and split infinitives, but, most of all, we love helping you. You are what we're here for. However, over the years, we've discovered (or uncovered?) the best ways to utilize us a tool to improve your writing and your GPA.

1. DO NOT come in 5 – 30 minutes before your paper is due. Don’t even come in that day. Please make an appointment, and come in a few days or a week before it’s due. We might give you ideas on how to strengthen and develop your paper, and we’d probably like to see you again before it’s due.

2. DO NOT text, browse the internet, or talk on your phone while you’re with us. You might miss something very important to the paper or your own writing (plus – it’s just rude people).

3. DO have questions. Not only are your questions answered when you ask, but it makes us feel smart when we answer them.

4. DO make an appointment if you can. The JU Writing Center prioritizes by appointments and then it’s first come, first serve.

5. REALIZE that we might not catch every mistake in your paper, but if you listen to what we have to say when we point out areas you need to work on and give you tips on how to catch your own errors (like reading your paper aloud – it works!) then you can catch them on your own.

6. DO come in.

7. DO come often.