Thanking your professor in 2024 (written by one)
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About the author
Hi there. I am the prolific professor with 15 years of experience teaching online and in-person. I have a graduate degree. I have a passion for education. But I’ve also worked in the professional world (outside of education) too. Thanks for visiting.
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Should you send a thank you card to your professor?
As a former professor, I recommend that college students thank their professor for an amazing semester by writing a formal handwritten letter or card. When a college student gives their professor a thank you card or note, it really sends a message to the professor that they did a good job.
As a professor, I have received many thank you emails and cards throughout the years. And I hung the handwritten cards on my office wall. I read them several times a year to remember just how much of an impact I could make on my students’ lives.
You can make a good impression by writing a thank you note to your professor.
But you can also make their day by telling them just how much they meant to you during your academic career.
Don’t be afraid to thank you professor.
I’ll tell you how you should do it.
And I’ll tell you when to thank your professor, how to thank them and what to write.
There are THREE things you must include in a thank you letter to your professor.
You need to include what you appreciated about your professor (what difference they made in your life). How it helped you? And then what impact it has had on your future.
I’ve got more details on how to write the perfect thank you card to your professor so keep reading to find out what this professor recommends.
Is it okay to thank my professor?
It is okay to thank your professor because it is thoughtful to send them a thank you email or card when they help you out with some career or academic advice, made a significant impact on your life or were just an amazing professor that expanded your knowledge.
You can write a thank you note, card or email to let your professor know just how much they meant to your academic or professional career.
Just know that it certainly isn’t required to send anything to your professor thanking them, but it is welcomed.
Below is my favorite thank you card for professors where I have a link to purchase it directly! I have actually received cards just like this one and you won’t have to write much inside because the card says it all.
If you feel compelled to thank your professor, I really liked handwritten cards instead of an email because I proudly displayed the cards in my office. It just adds a special touch and makes it more meaningful.
Do professors like thank you notes?
As a professor, I really liked thank you notes from my students. Especially those that were handwritten. I proudly displayed each one on my office wall. And I read them frequently to remind myself of the work that I did and how I impacted lives.
Professors will absolutely love getting a special thank you note. While an email is nice, there is something special about a handwritten thank you card that takes it to another level.
You’d be surprised how much a thank you card means to a professor because we don’t get them that often. So, if you take the time to pick out a card, write a special message, and send it to your professor, they will appreciate the thoughtfulness.
And when they have a bad day and need something to brighten their day, they can read through their old cards and it will put a smile on their face.
How do you thank a professor?
If you want to thank your professor, you can go in person, send them an email or write them a special note in a thank you card. You can thank you professor for making an impact on your life, helping you with your career goals, or making your college experience exceptional.
Your first question is probably how you should thank them.
In-person
Some students rarely thanked me in person. I think it can be a little intimidating to walk up to your professor and thank them, so I find this to be more uncommon.
But you can do this if it’s your preference. You should thank them at the end of the semester. Maybe it’s after class, or during their office hours. Either way, a quick and thoughtful thank you is appreciated.
Most students opt for this method to send thanks to their professor.
I will give you a template of how exactly to thank your professor that will help your craft the perfect email. Or at least give you some great ideas to get started.
But know it might not stand out as much as some of the other ways to send thanks to your professor.
Card
This one is rarer but is probably my favorite. A thank you card truly stands out and has so much meaning
As I said earlier, I would hang these up in my office and read them several times a year to remind myself of the impact I was making.
So, don’t pass this one up. It is a physical item that your professor can cherish for years to come.
Note
If you don’t want to splurge on a card, you can always handwrite a letter on a sheet of paper. You can hand it to them in person or mail it to their campus.
Be careful about mailing anything to their university address because it can sometimes get lost, or they may have moved offices. And adjuncts might not even have an office. So, I suggest you hand it to them instead.
When you should send a thank you email to your professor?
Here are several reasons why you could thank your professor.
They made an incredible impact on your college experience
Let’s say your professor was extremely helpful and taught you some significant information that is going to help you later on in your career. And you just don’t think anyone else could have done a better job.
Maybe they were humorous during their lectures and kept your attention. Or they motivated you to do your best and pushed you beyond your own expectations.
That would be an excellent reason to thank your professor.
They wrote you a letter of recommendation or were a reference
If your professor agreed to write you a recommendation letter or served as a reference, you should write them a thank you email, note or card.
Even though professors appreciate writing letters and being references, it does take up time.
It’s a reason to send them some appreciation back for committing time to do those things for you.
They gave you an opportunity
If you had a professor that got you an internship or job, you want to send them a thank you note.
It could be something as simple as them providing you a lead to a job, or internship, or them handpicking you for a job.
Whatever the case, it deserves a special thank you letter.
They were just a cool professor
If the professor added something unique to your college career, like invigorated your love for education, or made you excited to learn, this would be a reason to send some thanks their way.
This way they know that their personality is impacting their students.
There are countless reasons why you could send a thank you note or card to your professor, but these were just a few of the most popular reasons why.
What to say in a thank you email or card to your professor?
If a college student wants to thank their professor, they should include the following in a thank you card : Let the professor know what they did that they appreciate, why it was so important to them, and how it changed their future.
You want to be as descriptive as possible, but try to keep it to one paragraph. You need to include these three things in your thank you message.
Explain what they did that you appreciated.
Then tell them why you appreciated it and how it’s impacted you.
And then finally talk about how this has changed your future.
First, think about why you appreciated this professor. What did they do for you or how did they help you accomplish something?
Secondly, tell them why you appreciated their help. Did they help land you a great job or learn complex material?
Lastly, explain how this has impacted your future overall. Did it change your goals or define your future?
How to thank your professor at the end of the semester?
This is an example of a thank you note to a professor. If you liked their class, feel free to use this template to get you started on writing a custom thank you note to your professor.
Dear Professor Smith,
I wanted to send a special thank you to tell you how much I appreciated your enthusiasm for the subject and your ability to teach the material so effectively.
Because of you, I learned some difficult material and was excited to come to class every week. This has inspired me to choose this career path after graduation.
I am now prepared to start a career in this field and will always remember your passion for this discipline.
Sincerely, Your Student.
Look, these thank you emails, or notes don’t have to be long. But detailed enough to let them know exactly how they impacted you. Why this is important is because they’ll likely get lots of short emails with a generic thank you from multiple students, but with no real understanding of what they did to have the student appreciate them.
By you explaining exactly how the professor stood out to you, they’ll know you really mean it, and they can continue to do those things in the future to help other students too.
So, you can thank your professor any time you feel like they were outstanding, and it’s thoughtful to give them a thank you card, but not required. You can thank them with an email, or letter. And even go in person, if you want. Either way, it’s very much appreciated by your professor.
How do you tell your professor that you enjoyed their class?
If you want to tell your professor that you enjoyed their class, I recommend that you write them a thank you card explaining how they made your experience exceptional and what specifically you liked about their class that makes it stand out.
The note doesn’t have to be long, but you should include enough information to let your professor know how they made your learning experience better.
Think about why you enjoyed the class? Was it because they were always so prepared or organized for their lectures or because they were relaxed and joyful about the subject?
Think deeper to let them know what they did specifically that made a difference in your life. Just make sure that you let them know what contribution they made to your life instead of just saying you enjoyed the class.
It can be hard for a professor to understand if you like their teaching style or you just like the subject.
When I was a professor, I would get thank you emails often. I really liked handwritten cards instead because it was nice to keep those and reflect back on those times to know I was appreciated.
But if you want to send an email, you can do that too.
Can you send a thank you card to a professor?
Yes, students can send a thank you card to their professor. It is recommended that they personalize it by handwriting a note inside the card to let them know just how much a difference they made in their life.
I would recommend that college students give the card to their professor on the last day of class, but if you want to give it to your professor after the semester ends or during the semester, that is okay too.
An appropriate way to thank a professor is sending a nice thank you card or handwritten note explaining the impact they had on your life. It is just that simple.
