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PAC Tip: Effective Communication with Advisors and Professors

Our Peer Academic Consultants can help with a variety of skills, including effective communication with advisors and professors. Here are some useful communication tips for these contexts.

Why is it important to communicate with advisors and professors?

  • If you have academic questions, your advisors and professors are excellent resources
  • Most advisors and professors are more than happy to help and answer questions
  • If you are struggling academically, it’s important to ask for help
  • Knowing how to communicate can make it easier to ask for help

How do you effectively communicate with advisors and professors?

You can communicate by email or stop by their office.

By email:

  • Always greet the person you are sending the email to
  • Introduce yourself if this is your first time emailing them
  • Use spaces to break up text and improve the readability of your email
  • Use bullet points or numbers if you want to ask multiple questions
  • Always sign off with at least your name
  • Always be professional!
  • If you are having an issue with a professor, it is best to communicate by email so you maintain a paper trail

In person:

  • Greet your professor/advisor and introduce yourself if they might not know who you are
  • State your purpose for meeting
  • Have your questions prepared
  • Bring a friend with you if you’re nervous to go to office hours alone
  • Trust that your professor/advisor wants to help you

What should you practice when speaking and when listening?

As the speaker:

  • Keep your tone professional
  • Be mindful of the physical and emotional context in which you are communicating
  • Make sure your message is clear 

As the listener:

  • Practice active listening
  • Repeat back what you hear to confirm you understand what your professor/advisor is saying
  • Ask follow-up questions for clarification

Need more help?

Check out the Peer Academic Consultants main page for more information on how to find support around this and other academic skills. Our Peer Academic Consultants (PAC) are also available for individual consultations during which we can discuss your academic skills and personalize these strategies to be most effective for you! If you would like to sign up for an individual consultation, please fill out the Individual Consultation Intake Form.

References

Henzi-Plaza, C., & Windon, S. (2022). Effective communication in the workplace. Penn State Extension.