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Choosing a Uni

Six emails you shouldn't send and one you definitely should

Just write it on a piece of paper instead…then shred the paper so no one will ever make you into a list.

Eleni Cashell
by Eleni Cashell
Last Updated:
01 Feb 2024

It’s never been easier to send emails which seemed like a good idea at the time to completely inappropriate people. It’s also never been easier to find examples of people doing just this…

Allow us to show you the six types of emails you should never write as a student, and one that will actually help you.

1. Don’t write informal emails to teachers


While some lecturers might let you call them by their first name or sign off their emails with “cheers,” rather than “yours sincerely”, doesn’t mean you’re suddenly besties. They may be treating you like an adult, but they still require the same respect as you gave them way back in year 7, or at least the respect you showed to their face.

2. Don’t email when you need money


One account that you’ll probably end up setting up as a student is with the bank of mum and dad. Usually opened around the time you’ve spent all your overdraft and emergency money on stuff you probably didn’t actually need, it can be a difficult but necessary funding option.

And how you set up the account is key. You need to be polite, respectful, set out how much you need and for what, and you may even need to be apologetic if you’re asking for funds just one week into your first term. 

3. Don’t write emails when you’re in no fit state to


Whether you’re feeling unwell, sleepy, hangry or in just a plain weird mood, don’t use this as an opportunity to write important emails. Nothing is so important that it can’t wait for you to be a more sensible version of yourself. 

4. Don’t email the wrong attachments


Nothing says professional like sending an employer an embarrassing photo of yourself on holiday instead of your CV…oh no hang on, that’s incredibly likely to put them off you.

Yes, it sounds incredibly unlikely, but you have no idea the amount of times you’ll receive emails with no attachments, only to get an email within a few seconds saying “oops, forgot the attachment, LOL” in your working career. And it never gets any less irritating, trust me. So, try not to add to the problem if you can absolutely help it.

So, if your email contains an attachment, whether it’s your dissertation, your CV or your section of the group project, if it’s going somewhere important, make sure you’re sending the right file, and not anything embarrassinng.

5. Don’t ask stupid questions


Ever heard the phrase, “there’s no such thing as a stupid question”? Well sometimes there is, especially if it’s asked over email, where you can’t pretend you’ve been misheard.

And while it’s totally fine to ask your friends or family silly questions like, “What is Taylor Swift trying to shake off exactly?” or “Can dogs look up?”, when it comes to lecturers, it’s always better to at least pretend you’ve not got a stupid question up your sleeve.

This includes asking for answers to exams, questioning why you’ve got to read the book instead of just using Wikipedia, or asking them why they look so incredibly stressed today.

6. Don’t cut emails short


While of course you don’t want to bore your lecturers to tears with 50 paragraphs explaining why your essay is going to be late, you also want to give them enough to actually understand what your point is. Don’t send an email until you’ve actually finished it.

The email you SHOULD send


So, you’ve seen the mistakes, from the understandable and rookie mistakes to the full-blown disasters, but what email should you actually be sending?

You should be emailing universities with questions (sensible ones obvs). Want to know more about their facilities? Or their entry requirements? Or if they provide work placements? Or if they have interviews at the application stage? Or about specific modules which you’re really interested in but can’t find much information on?

If you want to ask your potential future university a question, don’t wait for the next open day or remove that institution from your Final 5 purely because you don’t know, just drop them a line!

And lucky for you, it’s incredibly easy to do just that on our website, so you don’t need to go trawling through email address hoping to find the right department to answer your question.

Simply search for the university you want to contact and click on the “request info button”.

Bosh your question and your details in, and that’s it, your enquiry gets sent straight to the university. No messing about, job done, sorted etc. You’re welcome.


Want to ask a university a question? Start your search here.

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