In my first two years of college, I’ve encountered professors that wanted me to call them by their first name. I have to say that I get really uncomfortable addressing professors on a first-name basis. Same thing with texting. I really hate texting professors, but many of my professors prefer texting since they are more likely to look at their phones before their emails.
I may just be silly, but does anyone else find the use of first names a little too informal?
It may be deemed as informal but it is honestly whatever.
@NewBeginnings3 I’ve done and seen it done a lot in the workplace, addressing coworkers or supervisors/project heads by their first name (e.g. “Dear John,…”). Same with texting; if you are trying to find someone for a meeting, it’s usually much faster to send them a quick text.
Some may not do those things, some do, but it is what it is…
It definitely feels kinda weird!! I’m really close with one of my professors (like texting/met her family/tell each other “love ya” close) and I’m just now starting to call her by her first name. Before I never really called her anything (kind of one of those “hey you” things) and just used her last name when talking about her with classmates.
It’s funny how it’s possible to have bonded so strongly with someone and have such a close rapport yet still feel weird about using their first name. She was always just “Professor Last Name” in my head, so I think the weirdest part is just transitioning to saying “first name” in my head now instead.
But if they want you to be informal, it’s best to go with it. I had another prof have the class call her by her first name and she’s the best prof I ever had and one I hold in very high regard. Again, the person and their position stays the same, but it’s just a different way of referring to them in your head.
Re: texting, I’ve only ever texted the two profs I mentioned in my previous comment (one because I was her TA and the other because we’re close). Our primary mode of contact is/was still email through our school accounts, but sometimes the prof I TA’d for would send me a text when she was running late or would call me if it was something pressing (like the time her car’s battery died and she needed me to jump her engine… fun times!).
Now that I’m graduating, I’ll probably just text the one I’m close to in order to say hi/catch up/meet up/etc. I don’t know if that would be appropriate for all students and profs, though, so you just have to gauge your rapport.