Would this be appropriate?

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>I really enjoyed all my classes this year, and I loved all my professors too. They were very enthusiastic, helpful, and dedicated. It's been awhile since this has been the case, and as a result, I want to write each of them a thank you card, but I'm very worried that professors will take this the wrong way? I wrote thank you cards to select teachers who I really liked in high school, but I don't know if there's a different "culture" in college? I don't want them to misunderstand, but I really do want to thank them. </p>

<p>Any opinions/advice would be helpful. Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Yes, it’s appropriate, IF:

  1. You keep it professional.
  2. You send it AFTER final grades have been submitted.</p>

<p>College professors, as much as high school teachers, like to hear that what they’re doing makes a difference.</p>

3

<p>I agree with Chedva… just wait until after grades are in. I think any teacher loves a pat on the back, and it’s rare they get them.</p>

4

<p>As a professor, I can tell you that your card will be much appreciated, even more so than if you gave a gift. I do agree with those who are saying you should wait until grades are in.</p>

5

<p>No, it’s not appropriate, in my opinion (especially if you plan to take another course with this professor). Too much room for misunderstanding. Say it in person or on a review card/website that rates professors.</p>

6

<p>I bought a chem professor I knew a thank you gift. She wasn’t my professor, but she took time out of her schedule weekly to tutor me because she knew the professor I had wasn’t very good.</p>

<p>Alternatively, I wrote an email to another professor (i never took her class) that ran a program I was in to thank her for everything she had done to help me figure out what’s needed for grad school, how to give w proper presentation, make a poster, etc. She seemed to appreciate it.
I also had a TA I liked a lot this semester but I just gave him a really good evaluation.</p>

<p>With most of my current professors, with rare exceptions, I just do the evaluations and they aren’t very good.</p>

7

<p>Wait…assuming the student has a good relationship with the professor, and the thank-you-card is given significantly after grades are out, how could the professor misunderstand? Like, I don’t get what the professor would even think the “ulterior motives” could be…someone care to fill me in?</p>

<p>I only ask because I’ve definitely emailed professors after the class was done to tell them how much I enjoyed the class, and I hate to think it was interpreted badly.</p>

8

<p>Another reason to wait until after the grade is if, to your immense shock, you get a really bad grade and then regret ever thanking them.</p>