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So I have a professor that I needed a letter of recommendation from today and I told him about it over a week ago and he said sure he'd have it done in a couple of days. Well a couple of days I reminded him and he still didn't have it done and so on and so forth. Now because of him I'm going to miss out on a surefire scholarship.

What a jerk. I would let him know (if/when he writes the letter) what his laziness might have cost you.

I have some things that might help. Get back to me in a week or so and I'll tell you what they are.

Leroy wrote:I have some things that might help. Get back to me in a week or so and I'll tell you what they are.

Good one, buddy.

stldogget05 wrote:So I have a professor that I needed a letter of recommendation from today and I told him about it over a week ago and he said sure he'd have it done in a couple of days. Well a couple of days I reminded him and he still didn't have it done and so on and so forth. Now because of him I'm going to miss out on a surefire scholarship.

I was told by a professor that professors are swamped with this request all the time and to at least give the person three weeks or so to get it ready. I always assumed it was something that would only take a few seconds for them or their secretaries to get ready but apparently it's more than that. I also learned that it's best to let those professors know while you're still in school that you may be requesting a recommendation from them at some point. All things I learned a little too late, if I ever hoped to pursue a PhD. It's those kids that have the inside track with their professors early on that get the strongest recommendations. I was told if you're just going to pop up out of the blue (not saying that's what you're doing) and ask for a letter of recommendation and they have to go back and look up your record, etc., it's probably not going to be a very strong recommendation anyway.

Richie Allen wrote: I was told by a professor that professors are swamped with this request all the time and to at least give the person three weeks or so to get it ready.

It depends on what kind of school you go to. I went to a small private school so the idea that the professors were "swamped" with anything was absurd. They taught at most 3 classes (about 9 hours of class time a week), set their own office hours (usually between 4 and 8 hours total in a week), and had GAs do everything for them. As a GA I graded all of their non essay assignments and even did all of the library research for their academic papers. Anything else they dumped on the secretary. They spent more time socializing and reading the WSJ than anything else. Pretty sweet gig if you ask me. I think a week's notice is more than enough especially at this point in the academic year.

cardsfansince82 wrote:

Richie Allen wrote: I was told by a professor that professors are swamped with this request all the time and to at least give the person three weeks or so to get it ready.

It depends on what kind of school you go to. I went to a small private school so the idea that the professors were "swamped" with anything was absurd. They taught at most 3 classes (about 9 hours of class time a week), set their own office hours (usually between 4 and 8 hours total in a week), and had GAs do everything for them. As a GA I graded all of their non essay assignments and even did all of the library research for their academic papers. Anything else they dumped on the secretary. They spent more time socializing and reading the WSJ than anything else. Pretty sweet gig if you ask me. I think a week's notice is more than enough especially at this point in the academic year.

I went to a small private school too and, at one time, I thought that professors had unlimited free time as well. But, in reality, this is not typically true. The hours a professor spends in the classroom is just a diversion from what their real job duties demand. The research and the obligation to to publish are much more important, to most schools, than the few hours of teaching and office hours. Very few professors are in it to "teach." That's just an annoying little obligation of the job. The idea that many students have, that they pay the professor's salaries and it's the professor's duty to work for them, is a joke. At least among most professors. Most professors couldn't care less about teaching. I was told, if it's the teaching that excites you, go teach at a junior college or teach high school.

I have worked specifically for this professor for over a year. I know he's loopy and kinda weird so I gave him plenty of time. I wouldn't normally have bothered asking him to write it except this scholarship was asking for three letters. My department has five professors and two of whom I haven't had classes with. So he became the third so choice by default. The two other professors had no problem finishing their letters quickly. If he didn't want to write it he could have just said so and I would have found someone else (though I am not quite sure who).

He sounds kind of flaky and I understand your being upset.