Grammatical Errors in Communication with Profs

[crazedandinfused]

They kill me. I have this terrible habit of reading emails over and over after I send them and by the 6th reading I tend to find no more than one, tiny grammatical error. It's so demoralizing. Anyway..........................

[Sparky]

Idea: Once you submit your applications, do NOT reread your SOP. It will drive you batty.

[sacklunch]

I used to worry about this until I had several profs send me emails there were almost unreadable. I wouldn't worry about it too much .

And yeah, don't read your SOP after :'(

[TMP]

More often than not, I think, professors make more grammatical mistakes than potential students in these e-mails. I've cringed at misspellings and awkward grammar.

Totally agree with others on not reading your SOP anytime between submission and the letter of acceptance/denial. Or your writing sample!

[cliopatra]

I wrote a potential supervisor a few weeks ago and realized after I hit send that I had an obvious typo. I wrote "I interested in studying..." instead of "I am interested in studying..." He wrote me back regardless and probably realized that I'm only human! But yeah, I felt like a tool after realizing I had done that. Happens to the best of us!

[CageFree]

I made a mistake in one e-mail (I had sent two; reworded one to send to the second, but forgot to change the school name). I immediately fired a second email apologizing and rectifying, thinking I was done in. I got a very nice reply back saying not to worry about it because we've all done that at some point

[cliopatra]

Does anyone have dyslexia? I chose to keep it to myself but I find I'm balancing feelings of having to explain why I have so many typos/incorrect vocabulary in my writing, and not wanting to need special treatment. I think most profs. understand it's human nature and like teachgrad said, let us off the hook for a few typos.

I'm definitely not going to send a follow up to potential prof 'sorry I'm dyslexic excuse my incorrect wording/typos.' I know it's wrong that I'm worried about how I will be perceived, but I still keep it to myself. In academia you never know how you will be accepted despite having learning challenges.

[Sigaba]

Does anyone have dyslexia? I chose to keep it to myself but I find I'm balancing feelings of having to explain why I have so many typos/incorrect vocabulary in my writing, and not wanting to need special treatment. I think most profs. understand it's human nature and like teachgrad said, let us off the hook for a few typos.

I'm definitely not going to send a follow up to potential prof 'sorry I'm dyslexic excuse my incorrect wording/typos.' I know it's wrong that I'm worried about how I will be perceived, but I still keep it to myself. In academia you never know how you will be accepted despite having learning challenges.

IMO, dyslexia is something that you should consider disclosing sooner rather than later.

Academic institutions may have policies and resources that address the disabilities of students, faculty, and staff. Also, the disclosure may help you negotiate the administration of your qualifying examinations. When you take your quals, the last thing you will need during those long hours of desperate loneliness and feelings of complete and utter intellectual inadequacy will be the realization that you may have issues interpreting correctly and the person who wrote those questions/instructions nowhere to be found.

FWIW, I've never experienced a situation where the disclosure of a disability or an illness had negative consequences.

HTH.

[sandyvanb]

I have a good friend who is in his first year of PhD work and he is dyslexic. We went through our MA program together and he did not disclose this to his thesis chair for a while. She was very frustrated with his writing and grammar and my mentor told him that he needed to tell her immediately. He did, and the process became much easier for him. My mentor then told him to tell his profs in his new program ASAP so they could work with him; he is doing fine this year. It makes sense to inform your program as quickly as possible. Good luck!

[goldielocks]

FWIW, I agree with Sigaba and Sandy. I have some health problems, which I try to keep very separate from school. But I've found that having that initial conversation with my professors, just politely and briefly at the beginning of the semester, works wonders for my anxiety level. I'm not wondering what will happen if I am too sick to come to class, and it gives me one less thing to worry about. And in the few times I've had to ask for special favors (an extension, an absence, whatever), I've always been glad I spoke to them in advance. Plus everyone I've shared it with has been very understanding and cool about it.

Hope this helps.