Advice needed: which message sounds better

[2015undergrad]

Story short, Prof had asked if I need an extra student to help me with his project. Told him no. But now I heard that it's actually better for profs to mentor many people. I wonder if he actually wanted an extra student to help him? Which message sounds better?

A. Hi Prof XXXX, did you still want me to work with the other student? Could I get her email? And what kind of extra resources would you like me to read in advance?

B. Hi Prof XXXX, I've been thinking. I would like to let you know that I can work independently and/or with another student. Whichever works for your project will work for me.

[fuzzylogician]

I would recommend not emailing at all. You mentioned in your other thread that the professor told you that he will email you at the end of the month. Just sit tight. And please stop opening new threads when your questions are still directly relevant to your older thread and in fact that information is important to know. 

 

On top of that, you don't need to "help" the professor. If he wants to have multiple people on the project, he will recruit them. Whether or not it's better for him to mentor more students or have more of them working on his project depends on other circumstances, such as how many other advisees he currently has, how much work is required for the project, what the timeline is like, and how much money he has to pay students. Trust him to manage his own group.

 

If you absolutely do want to write an email, something more like A sounds better. I would probably phrase it differently: "Dear Prof X, following our conversation on DAY I wasn't sure whether or not you wanted me to work with STUDENT. If so, could I please have her email address? In addition, is there anything else I can do to prepare for our next meeting? Thank you, Stu."

[2015undergrad]

Thanks so much good advice

[bsharpe269]

I agree that you don't need to email. You are over thinking your interaction with that professor way too much! Just wait for him to contact you at the end of the month. If he wants you to work with another student then he will sort that out.

 

I've read on here before that we think about our PIs way more than they think about us. I think this is a true statement. He has probably completely forgotten about the little details of the conversation you had. He will set up the research and then contact you.

[2015undergrad]

Thanks I'll try waiting it out.

[fuzzylogician]

I've read on here before that we think about our PIs way more than they think about us. I think this is a true statement. He has probably completely forgotten about the little details of the conversation you had. He will set up the research and then contact you.

 

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1047

[2015undergrad]

I'm going to forget asking prof about extra teammates. But would it be ok to ask about what resources I can read/prepare in advance for the next meeting? Despite the fact that he said he will email me at end of month?

[bsharpe269]

I'm going to forget asking prof about extra teammates. But would it be ok to ask about what resources I can read/prepare in advance for the next meeting? Despite the fact that he said he will email me at end of month?

I would wait for him to contact you. You can look up his publications and start reading his recent papers to prepare.

[2015undergrad]

Thank you