We’re wrapping up the series: How Not To Ask Your Professor for an Extension with how you should ask for an extension. We’ll be piggybacking off of some of the examples we’ve previously covered in the first three parts as we finish this off. 

Include a Salutation

Unlike that one student example in Part 2, make sure you address the professor. Anything from “Hi Title Name” to “Good Morning!” to “Dear Title Name” will be a great salutation to start off your message. 

Introduce the Issue

What went wrong? What is going wrong? Are you having technical issues? Have you tried reaching out to IT Support with no resolution? Are you having troubles understanding the topic? Are you sick with the flu? 

Whatever your issue is, make sure to notify your instructor as soon as it happens. Don’t wait until the deadline to inform them of an issue. Let them know as soon as it arises, as it will leave more time to figure out a solution. 

Give enough detail that the professor is able to understand what is wrong, what steps you’ve taken to resolve it on your own, and what remains in the issue. 

Ask for a Solution

Would a one on one meeting help you understand material better? Do you need the instructor to help with a technical issue that IT can’t resolve? Are you so sick you can barely leave bed?

After you introduce the issue and what you’ve done to try and fix it, you can ask for a solution. Whatever the solution may be – a meeting, an extension, etc. – let your professor know what you need from them to help. Showing that you’ve put forth effort to address the issue, but all that you’re doing is going to cause you to run out of time to complete the assignment, a professor is far more likely to be willing to give you an extension. 

Apologize

Even though the issue that has arisen is very likely not your fault, you should end with an apology for asking for an extension, bothering your instructor, etc. Your professor will very likely respond that it’s absolutely not a bother and that they’re willing to help, but apologizing in advance really helps get them onto your side, especially since most of the time, the issue is something you can’t help. 

Sign the Email

Thank them for their time and make sure you sign the email with your name. 

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Being honest and sincere in asking for an extension is going to get you further than just emailing your attempt at an excuse. Don’t try to excuse why you won’t be able to complete the assignment on time. Be completely honest – you’re sick, you’re taking longer studying due to a hard topic, you’ve worked a lot of overtime and come home exhausted. Also, showing what steps you’ve taken to remedy the situation really helps you out. It shows the professor that a good grade is important, and you’ve tried all you can to make sure you succeed, but sometimes you just need some extra help. 

Hopefully this series was able to help you realize some things you should and shouldn’t do when asking for an extension for an assignment. Let me know if you have any comments or suggestions below or you can contact me here! I love hearing from you!

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