Keep Calm and Study On: Home

As your classes transition to online, please be considerate while you are on a video conference. While you are in the safety of your own home, it is important to remember that others can still see and hear you. Dr. Thomas Plante offers ten tips to guide you towards good online etiquette:

1. Find a quiet place and be prepared to use video, as well as sound;
2. Get prepared ahead of time and turn on video and audio;
3. Use headphones if you have any, they make it easier for you to hear the lecture;
4. Use your laptop or desktop computer NOT cell phones to connect (if possible);
5. Take notes on paper to stay engaged;
6. Mute Zoom when you are not talking;
7. Do not watch Netflix, etc. while in class. Your professor will be able to see this and will be very disappointed;
8. Ensure there are no bright lights behind you
9. Be sure there is nothing visually distracting (e.g., cars or people) in the background
10. Remember to leave the meeting when the meeting is over.
11. Bonus: please remember to be fully dressed.

Because students are no longer able to meet with professors during office hours or raise their hands in class, it is more important now than ever to communicate properly with professors. Professors are expected to regularly check their emails during the week, so email should be your primary point of contact with your professors. DO NOT expect responses at unreasonable hours or to be immediate. When crafting an email, do so with care.  You can follow this step-by-step guide when writing emails to professors.