Trouble obtaining an Academic Reference
Hi all,
I finished my Undergraduate in 2018 - I was always very quiet and didn't manage to make any meaningful relationships with my lecturers - I haven't even spoken to many of them in person.
I am currently in the process of applying to a Postgraduate course and I am completely stuck at the reference bit, because none of my lecturers are replying to my emails. I have sent about 10 emails to 10 different lecturers, formally and politely asking them if they could help me. None of them replied after weeks of waiting.
As I'm becoming more and more desperate, I have messaged two lecturers on facebook (I know it's not the most thoughtful thing to do) and still no reply. I have called the university from which I have graduated and they are unable to help me with the references.
My question is, what are my options right now? Is there something else that I can do to obtain these references?
If I pay for a random and quick course in whatever subject area and ask the teacher for a reference, would that be considered?
Would it be rude to ask all those lecturers for help again within the next few weeks?
The only option I have right now is asking my driving instructor to help me, but I guess it's not a good look at all...
Any thoughts?
I finished my Undergraduate in 2018 - I was always very quiet and didn't manage to make any meaningful relationships with my lecturers - I haven't even spoken to many of them in person.
I am currently in the process of applying to a Postgraduate course and I am completely stuck at the reference bit, because none of my lecturers are replying to my emails. I have sent about 10 emails to 10 different lecturers, formally and politely asking them if they could help me. None of them replied after weeks of waiting.
As I'm becoming more and more desperate, I have messaged two lecturers on facebook (I know it's not the most thoughtful thing to do) and still no reply. I have called the university from which I have graduated and they are unable to help me with the references.
My question is, what are my options right now? Is there something else that I can do to obtain these references?
If I pay for a random and quick course in whatever subject area and ask the teacher for a reference, would that be considered?
Would it be rude to ask all those lecturers for help again within the next few weeks?
The only option I have right now is asking my driving instructor to help me, but I guess it's not a good look at all...
Any thoughts?
Usually the student records/registry team or your school/faculty office should be your first point of contact to request a reference.
Original post by Paupaw
Hi all,
I finished my Undergraduate in 2018 - I was always very quiet and didn't manage to make any meaningful relationships with my lecturers - I haven't even spoken to many of them in person.
I am currently in the process of applying to a Postgraduate course and I am completely stuck at the reference bit, because none of my lecturers are replying to my emails. I have sent about 10 emails to 10 different lecturers, formally and politely asking them if they could help me. None of them replied after weeks of waiting.
As I'm becoming more and more desperate, I have messaged two lecturers on facebook (I know it's not the most thoughtful thing to do) and still no reply. I have called the university from which I have graduated and they are unable to help me with the references.
My question is, what are my options right now? Is there something else that I can do to obtain these references?
If I pay for a random and quick course in whatever subject area and ask the teacher for a reference, would that be considered?
Would it be rude to ask all those lecturers for help again within the next few weeks?
The only option I have right now is asking my driving instructor to help me, but I guess it's not a good look at all...
Any thoughts?
I finished my Undergraduate in 2018 - I was always very quiet and didn't manage to make any meaningful relationships with my lecturers - I haven't even spoken to many of them in person.
I am currently in the process of applying to a Postgraduate course and I am completely stuck at the reference bit, because none of my lecturers are replying to my emails. I have sent about 10 emails to 10 different lecturers, formally and politely asking them if they could help me. None of them replied after weeks of waiting.
As I'm becoming more and more desperate, I have messaged two lecturers on facebook (I know it's not the most thoughtful thing to do) and still no reply. I have called the university from which I have graduated and they are unable to help me with the references.
My question is, what are my options right now? Is there something else that I can do to obtain these references?
If I pay for a random and quick course in whatever subject area and ask the teacher for a reference, would that be considered?
Would it be rude to ask all those lecturers for help again within the next few weeks?
The only option I have right now is asking my driving instructor to help me, but I guess it's not a good look at all...
Any thoughts?
Hi @Paupaw,
It's unusual that your university can't help you with this. As @PQ has said, the either the student records team and/or your academic school/faculty office can assist with providing an academic reference.
Bear in mind that an academic reference doesn't need to be a personal reference - it's a comment on your academic performance and attendance, not on you as a person. So the faculty office can provide one so long as they have details of your time at university on file (which they most likely will - I got a reference from my undergraduate university 11 years after I graduated when applying for my MA course).
Individual academics can assist with references - and most are happy to do so if they are able - but they often have very packed inboxes (and timetables), so it isn't always possible. It's also assessment season at universities at the moment so most of your former lecturers are probably fielding a lot of student queries right now. Many university email systems have over-zealous spam filters when it comes to mail from private email addresses so your former lecturers may not even have received your email.
I would suggest going back to either student records and/or your faculty/academic school office in the first instance with regards to this. If you politely explain what you need the reference for and the deadline you need it by, they should be able to help - or to point you in the direction of who can help you.
Amy Louise
Thank you for your advice. I have one more question if you don't mind...
I'm a bit confused by the whole process right now. I'm applying to UWE Bristol and if I'm not mistaken, what you have described to me here seems to fit quite accurately with the description of an "academic verification": https://www.uwe.ac.uk/study/academic-information/academic-references-and-letters/reference-requests
Now, in my application, this is what is required: "Please give the names, addresses and emails of two referees. At least one referee should be able to comment on your academic / professional ability and you should not use family members or friends as referees".
Am I correct in understanding that after I do as you have advised, I will still need to get an academic reference from a lecturer to comment on me personally? If so, I will have real trouble obtaining this based on the silence from the lecturers so far (maybe due to the email spam-filters that you've mentioned).
Apologies if this is a simple task and I'm overthinking things.
I'm a bit confused by the whole process right now. I'm applying to UWE Bristol and if I'm not mistaken, what you have described to me here seems to fit quite accurately with the description of an "academic verification": https://www.uwe.ac.uk/study/academic-information/academic-references-and-letters/reference-requests
Now, in my application, this is what is required: "Please give the names, addresses and emails of two referees. At least one referee should be able to comment on your academic / professional ability and you should not use family members or friends as referees".
Am I correct in understanding that after I do as you have advised, I will still need to get an academic reference from a lecturer to comment on me personally? If so, I will have real trouble obtaining this based on the silence from the lecturers so far (maybe due to the email spam-filters that you've mentioned).
Apologies if this is a simple task and I'm overthinking things.
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by Paupaw
Thank you for your advice. I have one more question if you don't mind...
I'm a bit confused by the whole process right now. I'm applying to UWE Bristol and if I'm not mistaken, what you have described to me here seems to fit quite accurately with the description of an "academic verification": https://www.uwe.ac.uk/study/academic-information/academic-references-and-letters/reference-requests
Now, in my application, this is what is required: "Please give the names, addresses and emails of two referees. At least one referee should be able to comment on your academic / professional ability and you should not use family members or friends as referees".
Am I correct in understanding that after I do as you have advised, I will still need to get an academic reference from a lecturer to comment on me personally? If so, I will have real trouble obtaining this based on the silence from the lecturers so far (maybe due to the email spam-filters that you've mentioned).
Apologies if this is a simple task and I'm overthinking things.
I'm a bit confused by the whole process right now. I'm applying to UWE Bristol and if I'm not mistaken, what you have described to me here seems to fit quite accurately with the description of an "academic verification": https://www.uwe.ac.uk/study/academic-information/academic-references-and-letters/reference-requests
Now, in my application, this is what is required: "Please give the names, addresses and emails of two referees. At least one referee should be able to comment on your academic / professional ability and you should not use family members or friends as referees".
Am I correct in understanding that after I do as you have advised, I will still need to get an academic reference from a lecturer to comment on me personally? If so, I will have real trouble obtaining this based on the silence from the lecturers so far (maybe due to the email spam-filters that you've mentioned).
Apologies if this is a simple task and I'm overthinking things.
Even for an academic reference you should contact registry or your school/department office. THEY then arrange with your lecturers/tutor for the reference to be provided if more information is required than they have access to.
Also I assume, each tutor at end of term will write a quick note for the system about each student ie did they participate/attend etc. So something for soneone to consolidate to write the reference.
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