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should i let the lectures know they will need to write references for me?

Basically i applied for master degree and the application require 2 academic reference so i just put two email , one is my supervisor for the dissertation and the other one is an lecturer for 3 of my other modules. The admission team will contact them by email with a reference form to fill and they need to submit it back to them with their University email.

So the main question is do i need to let them know and ask permission first before doing that or is it not needed since it's part of their job?

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Original post by Anonymous
Basically i applied for master degree and the application require 2 academic reference so i just put two email , one is my supervisor for the dissertation and the other one is an lecturer for 3 of my other modules. The admission team will contact them by email with a reference form to fill and they need to submit it back to them with their University email.

So the main question is do i need to let them know and ask permission first before doing that or is it not needed since it's part of their job?


I don’t think it’s part of their job. My lecturers stay on us about attending classes and making lasting impressions because we’ll need references later down. We were told that they couldn’t give one on a student they knew nothing about so I’m assuming they have the free will. Best to ask first to avoid confusion as well.
Original post by Anonymous
So the main question is do i need to let them know and ask permission first before doing that or is it not needed since it's part of their job?


Id personally say it’s good manners to give your referees a heads up to keep an eye out for the reference form.

Although you say it’s their job, the amount of effort they put into your reference will affect your application. Always best to make sure your referees know who you are too 😂

For my MSc application I used my project supervisor and personal tutor, both people I’d known throughout my three years :smile:
(edited 3 years ago)
Reply 3
Original post by Anonymous
Basically i applied for master degree and the application require 2 academic reference so i just put two email , one is my supervisor for the dissertation and the other one is an lecturer for 3 of my other modules. The admission team will contact them by email with a reference form to fill and they need to submit it back to them with their University email.

So the main question is do i need to let them know and ask permission first before doing that or is it not needed since it's part of their job?


You ask if they would do you the favour or writing them, you most certainly do not 'tell' them and give their names without checking first. Aside from being exceptionally rude its very disrespectful and likely to get them to refuse to fill it in, something that will look exceptionally bad to the uni who requested it...
Reply 4
So i am pretty much screw, my supervisor, i have been in only 1 meeting with him. Other module lecturers i never talk to them at all and it's the same with my personal tutor that why i didn't want to ask them at first because they don't know me. So how can i apply for master if i don't have 2 reference even-though i graduated with a 1st . Or maybe the admission won't email them the reference form , if they see my transcript and i met the requirements then it should be okay? as most master require 2:2 or 2:1.
Reply 5
Original post by Anonymous
So i am pretty much screw, my supervisor, i have been in only 1 meeting with him. Other module lecturers i never talk to them at all and it's the same with my personal tutor that why i didn't want to ask them at first because they don't know me. So how can i apply for master if i don't have 2 reference even-though i graduated with a 1st . Or maybe the admission won't email them the reference form , if they see my transcript and i met the requirements then it should be okay? as most master require 2:2 or 2:1.

So write a nice email to them both - saying to your dissertation supervisor how much you appreciate their support on your dissertation, and to your lecturer how much you enjoyed their modules - mention your first (to help them remember you) and say how pleased you are to have achieved it.
Tell them your plans and say you hope they will be happy to write you a reference if contacted by your masters uni and to let you know if there are any problems.
This is all just being polite, but what it actually does is prod their memory about you BEFORE they get the reference request. If they barely remember you, at least the most recent interaction with you will have been a good one.
(edited 3 years ago)
Reply 6
Original post by 2500_2
So write a nice email to them both - saying to your dissertation supervisor how much you appreciate their support on your dissertation, and to your lecturer how much you enjoyed their modules - mention your first (to help them remember you) and say how pleased you are to have achieved it.
Tell them your plans and say you hope they will be happy to write you a reference if contacted by your masters uni and to let you know if there are any problems.
This is all just being polite, but what it actually does is prod their memory about you BEFORE they get the reference request. If they barely remember you, at least the most recent interaction with you will have been a good one.

I didn't ask for any support on the dissertation , it was all purely my own effort. we only have 5 min face to face greeting during the first meeting. i send email on the project idea and he approved it. Then nothing else. All the meeting were cancel during to covid. But i still managed to get high grade since i prefer to be independent. My overall attendance was very low, they don't know what my face look like. So should i just lies about how i enjoy the course eventhough i barely attend?
Reply 7
Original post by Anonymous
I didn't ask for any support on the dissertation , it was all purely my own effort. we only have 5 min face to face greeting during the first meeting. i send email on the project idea and he approved it. Then nothing else. All the meeting were cancel during to covid. But i still managed to get high grade since i prefer to be independent. My overall attendance was very low, they don't know what my face look like. So should i just lies about how i enjoy the course eventhough i barely attend?

Well, that's entirely up to you as to whether you want to risk them not providing a reference for you.
Personally, I don't think a desire to work independently justifies a lack of good manners, but I'm not in your position.
Very bad manners to put them down without their input or permission IMO. And as other users mentioned, you ask, you don't tell them anything. Surprised you made it through a degree without learning this.

Original post by Second_Beauty
We were told that they couldn’t give one on a student they knew nothing about so I’m assuming they have the free will. Best to ask first to avoid confusion as well.


Bingo, mine were the same, If you haven't engaged with the course and staff....they can't and won't give you a reference...at all.
Reply 9
Well you can view it as bad manners. But i just don't want to bother them by begging for reference permission. i am applying to different unis and of course they going to have lot of students doing the same. Maybe they should be thankful that i didn't email for wasting their time to look at when they probably have already made a template for those references receive by other Universities and just simply change the name.
Original post by Anonymous
Basically i applied for master degree and the application require 2 academic reference so i just put two email , one is my supervisor for the dissertation and the other one is an lecturer for 3 of my other modules. The admission team will contact them by email with a reference form to fill and they need to submit it back to them with their University email.

So the main question is do i need to let them know and ask permission first before doing that or is it not needed since it's part of their job?


They dont need to do it, they can choose to do it.

In my experience academics are very willing to help in the scenario, but it is etiquette to ask and confirm they are happy to do so before you put their name & emails on the application.
Original post by Anonymous
Well you can view it as bad manners. But i just don't want to bother them by begging for reference permission. i am applying to different unis and of course they going to have lot of students doing the same. Maybe they should be thankful that i didn't email for wasting their time to look at when they probably have already made a template for those references receive by other Universities and just simply change the name.

It is very bad form to not ask them first - it isn't part of their job description.

If that is how you think a reference is written then I despair!
Original post by Anonymous
Well you can view it as bad manners. But i just don't want to bother them by begging for reference permission. i am applying to different unis and of course they going to have lot of students doing the same. Maybe they should be thankful that i didn't email for wasting their time to look at when they probably have already made a template for those references receive by other Universities and just simply change the name.

Trust me, it's way more annoying/bothersome as a lecturer to receive a request out of the blue and having to suddenly carve out time to write a reference, versus being asked and knowing a request is likely coming in the next X number of weeks, meaning I need to leave some time to do it. It's basic respect for someone's time, first.

Second, you should ask as staff members may not be willing to write for you. I have refused in the past, and staff have the right to do this, so by not asking first you potentially put both lecturers and yourself in an awkward situation. I once had to write back to an employer request saying I was unwilling to provide a reference: the student hadn't asked me first, the request appeared out of nowhere, and my experience of the student's performance meant I would have been unable to write something positive. How do you think that looks to a potential employer? Bad organisation on your part for sure by not checking first, and even worse the person you put down doesn't feel able to write something positive about you!

And academics DO NOT simply change the name on references. It can take me up to 2 hours to write a reference for a student I haven't written for before. I look at their past assignment feedback, records of meetings etc. to help me write the best possible letter for them; I also teach students on up to 10 different modules when looking at the spread of classes across undergrad and MA levels, so the likelihood of a student having taken exactly the same combination of modules is low.

Ask first.
Original post by gutenberg
Trust me, it's way more annoying/bothersome as a lecturer to receive a request out of the blue and having to suddenly carve out time to write a reference, versus being asked and knowing a request is likely coming in the next X number of weeks, meaning I need to leave some time to do it. It's basic respect for someone's time, first.

Second, you should ask as staff members may not be willing to write for you. I have refused in the past, and staff have the right to do this, so by not asking first you potentially put both lecturers and yourself in an awkward situation. I once had to write back to an employer request saying I was unwilling to provide a reference: the student hadn't asked me first, the request appeared out of nowhere, and my experience of the student's performance meant I would have been unable to write something positive. How do you think that looks to a potential employer? Bad organisation on your part for sure by not checking first, and even worse the person you put down doesn't feel able to write something positive about you!

And academics DO NOT simply change the name on references. It can take me up to 2 hours to write a reference for a student I haven't written for before. I look at their past assignment feedback, records of meetings etc. to help me write the best possible letter for them; I also teach students on up to 10 different modules when looking at the spread of classes across undergrad and MA levels, so the likelihood of a student having taken exactly the same combination of modules is low.

Ask first.


The above really captures the truth of the matter from the perspective of the person who actually has to write the reference. For bonus points, odds are the people the OP is asking for a reference get no teaching credit for this, so it actively eats into their limited time for teaching prep and research over the summer for no useful payback.
Original post by Anonymous
Well you can view it as bad manners. But i just don't want to bother them by begging for reference permission. i am applying to different unis and of course they going to have lot of students doing the same. Maybe they should be thankful that i didn't email for wasting their time to look at when they probably have already made a template for those references receive by other Universities and just simply change the name.


It is bad manners. If you don’t want to bother them then don’t. Just apply if you strongly believe the 1st will be enough and no recommendations needed.

I understand what position you’re in because I’m in my final year in BSc. I was a transfer and had no friends for 2 years. I never really communicated with the lecturers either which I’m hoping to fix this year.

Even so, references are important and that’s something said by most universities. It won’t hurt you to just go in and speak to them for a reference. You were a hardworking student so even though they might not have known you too well, they might be able to offer you some kind of reference even if it’s a generic or ‘template’ however if you don’t and they receive a surprise demand for a reference, they may be less inclined to help. They have the right to not do it. Your choice.
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by gutenberg
Trust me, it's way more annoying/bothersome as a lecturer to receive a request out of the blue and having to suddenly carve out time to write a reference, versus being asked and knowing a request is likely coming in the next X number of weeks, meaning I need to leave some time to do it. It's basic respect for someone's time, first.

"Ok class, I've giving out a new assignment, I want to see a draft in 4 weeks and it's due in 12"

"Aw WHIT! THAT'S NO FAIR! WE'VE ALREADY GOT TONS TO DO AND I'VE BEEN OFF THE LAST FEW WEEKS, WHEN ARE WE SUPPOSED TO GET ANYTHING DONE? OH YEAH I NEED A REFERENCE!"

"*sigh* When do you need the reference by?"

"TOMORROW" :colone:
Original post by StriderHort
"Ok class, I've giving out a new assignment, I want to see a draft in 4 weeks and it's due in 12"

"Aw WHIT! THAT'S NO FAIR! WE'VE ALREADY GOT TONS TO DO AND I'VE BEEN OFF THE LAST FEW WEEKS, WHEN ARE WE SUPPOSED TO GET ANYTHING DONE? OH YEAH I NEED A REFERENCE!"

"*sigh* When do you need the reference by?"

"TOMORROW" :colone:

Way too close to the bone :wink:
Original post by gutenberg
Way too close to the bone :wink:

I was a class rep for 2+ years. So after a lecturer had said no they came to me. :rolleyes:

"TELL HER SHE NEEDS TO WRITE THIS!"

*diplomatic silence*....Tell her?

Once with great care I actually DID manage to strike a deal with the lecturer concerned, who agreed if the student attended 3 group project sessions of one of their other classes and helped out, she'd accept that and base the reference on it. He didn't turn up for the first one and I ended up giving the wee **** the proper hairdryer treatment behind a garage :tongue:
Reply 18
I would ignore the reference request out of spite tbh
You sound so entitled and rude.

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