Page 1 of 1 [ 8 posts ] 

JesseCat
Sea Gull
Sea Gull

User avatar

Joined: 26 Dec 2011
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Posts: 228

04 Apr 2012, 2:00 pm

So I'm 25, I graduated college last year. I have been applying to a few colleges to get a second degree (I realized I do NOT want to pursue Psychology in any way shape or form and want to go back to study Computer Engineering or Physics or both).

Problem is, I lost touch with all my professors, heck I'm not even sure if some of them remember me (Aspie=quiet and nervous in class). How the heck do I go about getting a recommendation letter???

Does anyone have any tips for me? Anyone in a similar situation?

Also, being that I'm a second degree student, do I apply as a freshmen or transfer? (The website said apply as a transfer, so I did, but I want to get more info if anyone is in a similar situation before I call the university and make a fool of myself).

I hope this post made sense as I feel like I am about to throw up from being so nervous after getting a letter saying my application is incomplete (and that I have to somehow get two recommendation letters).



Woodpecker
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 18 Oct 2008
Age: 51
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,625
Location: Europe

04 Apr 2012, 2:16 pm

I have no idea which country you are in, but my advice would be to write to your old personal tutor at your old university and ask him/her for a reference. Also anyone you have done a project for, write to them a letter asking for a reference.


_________________
Health is a state of physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity :alien: I am not a jigsaw, I am a free man !

Diagnosed under the DSM5 rules with autism spectrum disorder, under DSM4 psychologist said would have been AS (299.80) but I suspect that I am somewhere between 299.80 and 299.00 (Autism) under DSM4.


JesseCat
Sea Gull
Sea Gull

User avatar

Joined: 26 Dec 2011
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Posts: 228

04 Apr 2012, 2:34 pm

Woodpecker wrote:
I have no idea which country you are in, but my advice would be to write to your old personal tutor at your old university and ask him/her for a reference. Also anyone you have done a project for, write to them a letter asking for a reference.


America-I should have been more specific
:oops:



Cardboard_Castles
Butterfly
Butterfly

User avatar

Joined: 27 Nov 2011
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Posts: 17

04 Apr 2012, 2:45 pm

You might be surprised how willing Professors are to write recommendations (it is a part of the job).

I would think back to which classes you excelled in then e-mail the professors of those classes (faculty directories always have contact info). Exchange pleasantries, then tell them what you would like to do with your life. Perhaps phrase the e-mail as asking for advice on how to succeed in (X) field of study (people love talking about themselves). Spark their interest. Then ask for a letter.

It can't hurt. The worst thing is if you don't get a return e-mail.



DVCal
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 4 Apr 2012
Age: 40
Gender: Male
Posts: 636

05 Apr 2012, 9:56 pm

You know when I graduated, I was so scared to ask my professor for a letter, but when I did they were more than willing to do it. They even remembered who I was, and remembered that I did well in their class. They knew my name and everything.

Just make sure you did well in the class you are asking a letter for. If you got a C or D in a class, don't go asking from letter recommendation.



Stargazer43
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 Nov 2011
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,604

06 Apr 2012, 11:39 pm

If you have any professors you spent any personal time with, any that advised you in any way (even if it was just for scheduling classes), or any that you ever asked questions to, are all potential people you can contact for a letter. They're all used to getting tons of these requests so don't be shy about e-mailing them and asking if they'd write you a letter. The better you knew them the better the letter will be, but if they don't or hardly remember you, they'll probably just pull up your records and write a letter based on those.

I admit this is one of the most frustrating and nightmarish parts of applying to places. I actually had to ask the same professors to write completely different letters on two separate occasions, that wasn't fun in the least!



kamesponge
Butterfly
Butterfly

User avatar

Joined: 4 Apr 2012
Gender: Female
Posts: 10

07 Apr 2012, 2:14 am

You should definitely ask for letters from classes you did your best in, but also send a resume and reasons for your interest both in the recommendation and in the topic itself.



91
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 30 Oct 2010
Age: 39
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,063
Location: Australia

12 Apr 2012, 10:56 pm

Sit down with someone, even if it's just a drop in on a professor in the field you want to move into. Ask for advice, even if they don't give you exactly what you need generally they can point you in the right direction.


_________________
Life is real ! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal ;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.