{"id":1659,"date":"2025-07-31T08:56:39","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T07:56:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/?p=1659"},"modified":"2025-07-31T08:59:56","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T07:59:56","slug":"managing-emails-at-university-what-ive-learned","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2025\/07\/31\/managing-emails-at-university-what-ive-learned\/","title":{"rendered":"Managing Emails at University: What I\u2019ve Learned"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before university, I was used to a school environment where communication happened face-to-face and there was a sense that someone would catch things if I missed them. At University, that changed. Emails became the main way information was shared, and it was up to me to keep track. At first, this shift felt a bit overwhelming, and I was worried I might miss something important or respond inappropriately. But over time, I\u2019ve developed a few habits that have helped me manage my inbox more confidently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Staying organised and in control<\/h2>\n

Just delete it<\/h3>\n

Managing emails starts with knowing what\u2019s worth keeping. Not every email is worth saving. If it doesn\u2019t apply to me, doesn\u2019t need a reply, and doesn\u2019t contain anything useful, I delete it. It took a while to feel comfortable doing that, but it\u2019s made a big difference.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Snoozing emails to remind me later<\/h3>\n

Sometimes I open an email and know I can\u2019t deal with it straight away. I\u2019ve found that snoozing it to reappear later helps me avoid forgetting about it. It\u2019s a simple way to stay on top of things without feeling pressured to respond immediately.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re using the Outlook app on iOS or Android, you can do this for an email by clicking the three dots on the reply bar at the bottom of the email, then selecting \u2018Snooze\u2019. You can then choose a date and time for the email to reappear in your inbox.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Aim for inbox zero<\/h3>\n

I also try to keep my inbox clear. If I don\u2019t need to act, I archive the email. If it\u2019s useful, I move it to a folder. The only emails I leave in my inbox are ones I still need to reply to or do something about. It doesn\u2019t always stay empty but even getting close makes things feel more manageable.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Use a laptop or desktop when things feel overwhelming<\/h3>\n

When my inbox feels out of control, I sit down at my laptop. Having a full keyboard, access to documents, and a larger screen helps me focus and get through things more easily.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Writing an email<\/h2>\n

How to address staff<\/h3>\n

How you write an email can make a big difference. In my department\u2019s welcome presentation, they gave advice on how to address staff in emails. Some prefer \u201cDr\u201d or \u201cProfessor,\u201d while others are happy with first names. If I\u2019m not sure, I go formal. It\u2019s respectful and avoids awkwardness. If you\u2019re unsure if who you\u2019re emailing is a Dr, Professor, etc, just google it! The University of Bath\u2019s research portal has the correct title on each academic's profile.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Make your subject line count<\/h3>\n

A good subject line helps staff understand what the email is about. Including the unit code and a brief description makes it easier for them to find and respond to my message. I generally always begin the subject line of my emails to lecturers with the unit code and have had my lecturers request this as standard for any emails. You may only have one module with them, but they are often busy teaching multiple.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Add context with a signature<\/h3>\n

I added a signature to my emails with my name, course and year. It helps staff place me in context, especially if I\u2019m contacting someone outside my department.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re using the Outlook app on iOS or Android, you can create a signature by tapping your profile icon, then the gear icon for settings, and selecting \u2018Signature\u2019. From there, you can type in your details and save it, so it appears automatically in every email you send. This also allows you to remove the \u201cSent from Outlook for iOS\/Android\u201d, which can help make your emails appear more professional.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Emailing without overthinking<\/h3>\n

Sometimes emails don\u2019t get a reply straight away, and that\u2019s okay. If I haven\u2019t heard back after a reasonable amount of time, I send a polite follow-up. This amount of time can vary depending on how important the issue is and the time of year. Generally, I send a follow-up after 5\u20137 working days for whoever I am contacting, but if it's during a holiday, I don\u2019t send follow-up emails at all. People are busy and emails can get missed. A gentle reminder usually helps.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve spent more time worrying about emails than actually replying to them. Once I sit down and read them properly, they\u2019re usually straightforward. It\u2019s always better to deal with them than to let them build up. So I try to follow the two-minute rule. If I can reply or sort something within two minutes, I do it straight away. It stops small tasks from piling up.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Managing emails isn\u2019t something I was taught, but it\u2019s become an important part of university life. If you\u2019re looking to improve how you handle emails, the Skills Centre runs a Workplace Essentials workshop<\/a> that includes a session on email communication. You can also find more advice on the Academic & Employability Skills blog<\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Before university, I was used to a school environment where communication happened face-to-face and there was a sense that someone would catch things if I missed them. At University, that changed. Emails became the main way information was shared, and...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2025,"featured_media":1660,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[91,74,61],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-skills","category-communication","category-digital-skills"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2025\/07\/Blog-post-images-5.png","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1043,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2023\/09\/06\/how-to-declutter-your-digital-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":1659,"position":0},"title":"How to declutter your digital life","author":"Ana Bertolossi","date":"September 6, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Are you the sort of person who feels stressed by physical clutter in your life? 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