Dear Dr Smith… (emailing staff)
What it really means
Email etiquette: start with "Dear Dr/Professor + surname" the first time, keep it short, say which module you are on, and use your university email. If they sign off with their first name, you may use it in your reply. Do not expect answers at night or weekends.
Context, tips & common mistakes
The formula: informative subject line with module code ('LAW2040 — question about essay deadline'), open with 'Dear Dr Surname' (or Professor where applicable — never 'Mrs' for a PhD holder, and 'Hi firstname' only after they sign that way to you), keep it under 150 words, and close with your full name, student number and module. That email gets answered; 'hey, i missed class did we do anything important' gets forwarded to the staff group chat for entertainment.
Before sending at all, run the check that saves everyone's inbox: is the answer in the module handbook, the VLE announcements, or the assessment brief? Questions answerable there mark you as someone who does not read the materials. Expect replies within two or three working days, not hours — chase politely after that, never the same evening — and route complex or personal matters to office hours, where fifteen minutes achieves what twelve emails cannot.
Example conversation
What you could say back
No spoken reply needed for this one.