WHAT FACULTY WANT AND DO NOT WANT TO WRITE LETTERS OF REFERENCE ABOUT

There are some students a faculty member enjoys writing letters of reference for. There are other students that they would rather not write a letter of reference for. And, in the worst cases, there are students that the faculty member will refuse to write a letter of reference for.

Here are some of the best and worst things a student can do that impact the letter of reference a faculty member might write for them.

WHAT FACULTY WANT AND DO NOT WANT TO WRITE ABOUT
Student Behavior in the Classroom
BEST Seems very interested in the course Usually has good answer to questions in class Very attentive during lecture Disagrees with opinions but in a respectful way Asks lots of questions in class	WORST Cheats on an exam Plagiarizes a written assignment Sleeps during lectures Talks to neighbors during lectures Sneers/rolls eyes during your lecture
Student Behavior Outside of Class
BEST Drops by office occasionally to comment on topic that has sparked some interest Comes to office during office hours for assistance Always smiles and says hi in the hallways	WORST Is openly hostile toward you Is very complementary but manipulative Is flirtatious and seductive Is openly critical of you
Personal Characteristics
BEST Highly motivated to achieve Responsible and dependable Professional and mature manner and attitude Very likeable	WORST Arrogant Always depressed Silly Requires considerable, structured direction
Miscellaneous Behaviors and Characteristics
BEST One of the top students in the class Puts extra effort into term paper, class assignment Top 5% (GPA) in graduating class Shows up frequently to departmental colloquia Shows interest in and participates in faculty research	WORST Caught cheating on one exam, appeared genuinely contrite and promised to change Dresses and grooms very unconventionally Appears disinterested in the general area of study and only shows up for class

Letters of reference can sometimes be stressful for both the student and faculty member. Think about how your behavior in and out of the classroom may influence the faculty member you will eventually ask for a letter of reference. Do you think the faculty member will want to write a letter of reference for you?

Adapted from: Landrum E. R. & Davis S. F. (2003). The Psychology Major: Career Options and Strategies for Success, 2^nd ed., Pearson Education Inc.: Upper Saddle river, NJ.