Book Review: Say This, NOT That to Your Professor

If you’ve ever wondered if you’re communicating properly with your professor, if you want your child to have the best possible advantages when they arrive at college, or if you’d simply like to learn some vital communications basics, Ellen Bremen’s book is for you.

Among the many guides out there which attempt to make college life easier, none of them focus on a fundamental concept – communication. If communicating effectively with a professor is problematic, communicating with a boss or supervisor after graduation won’t be any easier. In the meantime, this poor communication can lead to frustrated students, frustrated professors and, worst of all, needlessly poor grades.

In Say This, NOT That to Your Professor Bremen addresses this issue in an easy-to-read, conversationally-toned book which touches on aspects of communication nearly every student will face at some point in their academic career. Even better, she gives real-world examples and scripts which can be used as-is or modified to fit virtually any situation.

Why It’s Necessary

Transitioning from high school to college is rarely an easy task. A student’s entire way of life changes in just a few months, leaving many of them scrambling to find their way. In today’s world, this issue is compounded by the way young people communicate. Our world is so saturated with Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media that many students arrive at college with very few concrete, face-to-face communication skills. Bremen tackles these issues head-on, along with a wonderful variety of other common communication roadblocks.

What You’ll Learn

With an uncanny understanding of the student mind, Bremen covers everything from first-year transition issues to saving a failing grade. You’ll learn how to deal with the fact that your parents can’t help you in college courses, which is a huge stumbling block for children of highly-involved parents. Peer relationships are also covered, as they relate to grades and academics. Bremen covers specifics such as absences, requesting do-overs and extra credit.  Chronic lateness, late assignments, test-prep tips and apology skills (often one of the hardest parts of communication) are also addressed.

An entire section of Bremen’s book is devoted to online and e-mail etiquette, helping you to think twice before firing off that angry e-mail to your professor. You’ll also learn why your email address itself is important, as well as how to compose a professional-sounding message. In her final section, Bremen gives insider knowledge on how professors think, allowing students to act, react and communicate accordingly and effectively.

An Indispensable Guide

Ellen Bremen has crammed years of experience and expertise into a relatively short book which is actually fun to read. A must for high school students as well as current college students, her book is also an excellent source of practical communication advice for anybody who wants to sharpen their communication skills and minimize misunderstandings. It’s a long-overdue manual for navigating the communications minefield that is college, addressing issues which have gone overlooked until now. It’s a book students will hold onto, giving them practical advice and guidelines they’ll refer to frequently throughout their academic and professional careers.

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