“Hi, I’m in your Earth Dynamics class, and I was really sick and couldn’t make it to class this week. Could someone please send me the notes? I would really appreciate it.”

Sound familiar?

If it doesn’t, check your inbox, because your university e-mail account is probably flooded with annoying messages like this, especially if you are in a class with 400 people.

I usually get at least two of these every Tuesday and Thursday when I have my Earth Dynamics class. The best is when people send these and don’t even say which class it’s regarding. Probably no one will send the notes anyway, but how can they when you don’t say which class you need them for?

We are all adults, and we all know the consequences of skipping a class. Some of the writers of these e-mails may actually be as sick as they claim, but I think the majority were just too lazy to get out of bed.

Sure, I’ve skipped this class once or twice, but the last thing I want to do is broadcast to the entire class that I didn’t go all week (until now).

I am also curious if people realize the professor’s name is alphabetized in the list with all the students’ names on FlashLine’s “My Courses” tab. So, unless you uncheck the box by the professor’s name, you are sending your e-mail to him or her as well.

I am not saying the university shouldn’t offer everyone in the class’s e-mails at the click of a mouse, because there are legitimate uses for it such as asking for a homework assignment. But, I think people abuse it by constantly asking for notes.

Instead of pestering 400 people in a grammatically incorrect message, make a friend in each class so you can help each other out if you can’t make it to class.

Not so good at making friends? In most lecture classes there is usually an official note taker who will be willing to let you copy their notes.

Or just do what I do – go to class a little early and ask the person next to you to see their notebook until class starts.

There are the three easy ways to get the notes you missed without making hundreds of people you don’t know roll their eyes at you.

I always delete these e-mails as soon as I see them, and I’m sure many others do too. I just can’t imagine a busy student sitting down to type up three pages of notes to send off to someone he or she doesn’t even know.

I sent an e-mail right back to people who had sent one to me last week asking them if anyone had actually sent them notes.

And it was just as I thought: They said no one had.

Sorry, but if I get one more e-mail from someone in my Earth Dynamics class, I’m going to start burning notebooks so he or she can start from scratch learning the proper way to acquire notes.

Jessica Lumpp is a sophomore magazine journalism major and a columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Do not ever ask her for notes at [email protected].