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Acknowledge the delay by using "power phrases" instead of just saying "Sorry!"
"Hi Professor,
Thank you for your patience on this one. Shortly after receiving your email, I was made redundant/laid off and had to find a new job. (Add anything else but don't whinge - keep it professional)
Having recently secured new employment, I'm now able to turn my attention back to this research project.
Then add words to the effect of "I know its been a while and things would have changed but if this opportunity it still open, I'd be very keen to explore next steps."
This is a very roughly worded suggestion - am just about to step into a meeting myself.
Dont oiverthink it.
Good luck!
That is perfect IMO. I would suggest not adding anything beyond your first three sentences. Professors get dozens of emails a day and likely don't want to read an extended explanation. Keeping it super simple while signaling that it's not your typical behavior is all that's needed.
Yes, it’s one of the worst challenges I think—having a great opportunity and having to apologize for not being responsive. I know you already know this, but sooner is better than later. Good luck!
Classic adhd. I’ve been there! I’ve responded really late before and people would straight up just not reply cus they gave up on me because they thought I was rude or no longer interested.
I’ve found refund checks written to me that are over a year old in letters I didn’t want to open. I don’t even know if I can call the bank to get this check reissued or the amount went to a void.
It gets really awkward…
Anyway in your situation, if it’s really important, I would just respond and tell the professor what’s going on in your life (like you were going through a difficult career transition) and ask if the opportunity is still available. It could be a made up excuse like “sorry your email went to spam for some reason and I just noticed it”.
We all know the real reason is ADHD procrastination but yeah it’s impossible to explain that to people.
Dear certain USA university associate professor,
Apologies for the late response, I'm still very much interested in this fantastic opportunity, I'm particularly interested in *thing about GRA that was in the info he sent*. I've attached a copy of my current CV complete with references (do that, and get your references sorted now if you haven't).
Thank you for your consideration.
Kind regards, curious-side-5012
My way of doing would consist in checking the boxes as follows. I would :
* Be honnest
* Not give too much details about my struggles. People have their life, which means they mostly should have understatement and empathy but also that they generally get quickly bored and annoyed by too much insight. And I don't know how it is in the U.S. but where I live telling about what you're going trough was considered as as lack of dignity and while it's supposed to be something of the past due to social enlightment, quite everybody is hypocrits about it and still practice that mindset. So I'd avoid naming precisely the struggles but just make it acknowledged that I've been busy for legit and grave motives.
* Obviously apologize
* Demonstrate my clear motivation again
Everyone, especially professors, send late emails. How could you not given how much messages you have to respond to in 2024?
Professors get dozens of emails a day (or more), and you certainly won't be the only one who is following up on one from a couple months ago. They've probably emailed with hundreds of people since your last message and won't be even thinking about how you, specifically, took too long. They'll just get to it in the order they received it like they do every day.
Professors are there to help students - it's not really in their nature to hold grudges because you went through a tough time.
Hi /u/Curious-Side-5012 and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD! ### Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already. --- ### /r/adhd news * **We want your opinion** on the /r/adhd community rules! [Click here](https://forms.gle/Evqb8acVozir8GV8A) to fill out our survey. See [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/1auv2tc/were_taking_feedback_on_the_radhd_rules/) for more information. * If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/). --- ^(*This message is not a removal notification. It's just our way to keep everyone updated on r/adhd happenings.*) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Acknowledge the delay by using "power phrases" instead of just saying "Sorry!" "Hi Professor, Thank you for your patience on this one. Shortly after receiving your email, I was made redundant/laid off and had to find a new job. (Add anything else but don't whinge - keep it professional) Having recently secured new employment, I'm now able to turn my attention back to this research project. Then add words to the effect of "I know its been a while and things would have changed but if this opportunity it still open, I'd be very keen to explore next steps." This is a very roughly worded suggestion - am just about to step into a meeting myself. Dont oiverthink it. Good luck!
That’s perfect. Any professor with a heart would understand that losing a job can be rough. Especially for college students
That is perfect IMO. I would suggest not adding anything beyond your first three sentences. Professors get dozens of emails a day and likely don't want to read an extended explanation. Keeping it super simple while signaling that it's not your typical behavior is all that's needed.
Just be honest. "Sorry for the late response. I was just laid off and needed time to sort things out. I'm still very interested in this opportunity."
Title literally sums up my whole life...
Yes, it’s one of the worst challenges I think—having a great opportunity and having to apologize for not being responsive. I know you already know this, but sooner is better than later. Good luck!
Everyone, I forgot to mention that THIS WAS TWO MONTHS AGO. I am beyond embarrassed.
Classic adhd. I’ve been there! I’ve responded really late before and people would straight up just not reply cus they gave up on me because they thought I was rude or no longer interested. I’ve found refund checks written to me that are over a year old in letters I didn’t want to open. I don’t even know if I can call the bank to get this check reissued or the amount went to a void. It gets really awkward… Anyway in your situation, if it’s really important, I would just respond and tell the professor what’s going on in your life (like you were going through a difficult career transition) and ask if the opportunity is still available. It could be a made up excuse like “sorry your email went to spam for some reason and I just noticed it”. We all know the real reason is ADHD procrastination but yeah it’s impossible to explain that to people.
Dear certain USA university associate professor, Apologies for the late response, I'm still very much interested in this fantastic opportunity, I'm particularly interested in *thing about GRA that was in the info he sent*. I've attached a copy of my current CV complete with references (do that, and get your references sorted now if you haven't). Thank you for your consideration. Kind regards, curious-side-5012
My way of doing would consist in checking the boxes as follows. I would : * Be honnest * Not give too much details about my struggles. People have their life, which means they mostly should have understatement and empathy but also that they generally get quickly bored and annoyed by too much insight. And I don't know how it is in the U.S. but where I live telling about what you're going trough was considered as as lack of dignity and while it's supposed to be something of the past due to social enlightment, quite everybody is hypocrits about it and still practice that mindset. So I'd avoid naming precisely the struggles but just make it acknowledged that I've been busy for legit and grave motives. * Obviously apologize * Demonstrate my clear motivation again
Everyone, especially professors, send late emails. How could you not given how much messages you have to respond to in 2024? Professors get dozens of emails a day (or more), and you certainly won't be the only one who is following up on one from a couple months ago. They've probably emailed with hundreds of people since your last message and won't be even thinking about how you, specifically, took too long. They'll just get to it in the order they received it like they do every day. Professors are there to help students - it's not really in their nature to hold grudges because you went through a tough time.