Advice on getting letter of recommendation

UCSB is a good school stephen hawking used to go there\


as for your original question I'm not sure if there's much you can do except go and ask. Personally I would be annoyed if a student tried to impress me before asking for a letter. (then again I'm not a professor yet by a long shot)

 

Is there noone else you can ask? The letter of recommendation will comment on your previous work, and your suitability for the research post, so if she's commented on you sleeping, and not doing anything in the lab, then I'd imagine the letter won't be all that impressive. Also, trying to strike up a conversation won't make the letter better given that you've got one day!

I'd suggest finding someone else, maybe someone youve spoken to, or even asked a question outside of the lectures.

 

Definitely see if another professor will write a letter for you.

 

Well, I think you should try to get one off someone who youve been in a few lectures with, and who seems like you can approach them. That may turn out to be better than a bad one from someone who knows you. You should start to get to know your professors though, since you will probably need at least one reference in the future!

 

Proton, don't base your actions too heavily on what I'm about to say. But I've found that in general, professors aren't out to screw over their students. Even the ones who hand out bad grades don't have any special desire to watch as students fail to get into research programs. I think that if your physics professor (the one in whose class you sleep) were to write you a recommendation, it would still be all right. She might mention your napping habits, but might also excuse them by pointing to your academic performance. I remember that when my space physics professor wrote me a recommendation letter for grad school, he said he would mention a few bad grades that I got in my first two years, but that he'd also take note of the very good grades I got my last two years (incidentally I got into grad school, if you're wondering about the effectiveness of this writing style). I think the worst that would happen is that if your professor doesn't like you, she'll simply refuse to write you a letter.

Of course, none of us are in your position, so you should use good judgment in choosing the professors to write your letters.

 

Or, you can refuse sending out a terrible letter.

 

Clear the air with your professor. She can highlight both your deficiencies and assets. A letter of recommendation from one such as her will have much more impact than a boiler plate 'seems like a nice enough person' coming from one you once had lunch with. Warts are most noticeable when their existence is denied. Most people feel more comfortable taking a chance with the whole person than the whitewashed version. Behavioral deficiencies are easily corrected, lack of talent is not. She would not chide you if she thought you lacked potential.