Sometimes assignments don’t go as planned. You may have misunderstood instructions, underestimated the workload, or simply not done your best work.
Whatever the reason, asking a professor for a resubmission can be nerve-wracking. You don’t want to seem disrespectful or become a nuisance. How can you politely request a second chance while maintaining rapport?
Today, we’ll be talking about easy-to-use phrases for asking for a resubmission. We’ll describe what it entails and the mindset needed when making the request. Read on to find 10 clever and gracious ways we discovered to inspire your professor to graciously say yes.
10 Interesting Ways to Ask a Professor for a Resubmission
- Could you please provide feedback on my work so I can make the necessary revisions?
- Would it be possible to have another opportunity to improve my assignment?
- I’m eager to learn from your feedback and enhance my work. Can I resubmit?
- Could you guide me on how to improve my assignment for a potential resubmission?
- I understand the areas where my work can be improved. Is there an option for resubmission?
- Given your feedback, I’m motivated to refine my work. Would you consider a resubmission?
- Sir/ma, I have just noticed a mistake in my essay. Can I work on it and resubmit it?
- Based on what you shared with us, I would like to refine my assignment with the new insights I have gained.
- I have noted all you said and I will redo the assignment, however, do I get a chance to resubmit?
- I’m dedicated to meeting the expectations of the assignment. Could I have the opportunity to resubmit?
1. Could you please provide feedback on my work so I can make the necessary revisions?
Don’t ask directly. If it is a stern Professor, instead of getting a positive response to a resubmission, they would give you a reason to do otherwise.
However, asking for their feedback says you value their input and you are willing to learn from the changes they will make. Besides, if they make corrections that you will apply, it is you resubmit it. Here’s a sentence example:
- Could you please provide feedback on my work so I can make the necessary revisions? It is far from perfect but with your changes, it could improve.
2. Would it be possible to have another opportunity to improve my assignment?
Ask for another chance. To be honest, you should only try this with kind professors. A stricter one would just grade you no matter how badly you did or if you want to redo the assignment.
This direct method tells those willing to listen that you are eager to do better. Here’s a sentence example:
- Would it be possible to have another opportunity to improve my assignment? I saw your sample and I will have to tweak mine to follow the example you have laid.
3. I’m eager to learn from your feedback and enhance my work. Can I resubmit?
Show them your enthusiasm. Most people only nod at the corrections or feedback their teachers give. You can do more than this though.
If you want to resubmit, show enthusiasm for the feedback. What this says to them is that you are ready to learn. No professor would like that kind of student. Here’s a sentence example:
- I’m eager to learn from your feedback and enhance my work. Can I resubmit? I want to see how well I can apply what you have taught.
4. Could you guide me on how to improve my assignment for a potential resubmission?
Ask for their guide. Yes, professors are at the top of the educators’ scale so most people think that they look down on others. This is untrue. Asking for their guidance is a step higher than just utilizing their feedback.
It is you being tutored by them not just in that one assignment or task but in several as long as that course or subject is concerned. If they accept, they are invariably allowed a resubmission. Here’s a sentence example:
- Could you guide me on how to improve my assignment for a potential resubmission? I know by then the due date would have passed but I’m very interested in learning.
5. I understand the areas where my work can be improved. Is there an option for resubmission?
Let them know you are concerned with their feedback. This is like a teacher has scored an essay and has put her comments by the side or called you to her table to tell you what you could have done better.
In this case, while the essay or task has been marked and graded, asking for a resubmission is saying you want to apply these corrections. It says a lot about how seriously you want to improve in that area. Here’s a sentence example:
- I understand the areas where my work can be improved. Is there an option for resubmission? Applying these changes the best way I can say that I have completely understood these changes.
6. Given your feedback, I’m motivated to refine my work. Would you consider a resubmission?
Show them your eagerness. There are different types of students who in the case of a correction would react differently. If you seem motivated to better your work and handle resubmission, they will hardly say no unless in cases where there is no need or a resubmission is not allowed.
Motivated students want to learn and professors are open to people who want to learn. Here’s a sentence example:
- Given your feedback, I’m motivated to refine my work. Would you consider a resubmission? Ok, can’t let this pass without trying to make use of your helpful comments.
7. Sir/ma, I have just noticed a mistake in my essay. Can I work on it and resubmit it?
Ask for your work back. Assignments, class tasks, or whatever you are given to work on like a report or a thesis all have deadlines.
If the deadline for the work has not been reached and you need to make changes you can meet them to take it back and then resubmit. Here’s a sentence example:
- Sir/ma, I have just noticed a mistake in my essay. Can I work on it and resubmit it? I’m sorry for the inconvenience but I want to do my best.
8. Based on what you shared with us, I would like to refine my assignment with the new insights I have gained.
Give a reason for wanting to rework your assignment. An assignment that has been turned in and you want to rework may not be handed back to you unless you have very good reasons
First off, it might be inconvenient to the professor, and second, they might have already started grading it. What you can do is not just use this point but highlight those insights you have gotten and how they relate to the assignment. Here’s a sentence example:
- Based on what you shared with us, I would like to refine my assignment with the new insights I have gained. For example, I feel B. F. Skinner’s theory is much better than Erikson’s in child development.
9. I have noted all you said and I will redo the assignment, however, do I get a chance to resubmit?
Accept their criticism. Professors, teachers, and educators in general know their students and what they are capable of. When a good student performs poorly they don’t hurry to grade them poorly because no one gains.
If you are in this situation and you don’t start defending yourself. After listening to them, ask questions and then offer to redo the work. Here’s a sentence example:
- I have noted all you said and I will redo the assignment, however, do I get a chance to resubmit? I want to do better and I know I can apply myself if I try again.
10. I’m dedicated to meeting the expectations of the assignment. Could I have the opportunity to resubmit?
Point out your goal. When you seek out an assignment, especially one that is challenging you have a goal. For difficult concepts, it’s mastery. For research topics or questions, it provides accurate and useful information, and so on.
If your goal or that of the professor wasn’t met from the feedback of the professor, you can ask for an opportunity to work on it again and resubmit. Here’s a sentence example:
- I’m dedicated to meeting the expectations of the assignment. Could I have the opportunity to resubmit? I have improved in this area and I feel I can do a better job if I try again.
Final Words
There are many reasons students may need to request a resubmission, like illness, personal issues, or underestimating the assignment. While asking can cause anxiety, students don’t need to be flustered. With the right approach and words, maintaining rapport with professors is possible.
Now you have an arsenal of clever and gracious strategies to inspire professors to approve resubmissions. From lighthearted rhymes to acknowledging room for improvement, students now have effective tools to get to yes. Asking for an extension or redo is much less daunting when you know what to say and do. With preparation and respect, students can successfully negotiate resubmissions.