Asking a professor if they would like to grab a coffee

r/

For context, I’ll (current grad student) be going overseas for a symposium to a city where this professor is based in. I’ve spoken to her on one occasion one-on-one via Zoom and we’ve had (I think) a rather pleasant conversation. I’d like to ask if she would like to grab a coffee when I’m there, I’d love to pick her brain and learn more from her experiences in academia and graduate school. We’re both of the same nationality so I thought it’d be interesting to learn from her what it is like to be working in academia in another country now.

However, I don’t know if this is appropriate in any way since we’ve only spoke once and not even in person. Would it be ok if I tried reaching out to her?

Edit: thank you for the response so far! Will reach out soon 🙂

Comments

  1. teejermiester Avatar

    Totally fine. Go for it!

  2. Marchhare317 Avatar

    I asked my advisor whether or not to email a “famous” prof. in grad school. I’ll always remember her response, “he’s got an email just like everyone else, doesn’t he?”

    I emailed and he responded. Go for it!

  3. SweetAlyssumm Avatar

    You could also just ask if you could meet for half an hour in her office. That’s a normal thing to do when traveling to other universities.

  4. LordHalfling Avatar

    Why not just ask to meet her in her office? That’s standard operating procedure for meetings.

  5. opbmedia Avatar

    I would love to have one of my students ask me to grab coffee lol hasn’t happened yet in how many years now?

  6. not-cotku Avatar

    Cold emails have been a very successful strategy for me throughout grad school. The connections that stick are wonderful supports.

  7. ThatHippieProf Avatar

    Yep, go for it.

    You could also offer: (a) to meet before or after the symposium, if they are also attending; (b) meeting at their office (as others have suggested); or (c) coffee/tea.

    Giving options can increase success and will allow the professor to offer alternatives at their comfort level.

  8. BowTrek Avatar

    Yeah this is fine — you’ve had a previous, positive interaction so asking for a coffee is all good.

  9. MonkZer0 Avatar

    Yes, also compliment and act like a good puppy.

  10. wxgi123 Avatar

    Yes, I recommend:

    • be clear about your intention.. e.g. you are seeking mentorship and advice.
    • suggest options, like seeing them on campus or coffee somewhere.. let them choose where.
  11. DenverLilly Avatar

    I did that at the last conference I went to and got lunch with the professor. They ended up being a complete and total let down but hey they met with me and I was able to find that out in a low stakes setting.

  12. randtke Avatar

    Yes, it’s fine to do this.

  13. cynikles Avatar

    Go for it. I’ve randomly reached out to academics in my field and they’ve all been quite jovial and often flattered.

    Worst they’ll do is not reply. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

  14. nukabime Avatar

    Do it. I would not say you want to “pick her brain” though. Just say you enjoyed the conversation last time and would love to talk more.

  15. Verch1 Avatar

    Go for it,
    I’m sitting with a few of my professors for coffee and even beer on a weekly basis. Some are really wholesome to talk to. They are human as much as you are

  16. This-Commercial6259 Avatar

    I once asked a professor to have coffee that I had never met before and was going to be at the same conference, so a completely cold email. It worked out! 🙂

  17. ph-do Avatar

    If you’ve connected before, that’s a great in. Let them know how much you appreciated that exchange and since you’ll be in town, you’d appreciate the opportunity to connect again. Offer to go to their office or meet at another location that may be more convenient for them.

    If you’re doing a cold email – totally fine to do! – just be sure to clarify why you think there is a good connection. Tell them what of their work you’ve read and why you found it helpful/how your work relates to it. It’s fine to get helpf from AI, but be sure to edit it to make it more specific about your situation and connection.

  18. melinafitnexxx Avatar

    I think it’s totally fine to reach out! Academics often enjoy connecting with others in the field, especially when it’s in an informal setting like coffee. Just make sure to be respectful of her time and understand if she’s unavailable.

  19. wampwampwampus Avatar

    Do it! But, recognize that, the way you’ve framed it here, she’s doing you a favor. You may also want to be up front about any intentions. This might fall under “informational interview” but a gracious ask could be “I’ll be in town x-x and I’d love to treat you to coffee if you’d be willing to share your experience with x?”

  20. Brain_Hawk Avatar

    Ask politely. If they’re too busy, they’ll say no. If this happens to be somebody you might be interested in working with in the future, this would count as sort of recruitment. Otherwise, yeah you’re just asking them for a favor, but sometimes people are happy to do that sort of thing.

  21. Crispien Avatar

    As a professor, I’d love a free coffee and I try to make myself as available as I can. Though, I would request that it be on campus or very public, for both our protection.

  22. RoyalAcanthaceae634 Avatar

    All profs keep busy in the evening hours. Send the email in the evening and I bet you get a response within 10 minutes. During the day? It will get lost in the inbox.

  23. Select_Change_247 Avatar

    I would not go up to her and ask her if she’d like to “grab a coffee” as that could come off as you’re trying to hit on her. If you sent a professionally worded email saying you’d appreciate a bit of her time to help further your own academic career, that would be fine. Likely that kind of meeting would take place in her office or some such. Don’t try to be to casual or she could get the wrong idea.

  24. Agitated_Reach6660 Avatar

    Yes, email her! I would say, however, it might be best to let her suggest the time and place or to offer multiple suggestions. Inviting her to coffee may come off as overly casual (at least it would in the culture of my field).

  25. tamponinja Avatar

    This is the last thing I would want to do as a current professor. Keeping it real.