Post written by: Sean Sherwood, Residential Services

After SUNY Cortland, most students will lose touch with their instructors, professors, and various staff that they worked with in their undergraduate studies.  Why is this?  These relationships inside AND outside of the classroom are so important to both parties’ futures. More often than not these relationships are lost at this institution.

The importance of keeping in touch after college is immense.  For students, keeping in touch with faculty or staff is not only a good manner or of caring-nature. You never know when you will need a reference, and someone that can know you on a more personal level will be able to give your hopefully-new employer a new perspective on your personality and work-ethic.

For faculty, keeping track of students that you’ve worked with is so important.  It is a constant reminder for your students of your professionalism and the respect from your post-students will never be forgotten.  You never know when these students you had become your child’s teacher, your mortgage consultant, or even a colleague in the future.

The truth is, no one knows when a past student or faculty will enter your life once again.  The world is a strange place and the importance of “keeping in touch” with these people can yield positive results.  With today’s technology, a simple e-mail can send a big message, and a couple minutes of your time a week may someday pay off.  So keep in touch, or send a message to someone you haven’t spoken to in awhile…because, who knows?