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2018 March 1
Are you considering asking me for a letter of recommendation? Here are some tips. Probably many of them apply to other faculty, but I don't speak for other faculty.
The main thing you must understand is that recommendations tend to be bland and boring. You want yours to be specific and persuasive. The more information I have, the better your letter will be.
First, do I know you well? Have you taken a course with me recently? (More than one course?) Did you earn a good grade? Did you participate in class? Did you visit my office or otherwise converse with me occasionally?
If you answered "no" to many of those questions, then maybe I'm not your best choice for a recommender. If you feel that I'm still your best choice, then okay, but work on improving your relationships with faculty.
Second, you should give me at least the following information. This is the minimum.
Finally, you should ask me for a recommendation, before telling anyone that I'm going to recommend you. You should ask me at least a couple of weeks before the first due date. A day or two before the first due date, you should remind me.