It is alright that you overslept and missed your exam. That was not your only chance. Fortunately there is a tool you can use called rhetoric, the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing. I am taking a communication persuasion class at Texas Tech University and I have been learning all about how to effectively use rhetoric and certain tools to help you persuade your audience, who in this case is your professor. In order to effectively persuade your teacher of why you deserve a second chance, you will need a unique argument that will start by establishing credibility for yourself. You need to tell her your story or problem in a way that she can relate to and show sympathy for you. You should provide a logical solution to the problem at hand, and show her the benefits that would affect you and her if she were to allow you to take the exam late, which will give reason to use the solution you suggest.

One of the hardest parts of persuasion of your case is making yourself appear to be credible. You have already lost a great deal of credibility by missing the exam and you have to find a way to restore it. You must establish credibility up front, before your argument. Research shows that credibility has little to no effect if it is presented at the end. I would try to establish my credibility with something that she can confirm for herself such as your perfect attendance in class up until this day. You should also point out how you have been involved and have participated in class. You must use examples that are true and honest in order to establish real credibility. Trustworthiness is one of the main factors of credibility and if she knows your lying you will lose it all. So be honest. Credibility is a series of judgments made by the perceiver. Therefore, it does not matter how good of a student you are if you cannot make your professor visualize it. If you have been shaky at best with your efforts in class then you need to try to increase your credibility showing that you’re good willed. One of the ways you can do this is by sharing with your professor things your involved in that can improve your image. For example, if you have been volunteering your time at a local church or soup kitchen you should talk about that. If it seems that you have already lost her then you can make a last effort and try to find a grandfalloon, a proud, meaningless association between human beings. Whether it is her alma mater, a sports team, or the town you both grew up in, it could make her feel a strong, positive association with you. These are ways you can start off your plea that will allow your audience to relate; it will give you creditably and subsequently your argument will hold some weight.

Now that you have given yourself some credibility you will use an approach employing pathos. Pathos is an emotional appeal that streams along the lines of tragedy. You need to set the scene of your tragedy. Why did you miss the test? What factors were working against you that burdened you? By giving your professor the sad details of your story you can capture her emotions. By capturing her emotions you will have her hooked, and she will have open ears when it comes time for your solution. Now that she has been struck emotionally you can explain to her what will happen if she does not let you make up the test. If the consequences of you not taking the test are severe enough like losing funding for school or having to go home then she might feel partly responsible. If you can instill in them the feeling of restitution, a feeling to compensate for wrongdoing, then that could persuade them to help you. Even though the act of not letting you take the test late itself is not wrong, you can alter her point of view on this, if you can relate that to the bad things that will happen as a result of not taking the test at all.

You should have your professor right where you want them now. You have shown that you are credible, and if you were successful in using pathos then your professor might feel the need to help you now. This is where you will give your logical solution. You have to be reasonable with yourself in this right. You missed the original test date. Is it logical that you should be able to take the test for the same amount of points that the rest of the class did on time? Try to be fair with your teacher and yourself. I would offer to take the exam for a serious grade point deduction and sign a contract that requires you to attend class every day for the rest of the semester. Once you come up with your solution you need to present it to your teacher in a way that she can understand your thought processes. Walk her through how you went about your decision making. I would try to use inductive reasoning in this instance. Your professor will most likely be hesitant to reach the same conclusion as you. So instead of giving your conclusion and then explaining why, give your professor cases that she can relate to. Build on these cases and then tie them into your conclusion. By giving the cases and evidence that they agree with you get your audience on the same page as you. After agreeing with you on a few cases then they will be more likely to agree with your conclusion, especially if you tie it in well. You can write your professor a letter if you are not comfortable with speaking. Utilizing these tools in a speech or letter to your professor will greatly improve your chance to persuade her to allow you a second opportunity to take the test.