Writing a letter of recommendation for a mediocre student A former student has asked me to write a letter of recommendation.  I am always quite happy to do so -- but in this case it's hard to find much to say.  The student took two classes with me and earned B's in both; moreover, both classes were large lectures, so it was more or less impossible to notice most individual students' participation or abilities.  I would really like to help but I am not sure what I can write other than a description of the courses the student took and a report on his grades, which were fairly close to the median in both cases. Any suggestions on what else I can say?

Edit:  Since a few people have asked, the letter is (in this case) for a one-semester study abroad program in Manchester.  I have no idea how competitive admissions are, but it's not like grad school or a job.
Before you write the letter, discuss this with the student, and be blunt about it. Most likely the student needs a letter for something and this is the best they've got. One thing is to turn this in to a teachable moment about the need for students to make connections with their instructors. Depending on what the student wants the letter for, this may be sufficient for their purposes. Some things requires letters but don't pay close attention to them. Did the student say what they wanted the letter for? That maybe should be impact what you say and whether you should write it.