How to Ask for Help When You’re Struggling at School or University
It can be uncomfortable to put up your hand when everyone around you seems to understand the work. You might also discover the problem later, while doing homework or studying on your own. In either case, identifying exactly where you got stuck gives you a useful starting point for a conversation with a teacher, tutor or lecturer.
Find the point where you lost track
Look at the question and go through your attempt from the beginning. Did you understand the instructions? Did you know which method to use? Could you start but get stuck at a later step? For example, you might understand how to substitute values into a formula but be unsure why the formula applies to that particular question.
Show the work you have already done
Take the question, your notes and your attempted answer with you. If you are asking online, include the page number or the exact part you are referring to. You could write, “I got as far as the second line, but I’m unsure why the sign changes here. Could you explain that step?” This helps the person respond to your specific difficulty.
Find a time and place to ask
At school, you could ask during a lesson, after class or at an agreed time. At university, check whether your module has tutorials, lecturer consultation hours or a discussion forum. If several classmates have the same question, ask it in the forum so others can see the answer and contribute their own questions.
Put the explanation into practice
After getting help, explain the method back in your own words. Then attempt another question that uses the same idea. If you get stuck again, note where it happened. The original explanation may have cleared up one step while revealing an earlier concept you need to revise.
Give yourself time to follow up
Ask when the difficulty first becomes clear, especially if new lessons build on the same topic. If you are working on an assignment, find out how and when you can ask for guidance. Check the assignment instructions first so you know which decisions you need to make independently.
Bright Nerds Solutions encourages learners to bring one specific question to their next lesson or tutorial. Take your attempt with you and use the explanation to finish a similar task on your own.
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