The Art of Asking for Help

Studying can be a solitary, even lonely, pursuit. Much of it happens when no one else is around — late at night at the kitchen table or in a cubicle of the library. But there often comes a time when you have to reach out for help. Your professors are there for you, at least during published office hours, and there are other people—librarians and tutors—who want nothing more than to help you.

It is important to realize that everyone needs help in mastering most subjects. As our world becomes more complicated and technological, learning becomes increasingly a collaborative or team effort. It's also important to realize that getting help does not put you in a subordinate position to the person who is helping you. Without people to help, those who want to help would have nothing to do! Professional helpers know how to put you at ease and how to help you get the most out of your academic experience.

Here are some suggestions for you to keep in mind before you seek help from your instructor, your librarian, or your tutor.

• Know what your instructor expects. It would be helpful if you had your assignment in writing from your professor when you go for help. Before you seek help, be prepared to explain, in your own words, what your instructor wants.

  

• Make up a list of questions beforehand. If you have an exercise you need help with, that will provide a structure for the meeting with your tutor; if not, it's important to have a list of questions with you. It's frustrating to leave a help session and then to realize later that you've forgotten to get a piece of information that could hold everything together.

• Think of the obvious resources for your question first. Don't run for help when there are answers waiting for you in textbooks, dictionaries, almanacs, encyclopedias, and other easy to use reference sources. A basic principle: Do your homework!

• Librarians are our friends! They like helping others; they love to help others discover things. Take advantage of that. Ask questions! The best place to start is, "Hi. I'm working on a paper for Professor Jascot in Econ 101. Where can I find information about the economics of southeast Asia?"

• Don't run to the internet first. The internet is only a small part of the enormous resources available today. "Don't look for your answer on the internet just because it's fashionable or easy" (Agre*). As you'll discover, the internet is like an ocean of information: it's easy to get lost on it and, though it is expansive and often a rich treasury of information, it is sometimes, also, quite shallow.

• Ask whom to ask. If your tutor doesn't have the answers—and not even your instructor has all the answers—maybe your tutor knows who would have the answer. Maybe your question should be, "Can you tell me how to find about _____ ?"

  

• Seek help when there's still time for help to be meaningful. If the paper's due tomorrow, and you run in to your professor's office or the Learning Assistance Center desperate and teary-eyed, seeking help has already lost its power to help. That's not to say you're doomed, but giving yourself and your helpers adequate time is a big part of the Art of Asking for Help.

  A major point here: tutors and librarians and professors are not omniscient; they may not know the answers to your questions. Part of the academic experience is learning humility; another part is learning not to give up. But becoming angry or resentful because a tutor or other helper doesn't have all the answers won't do anyone — especially you — any good.

  

• Don't forget to say thanks. Tutors, especially, are underpaid (if they're paid at all). They get a big kick out of helping others, and a simple thank-you or — better yet — letting them know later how you got a better grade because of their help is a huge reward.

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*This document was inspired by an essay by Philip Agre, a Professor in the Communication Department at the University of California, San Diego, in The Network Observer. That essay is intended for people who use the internet, especially newsgroups, as an aid in research, and we recommend it.

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This document is sponsored by the Committee on Writing Standards at Capital Community College.

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