Being in college is challenging, not only from an academic standpoint but also socially and emotionally.
Thankfully, students can get help navigating those challenges in many ways, though many don’t fully use what’s available.
Read this guide until the end to learn how to make the most of the helpful resources you have while in college!
Why Students Don’t Ask For Help
College students have no shortage of ways to get the support they need, though they only sometimes make full use of those resources.
There are several reasons for this, which you might recognize in yourself or among your peers.
Generally, those reasons fall into one of these three categories:
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They Believe Getting Help Is Not A Priority
Some students understand that they could benefit from help, yet they do not prioritize seeking that help. For example, a study by Guerrero and Rod (2013) found that to be the case with some students who don’t attend office hours for one-on-one support with professors, even though they recognize their value.
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They Don’t Feel Comfortable Asking For Help
In some cases, students know that they need support and know where to get it but are uncomfortable about seeking that help. Bohns and Flynn (2010) describe that as ‘help-seeking discomfort’.
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They Don’t Believe They Need Any Help At All
Lastly, some students do not seek help because they don’t believe they need it. For example, an average student might find themselves satisfied with their current academic performance, while a high-achiever might insist on pursuing academic excellence without outside help.
No matter your reason, you must learn to ask for help if you want to perform at your absolute best in college.
Leveraging Help For College Excellence
Remember: as a young adult in college, no one will force you to get the help you need. Still, there are plenty of available resources that could help you perform better in college, no matter how well you might already be doing right now.
Here are four ways you can leverage support in the pursuit of college excellence:
- Know your options: Help can come in many forms, like peer tutoring, mentoring by Equity Metrics, and office hours with your professor. Even if you’re not interested in some of those forms, others might still be able to offer you value.
- Understand your needs: Next, reflect on what help you could benefit from, whether to improve academically, socially, or emotionally.
- Come prepared: Prepare yourself before approaching someone for help. For example, list down questions you’d like to ask or identify areas where you could improve.
- Keep an open mind: Open and honest feedback can sometimes be uncomfortable, like when discussing your academic weaknesses with a professor. Keep an open mind, and remember they’re only trying to help you improve.
Asking for help isn’t always easy, but these tips will help you get as much out of it as possible!
Final Thoughts
Remember that plenty of people are just waiting to help you do your best in college. Better yet, most of those resources go underutilized by other students, giving you even more opportunities to get ahead!
So, don’t be afraid to get help. All you have to do is ask!
References
Bohns, V. K., & Flynn, F. J. (2010). “Why didn’t you just ask?” Underestimating the discomfort of help-seeking. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46(2), 402–409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2009.12.015 Guerrero, M., & Rod, A. B. (2013).
Engaging in Office Hours: A Study of Student-Faculty Interaction and Academic performance. Journal of Political Science Education, 9(4), 403–416. https://doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2013.835554