We can all list an infinite number of reasons we don’t want to — or don’t need to — ask for help: “I can figure it out on my own,” “I’ve never needed a tutor before,” or “smart people don’t need to ask for help.” Whatever your reason is, I’m here to tell you that there’s never a good reason to not ask for help. Here at UW-Madison, students — especially new students — feel stigmatized when asking for extra help academically. Many UW students did very well throughout high school; they probably neither needed a tutor nor talked to teachers about how to improve. Coming into college, we learn pretty quickly that the rigor of high school classes don’t come close to that of college courses. You may be able to ace all your classes with no stress at all if you’re the next Stephen Hawking; but if you’re anyone else, this article is for you.
We all want to succeed. That is the very reason we chose to further our education by going to college. I think many of us go into college thinking we’ll be taking classes that are all directly related to our major and to what we ultimately want to do in life. It’s likely that we’re taking a lot of those classes now; we probably enjoy them and are probably pretty good at them. But, because of this great thing called a “well-rounded” education, most students usually take at least one class they really don’t want to. Now, those are the classes we tend to be not as good at. This is where logic comes in: is it better to struggle through a semester of a class you don’t like and have it ruin your GPA, or is it better to get help and boost your GPA? When it’s put it like that, I think almost everyone would choose the latter. Now that I’ve painted a picture of just how unreasonable it is to not seek help when you need it, here’s how to do it at UW-Madison.
Tutoring
It’s a word we all seem to be afraid of; in reality, it’s the great secret to success. Here, we have GUTS — The Greater University Tutoring Service. This service provides free tutoring for any student, in any subject area. GUTS is a peer-led organization, so students receive help from primarily upperclassmen who have previously taken the classes they now tutor.
Don’t even try to claim inconvenience as an issue; sessions are held right on East Campus Mall and in College Library. So, get over your fear of the word ‘tutor,’ have some guts, and ask for help!
There are also specific groups on campus dedicated to a particular class or subject. For example, the Math Tutorial Program pairs students in groups of five or more with a graduate student. The group meets a few times a week and goes over specific course material. Those who attend receive extra practice and extra time to ask questions. These meetings are essentially extra discussion sessions.
I personally sought out this service. I was in Calculus 1, and I was doing great; I was acing my homework, tests and quizzes. Overall, I had a great start to the semester. Now, I know what you’re expecting me to say — I was doing great, then the class got harder, and then the Tutorial Program saved my life, right? Well, no. I continued to do well and joined the Tutorial Program. It helped me stay on top of my assignments and practice my skills by teaching others. Bottom line? You do not need to be struggling before you look for help! You take things like vitamin C as a precaution before you get sick; so why wouldn’t you get help before you need it?
Looking for something a little more casual? Drop-in advising sessions are available at a lot of places. Large introductory classes, such as chemistry or math, have drop-in help available almost 24/7. The chemistry help desk has TAs on staff to answer questions, go over lecture content and discuss strategies for studying the material. Math offers a similar service called math lab; it’s a one-on-one drop-in service in Van Vleck.
The Writing Center
You’ve probably heard of this service if you attend UW-Madison. You can take advantage of the Writing Center to improve almost any writing assignment from any class. They make it easy to ace your papers and assignments. The service is hosted in College Library; it offers drop-in help, one-on-one appointments, voice-call editing and revision over email.
I’ve listed only a few resources on campus, but they can all be summarized and described in three words: simple, convenient and helpful. You may already have a stellar GPA, or you may be barely passing your classes; whatever the case, there’s always a resource for you to utilize. Everyone wants to succeed; instead of stressing, make a logical decision and get help.