college
homework help

college homework help works best when it is the right kind of help for the problem. an office hour fixes a question about the lecture. a tutor fixes a method you keep getting wrong. a study group fixes a gap you can see in other people's notes. here is how to tell which one you need.

where students get
college homework help

• office hours. free, and the person who writes your exam answers your question. best for "what does this mean" questions. go with a specific problem.
• teaching assistants. often easier to reach than the professor, and close to how the problem sets are marked.
• campus tutoring and writing centres. usually free or cheap, with fixed hours that fill up before exams.
• study groups. good for comparing methods and spotting your own gaps. less good if nobody in the group understands the topic.
• online tutors. useful when you are stuck at night, near a deadline, or need a subject your campus does not cover well.
• textbooks and worked examples. the worked example is the content. see how to read a textbook.
• forums and videos. fine for a quick explanation, but check them against your own course material.

match the help
to the problem

• you do not understand the question: office hours or a teaching assistant.
• you understand it but the method keeps failing: a tutor who works it with you.
• you are behind across a whole course: a plan first. start with behind on everything.
• you want to check your working: a classmate or a tutor, on practice problems.
• you need it tonight: an online tutor, with the problem and your attempt ready.

what usually goes wrong
in college courses

the same few subjects cause most of the trouble, and each has its own pattern:

• calculus: usually the setup, not the algebra.
• chemistry: almost everything routes through moles.
• statistics: choosing the right test before calculating anything.
• accounting: the entries, not the arithmetic.
• essay writing: the thesis, before the sentences.

how to make
the help count

• try the problem first and keep your working.
• say exactly where you got stuck. asking a question that gets an answer shows how.
• ask for the method, then do the next problem yourself.
• go early. help in week three is cheaper than help the night before.
• write down what you learned so you can use it on the exam.

keep it honest

college courses set their own rules about outside help. explaining is study support. handing you finished work to submit is not. read is getting homework help cheating? and check your syllabus. if you are unsure, email your professor before the deadline.

when to use iykno

post the problem in the app. verified tutors send offers with a price, a rating and a completion rate, and you pick who helps you. the tutor works it with you, so the next one is yours. see iykno for college students, or browse all subjects.

related

the week before an exam · how to write a lab report · surviving a group project