Using Your Resources to Overcome Academic Challenges

The transition from high school to college can be rough sometimes. In high school, I had the good fortune of being offered a tutor that would help me in math every week. I was used to teachers being available everyday after school. At times, teachers would check in when they felt like students may not be understanding the information. So when I went off to college, I was worried that I would struggle with math now that I no longer had that personal attention.

After a couple of weeks in my college math class, I realized that the class would prove to be difficult and a big difference from my high school experience. For one thing, I went from a private high school that only had 219 students in my graduating class to a public college with around 300 students in a single lecture class. As I tried to adapt to my new surroundings, I became scared to approach my professor, so I struggled through my classes and tried to teach myself the content.

Not long after I realized that my method was not working, I built up the courage to talk with my professor. I told her that I was having a hard time in her class and it was showing in my grades. The professor was very understanding and even admitted that she saw me struggling but wanted me to reach out for help since it was my responsibility to do so. She gave me a list of her office hours and even gave me free resources on campus that would be able to help me, such as the math tutoring center.

At my university, the Math Help Center allows students to come in and receive help from a tutor or even other math professors. The room is separated by math classes ensuring that each person gets help from a tutor specializing in a particular course. After going to weekly office hours and spending an hour in the math help center after class nearly everyday, I was able to get a better understanding of the math lectures and eventually got my math grade up.

One of the many benefits of talking to your professor is that they know of many resources that can help you with studying, tutoring, getting a job or internship, and many other useful tools. From my experience, I learned that the professors are not there to just to lecture you but are available outside of class to assist you when you have questions. However, they cannot help you if you do not ask for help and let them know that you are struggling. If I had reached out earlier, I would not have had to struggle by myself for as long as I did and would have never learned about the tutoring centers available for all students on campus. So I hope some can learn from my experience and not make the same mistakes I did. Just remember, the professors get paid whether you pass or not, so it is better that you ask for help to ensure you earn the highest grade you can rather than suffer in silence.

Chyann Monroe is a contributing writer for the Alumni Stories Blog Series. Chyann attended KIPP Voyage Academy for Girls and is currently a freshman majoring in Civil Engineering at the University of Oklahoma.