What to do when a college course becomes too hard!

Sometimes the adjustment from a high school workload to a college workload can be tough. While your initial reaction to a course that is a little too challenging may be to drop the class, there are three vital resources to seek out before making that drastic decision and putting yourself behind on credits.

Seek out the help of a classmate: There is sure to be a classmate or an acquaintance to someone in your circle of friends that excels at the very coursework you are struggling with. Finding a peer to tutor you can be a great resource. It typically is not as intimidating to learn form someone one-on-one that is the same age as you, and usually they’re flexible about tutoring. While with a Teacher’s Assistant or Professor you may have to schedule tutoring times within their requirements, a fellow college student is more likely to have an open window of tutoring options. For example, you can get tutored at 10pm if that's when you work best! While some students may charge a nominal tutoring fee, many students will tutor you in exchange for some of their favorite take-out or even for free sometimes! After all, the best way to learn is by teaching someone else, so they're already gaining something by tutoring you!

Talk to your TA: If you cannot find a college student to tutor you or simply believe you need more help and attention than a peer can give you, talking to your course’s TA is your next best route. Depending on how large your college or university is, your TA may play a small role in the daily tasks of your course or a very large role in the case where they teach the course almost solely by themselves. Either way, your TA is a valuable source of insight and knowledge about the course and how you can succeed as the semester progresses. Plus, it's great to have a TA on your side. Oftentimes they'll moderate class discussion or different aspects of the course, and it's great to have your TA on your side and not out to get you!

Pipe Up to Your Professor: In some cases, there is nothing left to do but go to your professor after class or during their office hours and let them know that you need help. Your professor will appreciate your humility in approaching them for help and will aid you as best as they can in helping you learn the material to successfully prepare for exams. Knowing that you’re being proactive about their course also gets you some brownie points; although you may not be a star student grade-wise, they know that you are invested in the coursework and passionate about succeeding.

Never wait too long before seeking out help for a tough class. It’s best to start looking for course help as soon as you start to struggle and/or get a mediocre grade. In many cases, you may not need continuous help throughout the semester, but instead help here and there for course topics that don’t "click" right away with you. Just because you’re in college doesn’t mean that the kinds of academic confidants from grade school and high school have abandoned you. On the contrary, they’re waiting for you to seek their help.