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Here is a secret about school success that not many people know: successful students seek help. They contact the teaching assistants (TA) or instructor to ask questions, get clarification on an assignment, or seek feedback on previous assignments. They access campus resources like the library, accessibility office, financial office, counseling, and tutoring. They connect with other students to learn together. Not every student does all these things. By connecting with TAs, instructors, and other students, you can get the most out of your learning experience.

Help Seeking Strategies

Help-seeking is self-regulated behavior in which you seek the help and support you need. For example, a student may need help understanding a particular concept. They may not know what to do to get the required help and support, or their anxiety may escalate due to a traumatic event during the semester, and they may not know where to access help and support.

In a comprehensive study of help-seeking behavior in Australia, Rickwood et al. (2005) define help-seeking in four stages. Click each stage in the infographic to learn more about it!

Your Learning Support Community

Connect with Your Instructor/Professor

Instructors play a critical role in your online learning. They are vital to transferring, understanding, and applying your knowledge in school. Instructors can be your mentors, academic advisors, and career guides. Effective communication helps build rapport with your online instructors. Your school instructors are meant to help you succeed in your courses. Here are a few ways to develop your relationship with your instructors and gain the most from their expertise:

Meet with them in person within the first few weeks of the semester
Send an email if you have questions
Contribute to class discussions and ask for clarification on class content

Connect with Your TA

If your class has one, your TA should be your first point of contact when you have questions in each of your classes. Be sure you know your TA's name; equally important, make sure they know yours. Utilize your TA—they are meant to help you! When you communicate with your TA, thank them for assisting you. Building positive relationships and learning how to network is a large part of your college experience, and you never know when your connection with a TA will lead to other connections. They might just introduce you to your employer someday!

Connect with Other Students

As for connecting with other students in an online setting, there are many ways you can connect in an online course! Here are a few ideas:

Canvas Messages—Become familiar with Canvas Messenger. If you have questions about the course and can't reach your TA, contact other students through Canvas. How to message someone in Canvas.
Zoom Chat—Don't be afraid to use the Zoom Chat feature appropriately to connect with other students during class. You can ask questions or share insights.
Discussion Boards—Your sincere and personable responses on discussion boards can be a starting point for building friendships with your classmates.
Breakout Rooms—Breakout rooms are a perfect way to get to know other students. Use this time to connect and exchange personal contact information.
Study Groups - Study groups (even over Zoom) are beneficial in reviewing course material and learning from others. Use the other steps above to connect with classmates and join study groups. You will not be the only one benefitting from these study groups!

Seeking Help

No matter how alone you feel, there are people who can help you. In the box below, list the people in your life who you can turn to for help in times of emotional or mental distress.

Remember that these people love and support you and want to help you. You can reach out to them whenever you need help.

Do You Know What BYU Offers?

Part of your help-seeking involves knowing where to turn for help. Here are some resources that BYU offers that are designed to help you!

Check Out These Campus Resources!

Page Attributions

Rickwood, D., Deane, F. P., Wilson, C. J., & Ciarrochi, J. (2005). Young people’s help-seeking for mental health problems. Australian E-Journal for the Advancement of Mental Health, 4(3), 218–251. https://doi.org/10.5172/jamh.4.3.218
Brigham Young University. (2024). Academic Support Office. Retrieved August 7, 2024, from https://aso.byu.edu/
Brigham Young University. (2024). BYU Tutoring Services. Retrieved August 7, 2024, from https://yserve.byu.edu/tutoring
Brigham Young University. (2024). Peer Mentors Directory. Retrieved August 7, 2024, from https://byu.craniumcafe.com/directory/by-department#Peer%20Mentors
Brigham Young University. (2024). Mentoring Services. Retrieved August 7, 2024, from https://success.byu.edu/mentoring

Additional Resources