Getting Help

by Sophie Engle on Jul 2013

You have several options if you find you need extra help or time for classes, either because you are struggling with the material or distracted by matters at home. The most important thing is that you be proactive. Do not wait until the end of the semester to seek help! The sooner you reach out, the better we will be able to respond.

Communication

It is important you communicate with your instructor ASAP when you find yourself struggling. There may be several accommodations that can be made if you communicate with the instructor early enough in the semester.

You may also want to reach out to the Center for Academic and Student Achievement (CASA). The top priority of this office is to help students stay on track to graduate. See http://www.usfca.edu/casa/ for more information.

Peer Tutoring

The CS Tutoring Center is an excellent resource for lower-division courses. See http://tutoringcenter.cs.usfca.edu/ for more information.

If you need help on a continuing basis, you may be able to find a peer tutor for that class. This is a free service provided by the Learning and Writing Center. See http://www.usfca.edu/tutoring/ to learn more about the peer tutoring program, and http://www.usfca.edu/lwc/ to learn more about the other services offered by the Learning and Writing Center. For example, the Writing Center also provides a free service to students to improve their writing skills.

You are also encouraged to visit the office hours for the instructor or teacher assistants for help. Many students also find it useful to work in the computer labs. While the discussions that occur between students in the labs will often be helpful, students must also be mindful what constitutes cheating for each course.

Disability Services

The Student Disability Services (SDS) center offers many services to its students with disabilities, and coordinates with instructors to make sure each student's needs can be met. While SDS does not provide diagnostic testing to determine if a student has a disability, they do offer consultations to see if a student is a good candidate for diagnostic testing. See http://www.usfca.edu/sds/ for more information on these services.