by Leigh Goessl

Created on: March 07, 2008   Last Updated: January 23, 2012

Every so often students run into a course where they struggle through the entire semester.  If this has happened to you, you are not alone; unfortunately this happens from time to time. Sometimes the trouble with a class lies with the student's study habits, other times the issue may lie with compatibility with the class subject matter or structure. For others, the problem may be due to the fact the professor teaching the course is not very responsive.

Imagine this scenario: Earlier in the semester you'd casually approached your instructor with some academic concerns but you were brushed off, perhaps leaving you feeling as if you were nothing but a fly and your instructor swatting you away. As the weeks go by you may feel as if you are sinking deeper because of the lack of response you had received from your instructor. As a result, each class becomes more overwhelming, because despite the fact you've asked for help from your professor, as the weeks go by, you've still gotten little to no response.

If this has ever happened to you, don't despair, it has probably happened to most students at one time or another. Most professors are good and want to help students in need, but the reality there are some who are not as responsive. If this situation arises, the key is knowing how to effectively deal with this problem and find workable solutions in how to solve it.

What do you do when you have an unhelpful professor? Having a professor who isn't willing to help you can be very frustrating. This is especially true if you have made attempts to deal with your situation.

• Talk it out

One of the first things to do is to try one more sincere attempt to open up dialogue and discuss the problem. Often conflict can be resolved by directly speaking with a professor one on one. If this does not work, try and make another opportunity to approach your professor; they may have initially misunderstood and didn't realize you needed additional help or did not completely understand your concern. Or if they did realize it and chose not to assist, bring this issue up to and explain your feelings regarding your struggles.

• Visit student services

Talking is usually the best course of action to resolve a situation, but you may have to take additional steps in order to find a solution to your problem. If the problem is an academic issue, you might want to check with your college's student support center and look for tutoring services; many colleges offer this service free

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