College logistics
Prepare questions for office hours
Bring what you tried, point to the single step where it stopped making sense and ask one specific question about it. The instructor can then correct that misunderstanding in a few minutes instead of re-teaching the topic or redoing the assignment.
A text to start with
I'm going to office hours for [course] about [topic or assignment]. Here is my attempt so far: [work]. I got stuck at [step] because [what I expected versus what happened]. Turn this into two or three specific questions, each tied to one step. Add one sentence describing the kind of explanation that would help. Do not solve the problem for me.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.Office-hours question sheet
Course and topic: [ ] Assignment or problem: [ ] Office-hours time, format and sign-up needed: [ ] Attempted work, attached or summarized: [ ] Step where I got confused: [ ] What I expected: [ ] What I got or understood: [ ] Specific question: [ ] Explanation that would help: [ ] Second question: [ ] Notes from the meeting, in my words: [ ] Next step I will try on my own: [ ]
Questions that ask for too much
"Can you go over this homework?" hands the instructor the whole assignment and tends to get a vague answer. Each question should name one step, show what you did there and say what you expected. Check that your attempted work is included, since a question without it cannot be diagnosed. Make sure no question asks for the final answer, which may conflict with course integrity rules. Use the course's own terms so the instructor does not have to guess what you mean.
Ask another agent to check the result
Review these office-hours questions. Reject any that ask the instructor to complete or redo the whole assignment, and say why. For each remaining question, check that it names one step, includes my attempted work and states what I expected. Where a question falls short, suggest a narrower version.
Get ready to ask in the room
Open your attempt next to the question list so you can point at the step. Check the syllabus for the office-hours time and format, and whether you need to sign up. Put the most important question first in case time runs short. Afterward, write down the instructor's explanation in your own words and try the next step yourself before asking more.