underachieving students...

I'm a firm believer of what goes around comes around. You never know when you'll need help yourself, but this is just me. I know lots of people who were competing with me for spots in the program that I have helped, and I still got in. I will continue this practice. However, I would not spend a ton of time in non-productive study. Have an agenda, goals and expected outcome, or its game-over.

Im in the same boat in my Microbiology class. Here's how I've learned to think about it: I paid to be here just as much as they have. If study groups turn out to be you helping all of them and no one to answer your questions, then you've just wasted X amount of hours not helping yourself. Your grade MUST come first...if they need that much extra help, they need to go out on their own and hire a tutor. :-) Hope that helps...

Your grade comes first. If you have the time after you've got the subject down to help others, awesome. If not in the end your transcript doesnt give an explanantuon option to say you were helping others.

By underachieving do you mean they're not trying, or they just don't understand? Because you can't help them if they aren't willing.

If someone comes to me and asks for my help I'll give it. But 9 times out of 10 I'm too concerned about my own grade to volunteer for that sort of thing if I already understand it. I'm in an ADN program and there is just too much STUFF.

The girl who sat in front of me often was challenged but she made a great effort. She often misunderstood or over complicated concepts. I would make review sheets for myself & index cards. She started asking me questions on stuff that stumped her.

As time read on the day before or morning of a test we'd get to class early and I'd read her my guide or explain in a different manner what stumped her.

She started doing much better she would tell me that if she got stumped on a test she could "hear me talking out the concept " in her mind. And it would click.

It also reinforced what I was learning. (I am a compulsive reader and think I was the first ( and likely only ) student to actually read every page of every one of our text books )

Now the gal that sat across from me, she struggled too. But when she'd ask me a question Id tell her the answer/ explanation and even show her the information in our text. She insisted she was right. There was no changing her mind that Addidon's Disease has high cortisone & Cushings had low cortisol (it's the opposite). Guess that's why she also failed the open book exam. (She ended up with a 76 average across the board (75 is passing) and struggled to get a first job.

Some people can't be helped. But go your own studying & master the material before you try to help others.