I have just finished teaching a course which, compared to a lot of courses on the degree programme, is a difficult course. It is also a course which has changed a lot over the last few years and has been taught by different lecturers with slightly different angles on the material.

The exam is also generally a difficult one, with varying types of questions ranging from the very braod to the very particular. So I have just received a panic-filled e-mail from a student saying she's looked at past papers and doesn't understand them. She has asked me if I would be willing to meet with her to go through past questions with her (the exam is next week).

So I am wondering a) if it is fair to meet with her when I'm not meeting with the rest of the group (although she rather ominously says that she knows she 'is not alone' in feeling this way)? And, b) should I be worried about unwittingly misleading her about the exam? I mean, I haven't produced the exam paper (not that I would give any info if I did) so I am unsure as to what she expects me to say, other than revise as well and as broadly as you can.

My other problem is that I don't think the course has been taught particularly cohesively this year for various reasons, so I'm almost as clueless as the students in this respect.

Has anybody had a similar request? How did you deal with it?

In case it wasn't clear, I was a teaching assistant on this course, not the lecturer.

it is probably best that you offer the whole class a revision lesson where you can review problems people are having difficulties with. You could always send an email to the class to ask if there is specific areas they want to review so you have a bit of time to prepare.

As you said it probably is the case that many of the other students are having difficulties and I am sure there is no harm in the student you are referring to dropping up to your office to go though a couple of questions before the main exam but id be very careful about committing to "private lessons" where the single student ends up monopolizing your time. I would say this is a no no on many levels especially if they are of the opposite sex.

I have not been in a similar situation but maybe you could offer a revision session to all the students (how many are there?), an hour long or so, when you are willing to provide hints and tips on how to approach the exam questions? I think you should not provide individual detailed help, out of fairness to the other students, but a voluntary group session advertised to everyone on the course should be a fair way... Regarding the lecturer, has he/she offered such a session? (He/She should really do it!) If you do not feel comfortable helping this student yourself, can you direct her to the lecturer?

Thanks to both of you. Poppy, yes - the lecturer spent the whole of the last lecture talking about the exam and revision strategies and my last seminar was also a revision session, where we went through past papers, etc. Both were relatively sparsely attended so I feel a little bit reluctant to do it all over again - I'm not sure what else I could add? The student in question, however, was at both the session and lecture, and still 'isn't coping' but I don't think I can do what she wants me to do. She wants me to go through past papers and explain what each question is asking for, but I can't see how this would help her because I'm not going to be in the exam to help her decipher this exam paper. Am I being mean here, do you think? I have to say that I have found this group of students to need more hand-holding and clarification of things than any other (this is the third time I've taught this course), and I'm caught between thinking they need to take more responsibility for their own learning and feeling a bit sorry for them, because it IS a hard exam.

The lecturer (my supervisor) doesn't seem to be around this week; I think he may be away. Thanks again for the advice.

======= Date Modified 28 May 2009 16:46:41 =======
CeCef,
Fair dues for even considering.
Best solution is that offer a revision class, but be specific. State you do not know what is coming up and even if you have seen the paper, say you haven't!!!
Also, as there is no way you can cover the whole course, state that they must say what specifically they want covered, and if applicable, from a previous exam paper. If no answer, well then maybe pick two previous papers and go thro' them quickly. Be clear - it is revision and not a tips session.
Also, make it known that you are doing this. To the lecturer, state that there were a few concerns from worried students and to the class, send an email stating a time and date and full instructions and to spread the word.
Hate to have the whole "This happened to me!" but got complained to the HoD for sending help to a distressed student. Sent an email a day before the exam and someone complained stating I was discriminating because the rest of the class couldn't access their emails. Get this - the complainer got an A- ... no pleasing some people.

Fair dues for at least considering the problem, but for fudge sake, protect yourself from any comeback.

Well, if you and the lecturer have give revision sessions, then there is not much more you can do really. Maybe it would help to email/speak to the student in question and just tell her what you just posted: She will need to take responsibility for her own learning, i.e. sit and down and revise, revise, revise. And at the same time, she might be reassured to know that you also appreciate that it is a diffcult exam, and thus the best one can do is have a level-headed approach to it.
I read in some article (cant remember where/when..) that if a student can answer the whole of the exam perfectly, the lecturer (or the one who devised the questions) actually fails the students, as it is supposed to truly test knowledge and understanding, i.e. stretch the student. So, I think, your student in question needs to have the right attitude here to do well ?! See the exam as a challenging task, which can be fun, actually;-)

Thanks. The lecturer just replied to me and said basically what you just did, Poppy! That is is probably time this student was taken out of her 'comfort zone' a bit, to avoid meeting her if possible (or make it very brief and discreet if she insists) and remind her that students tend not to do any worse on this exam than any other, despite the hard subject matter.

Thanks for all your advice, these things are surprisingly stressful! Now just got to work out how to word the e-mail tactfully...

Here we have guidelines that state we can't do any individual, one-on-one revision with students because it's not fair to the rest. We are not supposed to give ANY hints on the exam for the same reason - but students will always try to drag something out of you!!! I agree with what your supervisor said, she just needs to study. Sometimes no matter how much help you give them they will want more handed to them, before they attempt to do the work themselves.