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Why Students May Be Afraid of Asking for Feedback

Why Students May Be Afraid of Asking for Feedback

Do you ever find yourself struggling to ask for feedback? You’re definitely on your own. Feedback is an excellent way of becoming more involved with your work, and knowing how to get more of it is essential for success.

What Is Feedback? 

Feedback is a form of communication that provides detailed information about someone or something, including strengths and weaknesses. It can be in the form of observations, criticism, commentary, or praise. 

Feedback is important because it helps you understand how to

  • approach your work better; 
  • know what others are thinking about your work; 
  • gain new ideas on how to do things.

Why Do Students Shy Away From Asking for Feedback? 

While many students desire to have more feedback from their instructors, they often don’t always do. This can be due to many reasons, but some of the most common are the following. 

Fear of Negative Feedback

You finally did your first gun control essay but can’t figure out why your professor gave you a low score. As disappointed as you may be, you’re also afraid to ask for feedback because you think it might worsen the situation.

Constructive criticism is helpful because it lets you know what mistakes to avoid in the future and gives you ideas on how to improve. And if your professor didn’t give negative feedback, then they’re doing a disservice by not being honest about where your weaknesses lie. If you just got one bad grade, then you should be able to trust that your professor knows what they’re talking about.

You Don’t Know Whom to Ask

Students may not ask for feedback because they are unsure of who would be appropriate or willing to give them advice on how to do better in their coursework. How about asking your professor? 

Your teacher is the best person to ask because they have been dealing with your course for a long time and know precisely how you’re doing. Plus, it shouldn’t be too much inconvenience for them to take the extra few minutes necessary to provide feedback on your work.

You Don’t Want to Take Up Your Teacher’s Time

Surprisingly, many students are worried about taking up their professor’s time by asking for feedback. What they fail to understand is that their professor’s time is not being taken up. 

Teachers are supposed to help their students in whatever way possible. If asking them about the student’s work is needed to make them more successful, teachers should gladly do that.

So, go ahead and find out why your assignment got a low score and work on making it better. Your grades will thank you for it.

You Got Feedback in the Past That Was Unhelpful

If you’re someone who has received bad feedback in the past, then it’s understandable why you might be afraid of asking for more from your professors. However, when seeking constructive criticism, you should have some faith that the person giving you the feedback is trying to help you. 

Your professor is a professional and has been teaching for years, so their opinion on your work should be valuable. What’s more crucial to understand, though, is that you shouldn’t let an experience dictate your future decisions. 

Alternatively, you can seek feedback from another professor, a peer, or your parents. You can even turn to TeacherPH to find out how you can improve your paper. It doesn’t matter who it is as long as they know what they’re talking about.

You’re a Remote-Learner

E-learning is now a reality for many students.

If you’re one of those people, then it can be hard to find someone willing or able to give feedback on your assignments and coursework when there’s no physical classroom for students to meet in at their convenience. 

The good news is that this doesn’t have to be the case when seeking out feedback from faculty members. Although it may take some time to hear from them, emailing your professor or even setting up a meeting with them is worth the wait.

Possible Sources of Feedback

If you’re unsure of whom to ask, a professor is the best person because they are in charge of your course and know what kind of feedback you need. However, other sources are equally as valuable. These include the following.

A peer – They have completed the same assignment and could be a good source of feedback. You could find informative essay examples from your classmates and finally get some insight. 

A family member – Your parents have enough life experience, so they should know what kind of feedback is constructive criticism and not just unhelpful nitpicking. 

Another professor‘s experience will likely be different from your current one, but that doesn’t mean the advice won’t still be helpful.

Now What to Do With the Feedback You Get?

It’s not always easy for students to ask for their work evaluation, but it’s worth a shot if they want to improve their grades and eventually graduate. 

After getting feedback, take some time to implement all the suggestions and then ask for more advice to see how you did. 

If the feedback isn’t helpful, or if it’s not what you expected, don’t be afraid to try something else because there are plenty of other sources out there that might be able to give you some insight into your work.

Now go ahead, get some constructive criticism, and see what it can do for you!

Michael Turner

Michael Turner is a study coach and academic writer at the leading essay service. Michael helps students complete assignments and college projects. He also teaches young people to achieve their learning goals efficiently.

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