HOMEWORK QUESTION? READ HERE BEFORE POSTING.

Many people visit this forum in order to get help with their homework, and many members of the forum enjoy helping students. But before you post, please keep in mind the following points.

We will NOT do your homework for you.

The entire purpose of homework is for you to practice the skills you are learning in class. If someone simply gives you the answer, not only does that defeat the purpose of homework and prevent you from learning anything, it is the same thing as cheating. Cheating is not accepted in schools and it is not accepted here.

TRY doing it by yourself first, and then show us what you’ve done.

If you have tried and tried to figure out a question but you’re still having trouble, show us what you have done so far and we will try to point you in the right direction. If you’re trying to come up with ideas for a project or a paper, but aren’t sure if your ideas are good or practical, show us what you have come up with so far and we will tell you what we think. If you’re trying to find resources for a project or paper but are having trouble finding all the information you need, show us what you’ve found so far and we will offer suggestions of other places to look.

Have REASONABLE expectations.

If it’s 3 am and you have a test tomorrow, don’t expect members to be ready and waiting to help you. We visit this place for our own enjoyment, and we’re not going to be available 24-7. Like any other kind of studying, it’s far better for you to do it ahead of time than to wait until the last minute. If you’re trying to find sources and information for a paper or project, don’t expect us to just start dropping websites and articles in your lap. Research is often an in-depth, time consuming process. You simply can’t expect other people to do all the dirty work for you. Even for someone with experience in that area, it can take time to dig up all the sources of related information.

Finally, remember that people have to be at least somewhat interested in the topic before they will post on it. If your question is not of interest to many members, you may not get many responses – sometimes you may get none at all. I repeat that we are here for our enjoyment, and it is our choice whether or not to help you. And if we do help you, being polite and adding a simple “thank you” is a always a good way to get us to help you again in the future.


If you're writing a paper, check out the Research Tips sticky for a quick guide to online research.

Thank you, and good luck.