1. Guidelines Summary

Welcome to our tutoring boards! This page summarizes some main points from our
posting guidelines.

As our name implies, we provide math help (primarily to students with homework). We do not generally post immediate answers or step-by-step solutions. We prefer to help by having a conversation, just like tutoring! Please begin the conversation, by telling us about your situation. The more detail you provide, the better our responses will be.

NOTE: If you've learned about Order of Operations, then be sure to type grouping symbols in your posts where needed, to prevent confusion.

For example, typing this: x+80/x-10 means $x + \dfrac{80}{x} - 10$

But typing this: (x+80)/(x-10) means $\dfrac{x + 80}{x - 10}$

Here's what you need to do, to get good help more quickly:

1
. From where does your question come?

It really helps to know why you're working on math or what math course you're taking. There are many ways to find the same answers. We'd like to use the method that you're learning and to explain at your level of study.

Examples: "I'm in seventh grade. We're doing algebra tiles"
Examples: "I just started college calculus, and we're reviewing limits."
Examples: "I need help understanding a formula on my bank's website."
Examples: "Doing high school geometry -- here's a picture of how far I got."
Examples: "Practicing for my trig final; I don't understand this example."
Examples: "I'm an older student practicing for a placement test; please check my work."

2. Post the exercise or your question completely and accurately. (Start a new thread for each exercise.)

The easiest way is to copy exercises word-for-word (including the instructions). PLEASE use the preview button, to check your post before submitting it. Students waste their time, when they submit posts containing typographical errors or unreadable images.

ֺ3
.
ֺ Please show work you've already tried (even if you think it's wrong), and explain why you're stuck.

Simply posting an exercise statement with no work or comments shown is not enough for us to help you quickly. As tutors, we need clues about the parts you already know versus what you find confusing, so we can determine WHERE to begin helping you. The sooner you show your efforts, the sooner we can get to the heart of the matter. We'll assess your work/comments and then reply. If you cannot begin an exercise, you need to tell us why (eg: unknown concept, confusing example, unfamiliar symbol, missing definition, unclear English, something else…).

4.
ֺ We may respond by asking you questions (if we think something is missing or unclear).

Please respond to our questions; it saves time. (If you don't know how to answer, say so.)
When people skip our questions, we might think they're not paying attention or need a face-to-face tutor, instead.

ֺ If there's anything in a reply you don't understand, let us know what it is, and we'll try that part again.

READ THE COMPLETE POSTING GUIDELINES (HERE)
AND OUR FORUM RULES (
HERE)

Posting Permissions

• You may not post new threads
• You may not post replies
• You may not post attachments
• You may not edit your posts
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