Dropout Prevention
Academic Difficulty Meeting
An academic difficulty meeting is a supportive conversation with a student whose results are falling or who says they cannot keep up. Difficulties have many sources: gaps in prior knowledge, work methods, workload, stress, a difficult personal period or a course that does not fit. The aim is to understand without judging, to recognise what the student already does well and to agree on concrete help. Here are the questions to ask, from listening to the support plan.
19 questions
When to use this template
- After disappointing results or a failed assessment, once the student has had a little time to take it in.
- When a student tells a teacher or tutor that they are lost, overwhelmed or cannot understand a subject.
- When a student's grades or participation have dropped over several weeks, even if they have not asked for help.
Questions to ask
Opening and listening
- 01Thank you for coming. How are you feeling about your studies right now?
- 02How did you feel when you got your latest results?
- 03What would you like to get out of this conversation?
Understanding the difficulty
- 04In which subjects or tasks do you feel most lost?
- 05When did you first feel that things were becoming harder?
- 06What happens when you try to work on the parts you find hardest?
- 07Do you feel there are things from earlier years that you have not fully understood?
Methods and organisation
- 08How do you work on a typical day or week?
- 09How much time do you give to each subject, and does that feel enough?
- 10What do you do when you get stuck: do you look for help, and if so from whom?
- 11Is there anything in how you revise or prepare for assessments that you would like to change?
Context and well-being
- 12Is anything outside your studies affecting your work, such as health, money, housing, a job or family matters?
- 13How are you sleeping and looking after yourself at the moment?
- 14How much pressure do you feel, and where does it come from?
- 15Do you feel comfortable asking questions in class or asking teachers for help?
Strengths and support plan
- 16What do you do well, in your studies or elsewhere, that we could build on?
- 17What kind of help would you find most useful: tutoring, a study group, extra exercises, a different method or something else?
- 18What is one step you feel able to take this week?
- 19When shall we meet again to see how it is going?
Tips for a useful conversation
- Begin with listening and with what the student has already tried; students in difficulty often expect a reprimand and open up once they feel they are not being judged.
- Separate the person from the results: a poor grade says something about a moment and a method, not about the student's worth or ability.
- Look for the cause before proposing solutions: the same bad result can come from a gap in knowledge, a method problem, overwork or a personal difficulty.
- Agree on one or two small, concrete steps with dates, and tell the student about the help the institution offers, such as tutoring, workshops and study support.
- If the student talks about serious difficulties, such as distress, health problems or money worries, or seems overwhelmed, refer them to the institution's support services, such as the counselling, health or social service, and follow up to check they have made contact.
Mistakes to avoid
- Starting with a list of failures and comparing the student with others.
- Telling the student to “just work harder” without looking at why it is hard.
- Offering too many solutions at once, so that none gets done.
- Promising a result or a favour, such as a better grade, that you cannot guarantee.
Let Passisto Students hold these conversations
The AI agent holds regular voice check-ins with your students and flags those who need help, so advisors can act early.