Asking for help in week two is cheap. Asking in week ten, the night before, is expensive.

Help has a price that rises as the deadline approaches. Early on, a question is small, the person answering has time, and there is room to use what they tell you. The night before, the same question is an emergency, the answer cannot be absorbed, and the asking itself becomes uncomfortable.

Ask the awkward question while it is still early and still cheap. Send it this week, keep it short and specific, and accept that looking slightly lost now is much better value than looking desperate later.