Most students only think about finding a tutor when they’re struggling with a class or particular concept. But students in the know understand that tutoring has benefits that go well beyond salvaging a low grade. In fact, one-on-one tutoring can help all students achieve better results and get the most out of their college experience.
Here are six reasons to give Shoreline’s free one-on-one peer tutoring a try, even if you’re already a star student.
Individualized attention: Instructors have a lot to juggle during class. They have a set amount of material to go over in a limited amount of time, and they have a classroom full of students they need to manage and engage with.
A tutor, on the other hand, has additional time and space to explain the subject matter in different ways until they find one that really resonates with your individual learning style. This tailored approach can help you really engage with topics and even make a boring or difficult subject fun.
Tutoring also provides a safe environment to ask questions without feeling self-conscious in front of a classroom of peers.
Accountability: It’s easy to get distracted when it’s time to study: by friends and family, social media, Netflix, a sudden urge to clean your fridge. Having an appointment with a tutor means that study time actually happens and that it’s focused, productive, and meaningful.
A lot of students also procrastinate studying topics they’re struggling with, preferring to review material they’ve already mastered and find comfortable. A tutor can help keep you honest about your challenge areas and keep you accountable for tackling the concepts you actually need to study, providing a support system while doing so.
Exam prep: Despite what many students want to believe, the most effective way to study is not cramming the night before an exam. Rather, it’s much more effective to set aside consistent time to review material throughout the quarter. A regular appointment with a tutor with time dedicated to reviewing concepts means you’re preparing for midterms and finals as you go. A tutor can also act as a sounding board for an upcoming project, paper, or test and can help avoid the stress that comes from leaving an assignment to the last minute.
Deeper knowledge: Working with a tutor one-on-one and really delving into the subject matter ensures you will actually understand and retain the concepts being taught, not just memorize knowledge for a test. And having a real grasp of the material will serve you through the rest of your academic career as you not only move up into classes with more advanced concepts but also learn to apply what you’ve learned across subject areas.
And isn’t the point of going to college to actually learn concepts, not just memorize material for tests and then forget it?
Confidence: Confidence can impact academic performance by up to 12%. Translation? Your mind is powerful, and the more confident you are in your abilities, the better you’ll perform. Unfortunately, struggling to grasp material alone can lead some students down a path of thinking they’re not smart enough to “get it.” Working with a tutor can help mitigate this negative thinking.
Tutors have gone through the same classes you’re taking and have survived. They understand your struggles and can let you know you’re not alone and that you are capable of making the grade. They have first-hand experience of any potential pitfalls a class or subject may hold and how to avoid them and can give you advice on effective strategies for approaching difficult material.
Knowing that you’ve been thoroughly prepared by someone who’s gone through the class ahead of you can increase confidence, which, in turn, can increase performance.
Strengthen study skills: A lot of students made it through high school without really honing effective study strategies. This can leave students feeling overwhelmed by college’s more rigorous academic demands. Tutors can help you better develop your study skills by demonstrating them during study sessions. Tutors will help you stay organized, learn to manage your study time, and stay on task—all facets of effective studying.
A tutor will also keep track of your progress and could even help you create action plans with goals for the quarter. This overall academic support will go a long way toward upping your results.
Ready to see how tutoring can help improve your academic results? Shoreline’s tutoring center will help match you with free tutoring across multiple areas of study.
Shoreline also has drop-in learning centers in several subject areas that allow students to stop in without an appointment to get immediate help from tutors on staff. These centers offer many of the same benefits as one-on-one weekly tutoring and offer tutoring in Biology and Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science and Engineering, Business and Technology, Math, and Writing.