Tutors can help students academically and professionally and there are many reasons why you should choose tutoring your class fellows.
In peer tutoring, the tutor is the expert and the other student or group is the novice. Such activity can help both, especially during exams.
Peer tutoring right before exams is very beneficial. Here is an in-depth discussion as to how tutoring can help you:
How Can Tutoring Help With Entrance Exams?
It’s important to note that school or college exams are not the only exams that need tutoring.
There are other testing sessions, like the ACT, GRE, or SAT that require preparation.
Since some students are not that academically gifted, they may need someone to help them prepare for these exams.
What is the ACT? Essentially, the SAT or ACT is an entrance exam used by many colleges and universities to make admission decisions. The ACT has five sections and is a 2 hour and 55-minute exam.
Getting tutoring from a college student can help you with your college application and entrance exams, like the ACT or SAT. As college students have been through the dreadful process of applications, they can provide you give many tips such as:
- Which colleges to apply to.
- When to prepare for entrance exams.
- How to write your statement of purpose.
Therefore, in such cases, it is essential to engage in a session where you can educate your peers on such testing services, requirements and how you can achieve them.
Participating in study sessions can also help you form a group and discuss college applications and career paths.
The Benefits of Tutoring
The benefits of tutoring students before the exam can help them greatly achieve their goals:
1. Personalized Learning Experience
Tutoring after-school provides you the personalized learning experience tailored for you or your tutee. The tutor strategizes their teaching in a way that will suit the students learning ability.
One of the basic strategies of effective teaching is pacing their lecture. This way, if the student is a slow learner the teaching will be customized accordingly.
Moreover, it’s important to note that each student is different – some may require more effort, such as help from visuals, than the other.
Hence, discussing the expectations of students can help the tutors plan out their lectures accordingly.
Some students require one-on-one attention when they are not confident, which can only be provided through a personalized learning experience.
One-on-one attention will help a lot in exams as there are practice questions that a student may not solve on their own, which can be provided through personalized teaching.
2. Improves Academic Performance
Academic performance is one of the core benefits of seeking tutoring services. A student is already learning in school, but it is still insufficient for them to perform well in exams.
Before an exam, the student may seek extra revisions of the challenging topics and concepts.
For example, clarification of vague concepts before an exam may be required for all the knowledge gaps to be filled. This can be achieved through tutoring.
If they have an exam with a tough marking scheme, with tests and quizzes, tutors help the students prepare.
Practice tests and quizzes help the students further their academic performance, improving their chances of performing better in exams.
3. Instills Skills
Communicating your concerns can be challenging, however, with the right tutor it can only be taken positively.
Tutors who encourage feedback will encourage the students to communicate their concerns. Tutors who encourage feedback will encourage the students to communicate their concerns
Tutoring also helps improve social and interpersonal skills outside of class with their peers.
Additionally, tutoring also instills empathy and responsibility as the students will learn to appreciate their tutor’s time and dedication.
These skills will help the student in their professional career later in life.
4. Confidence and Motivation
Tutoring helps students gain back their confidence that may have been lost due to poor performance in academics.
Moreover, it motivates students to address their concerns and not shy away from them.
When their academic performance will improve, it will also improve their self-esteem and the will to perform better in other activities.
5. Encourages Self-paced Learning
Tutors encourage independence. They can ask open-ended questions that the students may prepare on their own.
When a tutor sets realistic and achievable goals, it encourages students to self-pace their learning.
Self-paced learning helps a lot in exams as the students can navigate their shortcomings and work on them.
6. Help Overcome Learning Obstacles
A study shows that 80 percent of students in college face learning anxiety in their classrooms.
Through tutoring, a student can overcome any learning obstacles, helping reduce anxiety in classrooms. Since tutoring improves self-esteem and confidence, it will assure the students that they can cover vague concepts in their tutoring sessions.
Some students may have special learning obstacles that discourage them in class and hinder their learning. Tutoring can overcome special learning obstacles, too.
7. Improves Critical Thinking
Tutoring helps improve critical thinking that’s required to solve complex and challenging problems. It helps especially in exams when the questions are tailored to test the concepts. Improving critical thinking ensures that students can solve questions on their own.
Improving critical thinking also ensures that the students have the ability to be independent and that their thought process is organized and logical.
In more analytical subjects, critical thinking is very crucial since there are complex equations and word problems with varying situations.
8. Challenges
Tests, assignments, and quizzes are the challenges that students will face throughout their term.
Tutoring will help students prepare for these challenges. It will ensure that they have learned the topics and have the skills to perform well.
9. Encourages Study Habits
Since tutoring helps instill independence, it also encourages self-studying, which is an important aspect of learning.
Although tutoring may not last forever, self-studying helps the students to challenge themselves and learn on their own.
A good tutor always instills impressive habits in their students that will help them academically and professionally.
10. Encourages Freedom to Ask Questions
Tutors who encourage freedom will encourage asking questions. Asking questions is very important to clarify concepts.
It also encourages critical thinking, which helps students to seek solutions to problems on their own.
11. Core Concepts
Core concepts are important for other complex concepts, without which a student may struggle. Tutoring can help students who do not have a strong grip on core concepts, such as basic math concepts.
Core concepts are often ignored in a classroom as the teacher assumes you know them. A tutor helps cover core concepts first then move towards other topics.
12. Mentorship
Mentors are someone who guides you through your career path. Students in high school, for instance, may need mentorship regarding college.
They may need guidance on which colleges to apply from and how to work on their shortcomings.
A tutor can also help them in entrance exams and other important aspects of a college application.
Important Qualities of a Tutor
Hiring a tutor can be a challenge. However, there are some important qualities you should take note of before hiring a tutor:
- Punctual: A student may have a busy schedule, hence a punctual tutor helps plan out the day accordingly.
- Letter of Recommendation: Recommendations or references from credible sources help shortlist potential candidates. It will ensure that the student’s time will not be wasted.
- Motivator: Since a tutor motivates students to perform well in their studies, a tutor who motivates is crucial to the learning experience.
- Academic Background: Tutors with a strong academic background is important since you will have the confidence that the tutor has strong concepts that they will deliver.
- Location: Tutors with long commutes may face being punctual, which will disturb your routine if they don’t show up when you are expecting them.
- Patience: Tutors who are patient and entertain questions will encourage students to clarify their concepts. It will also encourage students to communicate their concerns and shortcomings or what they expect from the tutor.
- Empathy: Empathy is very important in improving the self-esteem of students. Students who may face high anxiety and stress may be hesitant in learning. Therefore, teachers who are empathetic to the situation of their students will encourage students to overcome their learning obstacles.
- Adaptable: Tutors who know how to pace their lectures and adapt to the learning ability of their students will gain positive feedback. Setting realistic goals and strategizing to the learning capacity of the students will produce good results.
- Confidential: Tutors who are confidential about personal matters of the students will help students respect their tutors.
- Respectful: Tutors who are respectful of their student’s boundaries and shortcomings will help improve their self-esteem.
Conclusion
Tutoring is a great way to acquire a part-time job. It is not much effort if you are already someone who is proficient in their studies and can manage time well.
It helps you in many ways, professionally and personally. It can also be a great way to learn and revise in a short period if you tutor right before your exams.
