College Help: The Benefits of Using a Tutor

Picture this… You are halfway through the semester and you have been struggling with a class from the very beginning. Every test you get back has a grade lower than the last.

You are now to the point where it is too late to pull up that grade before the semester ends and you are on the brink of failing the class.

At this point you probably wish that you could turn back the hands of time to find a way to fix the trap that so many college students fall into.

What I can say to this is you should have gotten yourself a tutor.

College students too often have the mindset that a tutor is for those who are not as smart as others or have gotten themselves into trouble with a class halfway through the semester and need a quick way to bring up a grade. Both of these mindsets are myths. I got a tutor for reasons other than these.

Here’s my story:

I started off the semester knowing I had to take a very challenging Economics course. I had heard many negative things about the course including how much material was covered in only one semester and how tough that material was.

Since Economics was a totally new subject to me I knew I would need a little extra help. I walked over to the Student Success Center on campus the week after classes started and signed up for a tutor.

I went to my tutor two times a week and we went over the notes and material my professor covered in class and I even got explanations of the things we learned that helped me understand better. In addition to my tutoring sessions, I looked over my notes a few times a week and read the textbook to stay on top of what was going on in class.

Every test I got back was either an A or a B+ and I ended up with an A- out of a class that so many people around me received C’s or lower in. I owe my success to not only my efforts in studying but also to the tutoring that I received.

What I can tell fellow college students is do NOT wait until you are already doing poorly to get a tutor or go ask for help. If you wait until it is too late to get that extra help there is a good chance you will not be able to pull up that bad grade in time. A bad grade will surely hurt your GPA and you will be disappointed, especially if you know that grade could have been prevented. Seeking help early gives you a better chance at receiving a good grade as long as you put forth effort and do not rely on your tutor to do everything for you.

Having a tutor however does not mean you should pay less attention in class or not read over class material. A tutor is there for EXTRA help and a reference in addition to your own efforts.

Tutoring is a resource that all colleges and universities offer, so my advice to college students is to utilize this very important resource to make your college career as successful as it can be.

About the Author:

Aundrea Rogers is a recent graduate of the University of Missouri and is currently a public relations professional and freelancer. She has experience in public relations, marketing, media relations and social media management.