So, your parents can see your midterm grades. And they aren’t happy. In fact, they’re wondering why exactly they’re paying so much money for you to fail Underwater Basket Weaving. And you’re thinking, “Someone must have passed this class at some point.” Well someone did – and, as luck would have it, they probably offer tutoring in the course through the Center for Learning Assistance.
Undergraduate students receive four free tutoring hours per two week period through the tutoring center. That’s four hours you can spend staring at your chemistry book before giving up, or four hours you could work with someone who worked through the material before. Those four hours could be spent to make actual progress towards a better, passing grade.
So you made it to your freshman year of college without reading a lick of Elizabethan literature? First of all, congratulations. That’s actually quite impressive. Second, since you have to take an English course or two, you may need some help. Most of the freshman and sophomore level classes are available, including the general education requirements that are outside of the comfort level of major classes.
But you don’t have time. You barely have the time to shower in the morning, much less schedule something else into your day. Appointments of any time commitment are easy to make online, and the multitude of tutors allows students to make arrangements around almost any schedule.
As a tutor I strongly advocate the use of the center. Yes, part of the reason I recommend the opportunity is that I get paid for tutoring. But the more important selling point is the one-on-one help. Tutoring sessions allow private learning environments with one peer tutor, which is a highly attractive alternative to 100 other students and a very fast PowerPoint presentation.
And while Heidi Highlighter may have color-coded notes and printed slideshows, you can’t seem to write fast enough. Tutors are there to help you understand what you may have skipped over during a lecture. They can also help expand on a topic that just isn’t clicking.
Susan Rapp, director of the Center for Learning Assistance, says the overall goal of Bradley’s Learning Center is independence. While we love to have a steady set of tutees lined up every day, we would rather see a student do well on his or her own. So besides helping a student through a tough lesson, a tutor can also suggest studying and note-taking habits that best suit a student’s learning style.
The next time you start to cry at the mention of integrals or accounts receivable (whatever that is), think to yourself, “Has someone done this before? Is this work that someone other than me probably understands?” And while you might be thinking that whatever subject is the metaphorical thorn in your side is impossible and nobody could ever pass with a good grade unless they were a super genius, (Alex Sistko, MTH301. I see you.) there’s probably a tutor out there. And they could probably help you, even if that means assisting you in completing an application for Squeaky Clean Laundromat.
Gretchen is a junior civil engineering major from Evansville, IN. She is the Scout copy editor. Direct comments, or other response to gwolking@mail.bradley.edu
