Most college students admit that college studies can get complex and overwhelming.
This realization alone is not enough once you find yourself struggling; the steps you take to remedy the situation matter the most.
For bright, forward-thinking students, the idea of getting a tutor comes to mind. A professional tutor can help you with your coursework and create a customized study plan to help you improve your performance.
However, all tutors are not created equal. Here are tips to help you identify the best online tutor to help you out.
Narrow Down Your Study Needs
Different students require different help from tutors. The first step is determining what you are looking for in a tutor and the type of help that would help you progress in your studies.
For example, if you are looking for statistics help, a statistics expert comes in handy. If you want help with your Spanish classes, a Spanish-speaking tutor will align with your needs best.
Some students need extra help, say with their homework. In this case, find a tutor cum homeworkdoer to help out.
Years Of Experience
How much experience a tutor has should be a top consideration.
A tutor with years of experience always has an advantage over one that is just starting. Over time, the tutor with experience has tried several teaching tactics and has learned those that work and those that don’t.
This is something you can benefit from.
Newer tutors will have the best intentions, but when you are short on time and need to catch up on your studies quickly, you do not have the luxury of trial and error.
Availability
Often, the fact that a tutor has numerous students is a good indicator that they are good at their craft.
However, this might have a downside. A tutor with too many students might be spread too thin. This means they might not have enough time to craft your lessons adequately or give you time in between sessions when you have a problem.
When tutor shopping, find one with a good balance. Having other students is okay, but they should be able to guarantee you enough time.
You can gauge this through your initial conversations with them. Are they taking the time to explain their teaching process? Are they available to answer your questions? Use this and other indicators to gauge availability.
Rapport
A tutor is just like your school course instructors. They do not have to be your friends, but having a connection with them is essential.
On the day-to-day, you will be working with them one-on-one. This means you should at least be comfortable with them. This is important as you should discuss your challenges, expectations, ask questions, request extra support, and so on.
A tutor should also motivate you to keep learning and give users timely feedback.
This is much easier to accomplish when you have a tutor with whom you have established a good rapport.
Accessibility
When school is in session, you have classes, group study sessions, and extra curriculum activities. This minimizes your flexibility.
For this reason, the tutor you find must be a bit more flexible to accommodate your schedule.
Find out your free hours and how much time you want to dedicate to your tutoring. With this in mind, you can find a tutor that closely aligns with your study needs.
Similarly, find out if your tutor is open to you contacting them outside your set lessons. This would be important from time to time when you get urgent assignments or need them for quick questions and so on.
