When transitioning to college after high school, have you noticed how quickly subject matter is covered in class? While your high school teacher might spend a week introducing a new idea to the class and gauging the comprehension of the group, your college classes meet much less (2-3 times a week on average).
In these cases, your professor expects a lot of the learning to take place at home, and only gives a quick overview in class. As a result, you might find you are in need of additional one-on-one tutoring to help you keep up, but no worries! Your Take Stock College Completion Coaches have assembled a list of ten must-know tips to help you get the most of this amazing, free campus resource.
1. Don’t wait until your grades are slipping, go early
Do not wait until you underperform on your first big exam. If you are having trouble following along with lecture, performing poorly on your homework, getting low grades on quizzes despite having prepared, or just feeling overwhelmed or anxious when in class, then it’s time to pay a visit to your campus tutoring center. This way you can prevent bad grades before they happen and can increase your overall comprehension of the subject matter. You will find that being able to follow along in class will increase your interest in the class as well.
By now, you have probably noticed there are fewer grades in a college course than in a high school one. Often your class average is constituted by a handful a tests or papers along with a participation grade. The offshoot of having fewer grades is, of course, each assignment counts. As a result, it is best to hit your campus tutoring office EARLY and OFTEN.
2. Get on a schedule
In all things, it is best to become habitual in the behaviors that make you feel good and perform well. Thus, you stand the best chance of truly improving your grasp on your problem areas if you attend tutoring regularly. Try going to the tutoring center once or twice a week at the same time and days. Instead of walk-ins, be sure to make appointments several weeks in advance to protect your timeslot. This will help keep you honest about attending, and will give you a better opportunity to work these important appointments into your weekly routine.
3. See the same tutor each time
Whenever possible, make your appointments not only at the same time and day each week, but with the same tutor! By working with the same person each session, you develop an understanding of one another. Your tutor can learn your strengths and weaknesses, set benchmarks for you, will recognize when your improvement, and will ultimately make you feel more comfortable with the process.
4. Take Advantage of online tutoring
If you can’t make in-person tutoring sessions due to your schedule, most colleges and universities offer online tutoring for their students. By engaging in remote tutoring, you can design a tutoring schedule with the flexibility necessary for you to get the extra help you need.
5. Don’t forget the writing center
There is more to tutoring than the science and math subjects! Most colleges and universities have an on-campus writing center designed to grow their students in the areas of rhetoric and composition. You can use the writing center not only to review your early drafts of papers, but also to engage in helpful pre-writing exercises like brainstorming, outlining, and revising. The best papers are the result of much planning and revision, so don’t hesitate to make an appointment at the writing center as soon as you get your assignment!
6. Bring your homework assignments and study guides with you
Perfect practice makes perfect! Bringing in your assignments to your tutoring sessions will not only help you increase your coursework performance, but will also help diagnose any areas of concern well before it’s time for a test!
7. Bring in your tests or quizzes
It can be very helpful to bring in your previously completed tests, quizzes, and papers in with you to your tutoring sessions. This helps your tutor diagnose where you went wrong and can grow your understanding. For instance, if you bring in an old math quiz, you and your tutor can work through any problems you have missed together and help you understand where you went wrong. This practice helps you take ownership over the subject matter and will prevent you from making the same mistakes on future examinations!
8. Ask questions
Whether in lecture or whilst perusing your class notes, become habitual in documenting any questions you have. This simple bit of pre-work before your next tutoring session will help you and your tutor get right to work on what you are struggling with.
9. Work on study skills
Tutors don’t just teach subject matter, they also teach really helpful study skills! Don’t hesitate to mention any struggles you have with organization, time-management, studying, and so on. Not only will you pick up some helpful hints, but your tutor can check in with you on your progress with these issues each week. This accountability can make a positive difference in your self-discipline; you will want to impress your tutor by upholding the good habits you two have covered in previous sessions!
10. Need extra cash? Consider being a Student Tutor
Tutees often make good tutors themselves! If you find that you are strong in one of the subjects offered by the student services center, consider applying as a tutor yourself! These positions are paid, and you can give back to another student just as your tutor did for you!
Remember Take Stock college scholars, scholastic pursuits are like anything else: you get better with practice! A little extra one-on-one training can make all the difference in your grades, understanding and confidence. If you have any questions about getting started, reach out to your College Completion Coach today!