Tutoring

Almost all colleges have some type of on-campus tutoring service. If you begin to fall behind in a class, investigate the requirements to qualify for tutoring. In general, college classes are much harder than high school classes. Tutoring services can help bridge the gap between passing and failing college courses. Don’t let the tutor do the work for you. Tutors sponsored by the college are required to allow all students to do their own work.

Hiring a personal tutor may or may not be a wise investment depending on the individual. Ask for credentials when hiring a tutor. Determine if the person has taken the course taught by your professor or another professor on campus. Determine the payment system in advance, and come prepared to the tutoring session with questions to maximize your return on investment.

In many cases, running to the professor of the class with a question is not wise. Weigh the weight of the question and determine if it needs an office consultation. If the correct answer can be achieved with peer review, then that process may be your best choice. On the other hand, some professors enjoy students coming during office hours for consultation and any question.

Attempt to gauge your professor’s desire for office hour interaction and react accordingly. College professors are required to offer a certain number of office hours for student consultation; however, many professors take advantage of this time for research and other endeavors. Ask a fellow classmate that met with professor during office hours for their opinion of the responses given during their consultation.

If you are meeting with a professor during office hours for tutoring, review the class material prior to the office visit and be prepared with written questions. You don’t want to come off as being excessively ignorant or lackadaisical in your studies. Office hour consultations can be excellent opportunities to develop ties to faculty members that may be recommenders for advanced study.

Developing a close relationship with college professors can be key in selecting letters of recommendation for graduate school or professional internships with businesses. Moreover, many faculty members make personal phone calls to medical, law and professional school review boards to recommend or reject an application if they consider you an excellent candidate or a poor one.