Unfortunately, the classroom isn't the best place to really learn something. Maybe its hard to focus, maybe you're not interested in the subject, or maybe you just don't "get it." Whatever the reason, if you're not learning what you need to learn in the classroom and you need the credit to graduate, you're going to have to find some help.

Sure, you could make an appointment with the professor, spend time with the graduate assistant running the lab, or hound your classmates for help. But realistically, if you need a lot of help with a subject, a tutor is the way to go.

Why consider tutoring? There are many reasons you might consider tutoring:

1. You'd like an "impartial" person to really review your work and give you some unbiased feedback.
   
2. You'd like a different perspective.
   
3. You feel that one-to-one face time will give you the opportunity to ask questions and gain immediate feedback as you work through a problem.
   
4. You'd like someone who has a good working knowledge of your subject to walk you through it step-by-step.

Now, you'll note I don't mention one of the most reported reasons students seek out tutoring--because a professor has told them they'll fail unless they sign up for sessions at the campus tutoring center. If you have truly fallen this far behind, tutoring really may not be your best bet.

Does tutoring work? It can. If you, the student, are the impetus for the tutoring--in other words, you're not going because someone forced you to go, you're going because you think you need to or you want to--then tutoring is likely to work. You recognize you have a need and you've proactively taken steps to take care of that need. Tutoring in this instance will likely have a good success rate.

When does tutoring not work? In my humble opinion, which has no basis in research at this point, tutoring doesn't work when the tutee (that's the student) is forced into going. I've seen many a student have short-term, positive results in this instance. But the results don't typically last over time. If you're seeking to improve a grade on an upcoming test, this might work. But if you're seeking to improve your odds of a good course grade at the end of the semester, the punitive method isn't likely to get you there. You have to buy into the need for tutoring for it to work.

Do you have to use the tutoring service on campus? Of course not! Well, at least not if you are the one who has opted for tutoring. If your prof has said tutoring or else, you may not have a choice. If you're looking for something off campus, ask the tutoring center for a referral to a local tutor or an off campus center in your local area. Or, think about an online tutoring service.

Whichever way you go, it is, as they say, "all good."

Until next time!

Lynn Byrne

Preparing for college admissions? Trying to find direction? Need a little help with the planning? Check out my college planning series:

• College Planning Made Easy--the planning and preparation workbook for the take charge, college-bound student,
  
• Paying for College Made Easy--a college financing guide designed to assist students and families in preparing and planning for higher education expenses; and
  
• The Great Scholarship Search--my guide for students and parents researching and applying for scholarship funding.