When to Hire a Tutor? A Few Common Misconceptions

When to Hire a Private San Diego Tutor? A Few Common Misconceptions

This article will explain some of the optimal times to look into private San Diego tutoring for yourself or your student.  There are many common and conflicting misconceptions about when during a class or school year a student who needs additional help should start tutoring.  Some parents subscribe to the method of hiring a tutor right before major tests to improve studying and improve their child’s grade.  Some believe that after a certain amount of time into a class or semester that it is too late and that a tutor would have little to no benefit.  Others believe nearly the opposite – that a tutor should only be used later in the class after the student has thoroughly proven that they cannot attain success in the class on their own.

These ideas stem from greater misunderstandings of how tutoring should work (and how it does work if hiring from an experienced and reputable source).

You can see a tutor more than just before a big test

First, tutoring is not exclusively a band-aid that can be slapped on right before a test to cram information and get an ‘A’.  A good tutor will be able to correct poor study habits, identify important information, and execute an effective study plan with a student.  However, this studying needs to be continued, and if there is a significant gap between what the student has learned and what the teacher expects the student to know, then that gap will only continue to widen without more intervention.  Students do usually find some success with this style of scheduling, but most would find much more with a more consistent tutoring pattern (READ: “Tips from a San Diego Tutor: Keeping in Touch After Graduation”).

A tutor can help even towards the end of your class

Second, a large part of a tutor’s job is in diagnosing problems and prescribing solutions.  A tutor needs to decipher why the student is not reaching his or her goals and use their experience to help remedy the issue.  In many cases, these problems can be alleviated or fixed entirely in days or weeks, rather than months.  Whether it’s helping you find which fundamentals to memorize for your final, having an experienced pair of eyes look over your last paper, or an effective teacher helping you understand those boring lectures for the first time all semester, a tutor may be the solution you need to find more success even at the end of a class.  Unless all of your assignments are turned in and your tests completed, it is never too late to consider outside help.

It is never too early to be proactive in your education

Third, students are experienced in the subjects, classes, and tests that they teach.  As such, they often know what skills and prerequisite knowledge are important beforehand.  They also know what will be emphasized, what the common problems are, and how the courses or tests are usually structured.  With this knowledge, a tutor can help teach and prepare a student even before they’ve had their first class.  You do not need to wait until you or your student is failing before you hire a tutor.  Students with experienced tutors who begin their tutoring early can expect to have a much better understanding of the material, a routine schedule for developing studying and work habits, and the tools necessary to be successful in the class and any progressive classes following it.

Do not believe these common misconceptions about tutoring.  A tutor’s job is to help students achieve the most success in their education goals.  They are experienced and know how to accomplish this task.  An experienced professional can help you – it isn’t too late, it isn’t too early, and there doesn’t have to be a test the next day. Book your experienced San Diego tutor today!

Michael C. is currently a private math, science, and standardized test tutor with TutorNerds in Irvine and Anaheim.

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