Now that we’re about halfway through the semester, you’ve probably heard from family, friends, and faculty that you should “use your resources” to achieve success and stay on track with your academic and personal goals. But what exactly does that mean? It can be difficult to identify and navigate the abundance of resources offered to you as a Washington State University student so, that’s why I’m here to break down how you might better understand, and eventually utilize, just one of them – tutoring.
What is tutoring?
Tutoring at Washington State University is a peer-focused program designed to assist students in a variety of ways through leveraging the knowledge and experience of more advanced students to help those who may be struggling in specific subjects or courses. In providing academic assistance and support through engagement with peers, this program is geared toward breaking down barriers to success and emphasizing the importance of connection amongst and throughout the student body. At WSU, the tutoring program is made up of three major components – tutors hired by the Academic Success and Career Center, tutors hired by the Math Learning Center, and tutors hired by the Undergraduate Writing Center.
Who are the tutors?
Peer tutors are selected from the undergraduate student body based on their academic performance, mastery of specific subjects and courses, and a rigorous application process. Throughout the hiring process the Academic Success and Career Center and other on-campus departments aim to employee students with excellent communication skills in a wide array of subjects and courses. Ultimately, tutors serve as an additional point of contact for your academic success and constitute a critical peer-support network. If you’re finding that you’re just not grasping the material from your instructors and/or teaching assistants, tutors are the place to turn.
What subjects/courses are tutored?
Tutoring covers a wide range of subjects and courses to fit the needs of WSU students. Tutors hired by the Academic Success and Career center are focused primarily on 100 and 200 level major courses across all subjects and disciplines. The Math Learning Center provides tutoring specifically for mathematics and statistics courses in a relaxed atmosphere designed for student comfort and success. Finally, the Undergraduate Writing Center provides support to students as they clarify, develop, and articulate their ideas in writing offering walk-in consultations to address student’s individual needs holistically.
Who should go to tutoring?
Anyone who needs help or wants a fresh perspective on course material. Tutoring is flexible to fit your needs and a service that you’re already paying for in your student fees. Might as well make the most of it!
How do I come to tutoring prepared?
The first thing you should do to ensure you come to tutoring prepared is check the schedule, so you know where you’re going and who you’re looking for. Depending on which tutoring resource you’re using you’ll want to use one of the following websites.
For tutors hired by the Academic Success and Career Center:
https://ascc.wsu.edu/channels/tutoring/
For tutors hired by the Math Learning Center:
https://www.math.wsu.edu/studyhalls/
For tutors hired by the Undergraduate Writing Center:
https://writingprogram.wsu.edu/undergraduate-writing-center/
The next step is to gather all pertinent materials – things like the textbook, notes, previous exams, homework assignments, and anything else you might be using for the course. Once you’ve gathered everything you might need for a tutoring session you should plan ahead and visualize what goals you’re trying to accomplish with each session. Part of making this plan is to curate a set of specific questions and concepts for the tutoring session so that you can make the most of you and the tutor’s time.
Who can I contact?
If you have any questions or concerns regarding tutoring, you can contact Jaxon Porterfield in the Academic Success and Career Center. Their email address is jaxon.porterfield@wsu.edu or you can reach them by phone at 509-335-9549
Please note, there are also several department and course specific resources that fall outside of the three main tutoring branches this article has mentioned. So, if you’re not finding what you need always reach out to your instructor and department contacts for support.
