Studies have shown that the spring semester is typically harder for the average college student compared to the fall semester. That isn’t to scare you of course, but to reassure you that SNU has tools and resources to help students not just emotionally, such as through RENEW Counseling, but also academically through the Writing and Tutoring Center.
The Writing and Tutoring Center is located in the small study room next to the Center of Student Success office in the library. Here you will find tutors sitting at tables with signs listing what subject they tutor. Some students will even be set up in the coffee shop! Tutoring is completely free for all SNU students, and rather than be tutored by a professor, which may be a little intimidating for some, you are being helped by a fellow student who has already sat where you are sitting. The Writing and Tutoring Center has tutors for just about every subject: math, psychology, history, chemistry, biology, writing, etc.
To schedule a tutoring appointment or just see hours of availability, you will need to download the Navigate app and sign into your school account. After that, you will click on “Appointment,” and “Schedule an Appointment.” From there, you will select that you would like to meet with the Writing and Tutoring Center and scroll to find the person who is tutoring the subject that you are looking for (i.e. John Dilbeck – Math). It also gives hours of availability for these subjects, so if you have something come up and didn’t have a chance to schedule an appointment, you can also just walk in as well (though you may not get first priority if someone else has scheduled an appointment). Additionally, all information is kept confidential, meaning the tutors are not allowed to reveal the names of any students.
Tutoring will begin the week of January 22nd, just in time for classes to start picking up, and will continue through May 3rd. Kenneth Behrens, the head of the Writing and Tutoring Center, highly recommends students utilize this resource, stating, “Each tutor came recommended by the professor(s) that teach the course or subject they tutor for. For writing tutors, using them to assist with editing has proven to improve the grade on a submitted paper by up to an entire letter grade higher than if they just submitted the paper without having it proofread. All in all, using our student tutors will help you to be more successful in the classroom.” He also adds, “Students do not need to wait to see a tutor for when they have an assignment or test to prepare for, they can see them to better their understanding of concepts and skills discussed in class or read in the textbook.”
John Dilbeck, a current math tutor, also agrees, adding, “It’s a judgment-free, relaxed environment where students can receive help in classes they’re struggling in.”
Well, what about those who would like to be a tutor themselves? According to Behrens, tutors are selected by recommendations by faculty in that department or area. He states, “If a student wishes to be a tutor, I would recommend going to your professors and letting them know that you are interested in tutoring for the course in the future. At the end of each semester, I reach out to each department and seek recommendations for tutors for the following semester, and they communicate with me who they recommend.” Tutoring requires you to only give up 6 hours a week, with minimum-wage pay. On some of the slower tutoring days, you may end up getting paid to do your homework!
There is no shame in asking for or seeking out additional help. In fact, many of the current tutors have gone to tutoring themselves! Tutoring is the perfect way to help you get on top of your work, expand your comprehension of difficult subjects, and improve your overall academic performance. For more information, please email Kenneth Behrens at kbehrens@mail.snu.edu or check out https://calendly.com/snututoring.
Photo by SNU Creative