The Benefits of Tutoring

by Josie Willard

For the first few months of my sophomore year, I knew that NHS tutoring was available in the Mustang Commons, and I needed help, but I was too nervous to go ask for it. As a sophomore I took my first AP course and I was struggling with the work load and concepts. I thought that asking for help would make the person helping me think that I wasn't intelligent and that I should be able to figure my classes out on my own. However, after a few bad test scores I decided to swallow my pride and go ask for help. After going to NHS a few times, I got advice on how to deal with an AP class, how to write timed essays, study for tests, and I got help with specific problems that I had on my homework. The people who helped me were kind and attentive and I soon became a more confident student from working with them.

The next year as an upperclassmen I decided to apply to NHS because I wanted to help fellow students as much as the NHS tutors helped me. From tutoring and being tutored I have learned that talking over concepts with someone else and explaining your thought process to them is one of the best ways to learn something. Everyone uses a different method to solve problems and study and sometimes it is a great idea to learn from others and adopt their habits to make yourself a better student. Going to tutoring was also a great way to not procrastinate. Some days I would go in and not have a specific question, but just have someone work through my homework with me. This was also a valuable use of my time because I got to ask questions as soon as they came up and I didn't spend hours staring at one problem.

Getting yourself to stay at school longer than necessary to go do more school work can be a daunting task, but in the end you won't regret it. The NHS tutors are waiting for someone to come in that they can work with one on one and give their undivided attention to. Do yourself a favor and ask for help.