It’s already the third week of the school year and I had to prepare for my first midterm! I have never realized how much power that the word holds, until now. For example, whenever I have mentioned the word “midterm”, at least one student instantly becomes uncomfortable by the thought of it. But, what is not scary about a midterm? It is what practically defines a persons success/the grade in the class! So instead of trying to power through all of the Math 1151 review packets by myself, I decided to go to the tutoring sessions in the Math Building. I thought it would be more fun with someone else, so I invited my friend Kelsey
When I first walked in, I could not believe the amount of chairs that were full. This was very different (and refreshing) from what I am used to (which is having no one in the room with me). The tutoring system was really cool too. Instead of raising my hand, all I would have to do is stick a red card at the top of a rod. This made it easy for the tutors to see if I needed help, even from across the room. When the help came, the tutors were always very clear in their explanations. The room setup made it easy for me to collaborate with my friend Kelsey, but whenever we were struggling, there were also plenty of tutors to go around. The longest we had to ever wait is probably two minutes.
Last year, I would not have been in a tutoring session. I seemed to have had a lot of issues asking for help. I was too prideful, too lazy or just plainly embarrassed. I also realized that I only had this issue with my STEM classes. I don’t really know where this insecurity stemmed from, but I do have a feeling it was because asking for help was not the “normal” thing to do. I struggled for the majority of that year. My mentality was not only hurting my grades, but my confidence as well. So, I decided to take the initiative and change my habits. Thus far, I have been doing really well! Having tutoring so readily available in college makes the process easier. Plus, with the room mostly filled, I’m never there alone anymore!
Overall, I had a really great time. I left feeling confident and ready to take my math midterm. It was actually one of the few times I had left a tutoring session in a positive manner. I plan on going back again whenever I need help. This will definitely aid me in my mission to be more comfortable with asking for help.I plan on telling my friends all about the tutoring sessions too. There are just way too many benefits to using this resource that no one should not ignore it. Also, having such a promising experience makes me wonder if all the tutoring sessions for my other classes are this nice.