The Learning Center’s peer tutors are students who have succeeded in the classroom – they all earn an A or A- in all classes they support. Because they’re so knowledgeable, the tutors are able to help you understand difficult concepts, apply those concepts to class assignments, prepare for tests and review past assignments when it’s time for cumulative exams. For the student who has a quick question, a troublesome assignment or a tricky concept to master, a visit to a peer tutor should be just the trick to get back on track.

Students with writing assignments should also consider the advantages of meeting with a peer tutor. Writing tutors receive special training that helps them better assist students in the early phases of writing (thinking through an assignment, brainstorming, organizing ideas and evidence, determining a thesis or argument) as well as in the later stages of writing (style/expression and self-editing for proper language mechanics). A visit to a writing tutor provides another perspective on the often frustrating process of putting words to paper.

All students may one day face a course or project that will test the limits of their thinking and learning abilities. Peer Tutors are especially helpful in these situations, not only because they’re faced and succeeded in exactly the same circumstances, but more importantly because they know how one should approach stiff academic challenges. A peer tutor’s training prepares him or her to understand how students think and how to best guide a student through difficult times – whether a student needs help with learning skills like note-taking or exam preparation, support in creating new ways of understanding material or aid in developing skills and practices required for a course of study. Helping students understand their academic situation in order to make sound decisions is the ultimate assistance that a peer tutor can provide.