Using Your Resources
Some students come to TriTutoring because they lack confidence in their ability to learn. This is, in fact, the most common reason people join us. Some reach out to us because they need help with fundamental skills which will help them when topics advance, while others reach out to focus on those advanced topics, like those last few problems on the SAT math sections. Then there are students who want enrichment to keep their love for learning alive, like the elementary school students we do science experiments with. It’s helpful to first identify: what is your reason for reaching out to a tutor?
I like to think that taking my courses towards my master’s degree has reminded me of the struggles many of our students have. Sometimes, I find myself still uncomfortable with a topic in my Advanced Programming Techniques course. It’s okay to learn and still feel stuck. It’s okay to study and still feel that something is just out of reach. The real question is: what do you do next? How do you overcome that feeling?
Since my master’s program is in software development, some of the resources I have found to use are different, but the concepts behind them are the same. When you’re stuck or struggling, take a moment and identify the resources you have right around you.
Sometimes resources are people, like a teacher, a tutor, a friend, or a family member. I talk to my professor, my dad (also a software engineer), or my colleagues when I’m super stuck. Other times, resources are websites or textbooks. I use StackOverflow to search for common mistakes that I could be making when coding.
Can you use this strategy too? Did your teacher solve an example during class that you can study to understand the steps for balancing chemical equations? Can you find a sample problem online for systems of equations? Maybe you can follow along with that procedure and then apply it to your own. Can you find a website that gives you a new strategy for properly placing commas? The options are endless!
When you get overwhelmed and have a moment of panic, take stock of the huge number of resources available to you.