When is it Worth Hiring a Tutor?

One of my good friends in college has a separate tutor for every class she plans to take over her fall semester teaching her the material during the summer, and also teaching her the material for the spring semester over the winter break. She says it’s a way for her to enjoy her time over the academic year, be able to test over what is basically review, and just focus on the few things she wasn’t able to learn beforehand in her class assignments. It gives her time to play a sport and join clubs, and live more of an extra-curricular life at school in return for the sacrifice of a completely restful summer. Unfortunately, this luxury is not one we can all afford. Most tutors hire on an hourly basis, and the more challenging the class, the more dollar signs are added to the cost.

During high school and college years, the pressure to get high grades, be at the top of your class, get the highest test scores, do the most, and be able to be the best is what compels many students to seek tutors who are proficient in specific studies. But as the yearning and importance for success increases, our pockets are often occupied with more and more lint and less and less money. The Poor College Student is a common trope, and completely accurate in my personal experience—jobs often pay relatively more on college campuses, but expenses go from almost nothing to textbooks that cost more than room and board. Thus, it’s important to know when it is worth hiring a tutor and when some other help will have to do.

The most common subjects in which people are searching for tutors are math, English, and science, and the most common grades searching for tutors are ninth through twelfth grades, as classes become more of a college preparatory level. The good thing about a lot of people struggling in the same subject is that there are often online resources to help for general understanding. For instance, Googling grammar questions will usually give you a satisfactory answer, and watching a video about polygons will often give you the information that you need about that subject.

In short, one of the primary reasons you need a tutor is when the subject matter is no longer available with an easy Google or tutoring video. You may also need a tutor if you get too far behind in a class, or if you’re seeking help on a subject that is not prone to having cheap and free available help (like a tutor for mechanical engineering or specific nursing qualification tests).

One of the main reasons people get a tutor outside of academia and the professional world is to learn a new skill or hobby—book binding, or learning an instrument perhaps. If it’s difficult to find a video that clarifies and encourages growth in your personal creative or athletic endeavors, paying for a tutor might be worth it. Www.lrngo.com is the perfect resource to quench your tutoring needs. This website uses a search term and a zip code to find someone teaching your subject in your area.

Ultimately, there are many reasons you could be searching for a tutor, but fewer reasons why it would be necessary. If you can learn all the material online and have the time to read or watch general classes, spending money on individual attention may be a waste. Learning a new skill and making friends in the process seems way worth the money, but considering your budget is also a must. Learning doesn’t need to stop just because you are no longer required to pass a test! Whether it’s getting a leg up in the professional world or just having fun, learning new skills or sharpening older ones, tutoring may be a fulfilling and rewarding activity.


Photo Credit: US Department of Education