In my previous post “Tutoring Center Helps Students Boost GPA” I talked about the benefits of using tutoring services. But this time, I decided to investigate deeper, and ask the Rowan community to share their thoughts about the tutoring center. Here is what they have to say:
Sean Hendricks, Director of the Office of Academic Transition and Support Programs, has been working at Rowan for almost a decade and states that the Tutoring Center has undergone tremendous growth.
“As I know, students have a great experience via the tutoring center. They are able to quickly and easy schedule all of the tutoring appointments. Whether it’s a review, or content that students have missed, or content students are not clear on, the tutoring center helps with all of that. And a lot of students are been tutored on the daily basis. And it’s great, it means that students found a helpful resource to be successful.”
Ashley Nichols, a dual major in English and education, applied for a tutoring job through her professor’s recommendation two years ago and has enjoyed it ever since:
“I really like tutoring. I’m going to be a high school teacher, so this is sort of my intro into education. I’m certified to tutor many different subjects, but main one a lot of people come in and need help with is grammar.”
“[Tutoring] is an awesome form for me to make relationships with students. It’s nice when you have students come and say like ‘Oh, I’ve got this test, help me out with it.’ And you get to see them a week later and they say, ‘I did so much better’, or ‘Because of you now I’m not failing’. I think, as a future teacher, and as a person, that’s one of the best feelings that you can get. And I get paid for it.”
Veronica LaMastro, a sophomore dual major in biomedical engineering and chemistry, has been tutoring for about a semester and a half:
“I tutor mostly chemistry courses, usually Chemistry I and Chemistry II the most. I tutor three times a week and all of my sessions are full. It’s intense. But it’s definitely worth helping though. A couple of students have said that they like how I explain everything and go through a lot of examples. Later when doing homework, they apply what they’ve learned and it helps them a lot. It’s really nice and rewarding to see that [tutees] understand.”
“I would like to go into higher ed, I want to be a professor in my career. [Tutoring] is great practice and helps my public speaking abilities too.”
Veronica’s tutee Jennie Stasio, a freshman biology major, has been visiting the tutoring center since her first semester at Rowan and admits that it’s been very helpful:
“I’m in the tutoring center all the time. It’s super helpful. I would not be passing without it. This semester I’m getting tutoring help in Chemistry, last semester it was Chemistry and Calculus. I tutored with Veronica last semester for Chemistry I, and she was a very good tutor. She made me feel comfortable. She knows everything and helps me with everything.”
“I think it’s a really good idea for the school to have tutoring services. I know that on some campuses you have to pay for tutoring. So, it’s great that Rowan offers it.”
Ryan Butler, a sophomore nursing major, is also one of the Veronica’s tutees. Ryan found out about the tutoring services this semester and recommends using it to others:
“ I’m getting tutoring help in Chemistry and Biology II. Last semester I didn’t know that we had tutoring services. I was struggling in classes, so I decided to go to people who knew [the subjects], and could actually teach me that.”
“I find tutoring very helpful. I’d recommend it because there are students going through the same struggles as you, so they know what areas you need help with. So many students use the the tutoring services that it might get overpacked sometimes. One time I had to work outside the tutoring center. The center has all of the right resources, but it would be nice if they can expand to other places during peak hours.”
Have you used tutoring services before? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Story organized by:
Natalia Panfilova, senior public relations major