All throughout school, I’ve struggled in math. Once I started to take higher level maths, my grades plummeted. I figured that I just must not be good at math and to stop trying. But my parents kept pushing me to get better grades and to to not give up. I knew that I wanted to go to college and would have to keep taking harder and harder maths. In desperation, I decided to try out the free after school Math Tutoring that my school offered. The hardest part was to show up that first time. The first step was to catch me up on everything I wasn’t understanding and to try to pass the next few tests. But the secret skill the tutoring taught me was “how” to study for tests. I thought looking blankly over my section notes or re-reading the entire chapter was studying, but they taught me to recognize where I need additional help and to focus on my weaknesses instead of wasting my time on everything. Now I schedule an appointment anytime I know that I’m not grasping the concept. After a lesson with my tutor, I always feel much more confident about the material. In fact, many of my peers come to me to help them with studying. So in a way, it is like I am a tutor for them. I think it is important to help others and I feel like I am some way paying back those who have helped me. Although I still have a long way to go, I am proud to be taking Calculus in high school for college credit. Tutoring will always be an essential part of my studying process for college level maths and I encourage others who might be struggling to be strong and seek help.
