After another late night of cramming for a math test I found myself already anxious about the next quiz. I wished there was someone or something that could rescue me. Wasn’t there just one accessible tutoring service or other resource for struggling students like myself? One that wasn’t CPM Homework Help?
I was surprised to learn that our school and district offer many no-cost student-support services. Today we’ll be exploring one such program: Tutor.com. Founded in 1998, Tutor.com is a website that provides students with instant access to personal tutors. Their services are free for LAUSD students and can be accessed through Schoology. Tutor.com provides support in many different subjects, including math, science, English, and history. Since I wasn’t familiar with Tutor.com, I had never considered using the program. However, one desperate night before a math test, I decided to give it a try.
One of the best features of Tutor.com is how quickly you can get paired with a Tutor. Once you input your grade level and math class, all you have to do is press a button and send in your question. You also have the option to call or message with your tutor. After a few minutes, I was in a chatroom, paired with a tutor mysteriously named Jackson M. I told the tutor about my upcoming math test and listed specific concepts I needed help with. I was able to send screenshots of math problems from my textbook and receive his help. Additionally, he provided me with example problems to work through, helping me better understand the concepts. He challenged me with harder questions as well, and was responsive to my many follow-up questions. He also readily shifted to various math areas I asked for help with. I could quickly switch topics or ask for help with additional problems, and he adapted. The chatroom features a digital whiteboard where both my tutor and I could make annotations. There were shortcuts to share files with my tutor and other tools like graphing calculators. I ended the session after an hour. Overall, the session went well. The only minor complaint I had was that the tutor typed a bit slowly. It seemed to take several minutes for the tutor to respond with simple yes or no answers to my questions. Perhaps the connection was slow, or maybe I was just anxious about the test the next day. Regardless, the tutoring session provided the extra help that I was hoping for, made me feel prepared for my test, and helped me have a better grasp on different math concepts.
After additional research, I discovered Tutor.com’s impressive subject list, which contains over a hundred different subjects including language learning, tutoring in foreign languages and help for ESL learners. Additionally, Tutor.com provides SAT, PSAT, ACT, IB, and AP test support. They have services in college admission essay writing, resume and job application reviews, and even provide resources for note-taking and time management skills. I also appreciate their 24/7 tutor availability, which means Tutor.com is perfect for middle of the night test cramming. However, I did not test the availability of the tutors at 2:00am.
If you need help writing an essay or want someone to review a writing assignment, you can submit it to Tutor.com drop off review and receive your paper 12 hours later with corrections. I have yet to try this feature, but I have a quote from a 12th grade student at ERHS who has been using Tutor.com since sophomore year:
“I have had some mixed experiences with the Tutor.com writing drop-off. It is helpful when you have an upcoming deadline since it is guaranteed feedback in 24 hours. However, I have submitted papers and received minimal feedback. While I have overwhelmingly positive experiences with the service, it can be disappointing when you are genuinely trying to improve your writing.”
Additionally I have a quote from Mr. Wong, the middle school counselor and a big advocate for Tutor.com at our school.
“Being smart isn't knowing ALL the answers, it's being able to go and find the answer, when you don't know it. Tutor.com is a great place to find the answers to things that we don't understand.”
Overall, I’d say Tutor.com is an excellent program. It is a valuable resource for anyone who needs support in basic subjects and does not have access to in-person tutoring. The tutors are helpful and responsive. The program is easy to navigate and I will definitely be using it in the coming years during high school.
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