Posted on 7th August 2012

Tips for Tutees

If you are thinking about getting a tutor, or indeed if you already have a tutor, then there are a few things that are really good to think about before you embark, or to help you progress.

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your lessons.

1. Have a really good think about what it is that you feel you need help with, and what your goals are. It’s really helpful for tutors to know both what they can aid you with and what it is that you are aiming for, whether it’s a really specific goal such as a certain grade, or something like ‘greater confidence in interviews’.
2. Figure out how much tuition you would like. Do you want an hour once a week, two hours every other day, or a few intensive hours across a more limited period of time? Remember that Enjoy Education also has lots of tutors who are happy to go on residential placements, so if you are going away over the summer for a period of time, then you could get a tutor to come with you so that you can do work while you are away from home.
3. Work out when the best time for your lessons would be. After a full day of sports matches on a Saturday you’ll probably be too exhausted to work properly for instance, so perhaps a Sunday is better. Make sure you find a slot in your diary when you will be relaxed and able to focus on the lesson.
4. Get kitted out with folders and notepads so that you can keep your work together and well presented. You don’t want to lose worksheets or let your work get tatty and crumpled.
5. Find a quiet place for your lessons. It’s imperative that you don’t have distractions and have room for you, your tutor and your work at a table.
6. Make sure you are in a good frame of mind to work before a lesson and have a drink and snack so that you have had some fuel and are hydrated. The brain works better if you have plenty of water and a healthy snack will give you a good energy boost.
7. Get all of your stationery and materials for the lesson ready in advance of your tutor’s arrival. You don’t want to waste valuable lesson time by hunting for pens.
8. Tutors may want to see examples of your recent schoolwork to see where you are at with certain topics, so if you can have some essays/past tests to hand then that would be really helpful.
9. Try to get a tutor on board in good time, as there’s only so much that we can help you with if you call us 48 hours before an exam. As with most things, last minute tuition is not as good as if you have plenty of time and don’t need to rush.
10. Keep an eye on your progress and let your tutor know if your goals change, or if new things that you would like to work on come up.