The honest truth about whether you need tuition

Having run my own International Baccalaureate (IB) tuition agency for slightly more than half a year, I decided that this article was definitely necessary. I have met many different students as well as their parents, and feel that I should clarify who I feel really needs IB tuition and why. 

Though our mission at IB Lounge is to help as many students as we can, we sometimes face situations where we feel having tuition may not solve the problems inherently weighing them down. 

To us, sales is not everything. What is important to us is that what we are able to genuinely help students who ask for our assistance.

Let’s Begin With Who SHOULDN’T Attend tuition: 

• Students who do not want to put in hard work. 

Let me clarify what I mean. To me, there are two types of said students. 

The first type are students who may not have the time or energy to find resources and may truly be struggling with understanding concepts. We welcome these students because these students may still be willing to work hard should they be given the appropriate resources and guidance. 

The second type of student are the ones that expect tuition to be a sort of miracle pill. They presume that the 1.5 hours of lesson that they attend weekly to be able to help miraculously. However, they do not necessarily pay much attention during the lesson and neglect the additional resources (notes and questions) provided. In many of these cases, students also do not pay much attention in school and have no motivation to do well. 

Students and parents need to realise that tuition is a supplementary tool, not a substitute for the effort put in. Even with tuition, the students still need to put in sufficient effort in order to achieve good grades.

You May Be Asking: Well In That Case, What Is The Point Of Tuition? 

Here are some ways I believe tuition can help students: 

·       Provide structure and guidance 

If you have a tutor that understands the curriculum that you are currently enrolled in (this is especially so if the tutor was once in your position), then the tutor will have a better idea on how to navigate through the issues you struggle with as chances are, they too have struggled with the same issues. If you are feeling unsure on how to prepare for examinations, what pace to go at or what resources you need, the said tutor can be extremely helpful. 

·        Aiding in understanding of concepts and questions

For most students, they will struggle with at least 1 subject. I personally found it extremely challenging to grasp the concepts taught in Sciences and Mathematics. I tried to do so on my own many times but ultimately, conceded to the fact that it was I was unable to do so. My grades were slipping and the misconceptions I had were slowly increasing. 

I had a tutor then but I also continued to work hard. Eventually, I did get back on track. 

So, what did the tutor do that the school was unable to do? 

Firstly, the tutor explained the concepts at a pace that I was able to grasp. Unlike in a classroom setting with around 30 students, where asking questions could be intimidating, I was now in a position where I could ask specific questions as to what I really didn’t understand without being overly concerned about my surroundings.

Secondly, the tutor provided me with resources that were suitable for my current level of knowledge and could help me learn more at a sufficient pace. When I was preparing on my own, I didn’t feel motivated as I was doing the standard practices and with my lack of foundation, I ended up struggling. The tutor provided me with specific guidance to ensure that I could progress from easy to difficult questions. 

·        Be a source of motivation

This to me, is the crux of the tuition service I founded (IB Lounge). We believe that tutors can inspire students to appreciate and enjoy learning. 

Many of our students have come in feeling unmotivated but have ended up looking forward to our classes which has been really heartening. 

When learning isn’t about memorising and regurgitating information, it becomes a lot more fun.

So, How Should You Work To Ensure That You Gain The Most Out Of Tuition? 

·        Prepare to work hard ALONGSIDE your tutor

If your tutor is dedicated, he/she will feel that it is his/her job to help you achieve your goals. That means that he/she will work hard to prepare materials for your classes. 

However, the tutor can only do so much and majority of the heavy lifting is still up to you. 

·        Prepare before class

Once again, tuition shouldn’t be a substitution for school or your own personal learning. Preparing before class by reading ahead and doing extra practices maximises your time during tuition as you will be able to ask more targeted questions for concepts you identified as hard for you to understand. 

Prepare questions to ask during class so that you learn exactly you need to during class. 

·        Revise after class

Learning doesn’t stop once tuition is over. You need to be diligent in consolidating what you have learnt from the class to ensure that you retain the information. 

Should you realise you have a question that wasn’t answered during class, rest assured as at IB Lounge, we allow our tutors to communicate with their students, even outside of class, via Whatsapp groups. 

Final Tips To Note:

·        Realise that there is no one tutor that is suitable for every single student

I have personally attended tuition classes by supposedly top notch tutors but found their teaching style to not be suitable for me. 

Every tutor has a certain teaching style and it is important to pick a tutor that is suited for your learning style. 

Recognise your weak points before engaging a tutor. If certain tutors only focus on challenging questions, but your basics aren’t quite up to standard, you should look for tutors that can aid you in improving your basics.

Do what’s right for YOU instead of blinding following your peers. 

In Singapore, tuition feels like a necessity, especially due to emphasis placed on grades. But before you engage a tutor, think about whether the tutor is suitable for you by reading through their profile and speaking to his/ her current students. Here are some questions that will help you decide whether or not to engage or continue with a specific tutor: 

·        Does the tutor help you achieve what you want to gain from the classes? (Grades, learning mindset, resources) 

·        Does the tutor genuinely care about your well-being?

·        Does the tutor have the right expertise? (Just because a tutor has a Masters in a certain subject, does not necessarily mean he/she is qualified to teach to you)

·        Does your tutor engage you? (Learning is supposed to be a 2 way thing, not an information download session)

·        Do you feel motivated by the tutor? (Motivation is really important when studying. A tutor who is able to motivate you to do your best will help you win half the battle). 

We have reached the end! I hope this article has shed more light on when you should actually engage a tutor. 

If you are looking for tutors who teach not only IB but other programmes with the IB curriculum in mind (which we personally believe makes learning much more enjoyable), do reach out to us!