Tutoring

How tutors can help:

• We help you improve your understanding by discussing scientific concepts and methods.
• We provide explanations for material appearing in the text, your class notes, and previously graded tests or assignments.
• We help you understand your errors on your earlier (graded) assignments.
• We help you identify key concepts and methods by comparing and contrasting sample problems.
• We try to identify analogous sample exercises that exercise the skills needed to complete graded assignments. The analogous problems will not, in general, involve a mere replacement of numbers.
• We help you develop independent problem solving skills by offering assistance with exercises you attempt to solve.
• We offer guidance and resources to help you review concepts and methods prerequisite to your present science course.
• We identify skills needed to complete lab assignments. We will answer a limited number of specific and narrow technical questions about the laboratory calculations. The majority of our efforts, here, will be to eliminate one or two stumbling blocks that prevent you from completing the assignment on your own.

How tutors can’t help:

• We do not complete graded homework or other assignments for you. We do not “watch” you do the assignments in our presence, except to establish the nature of your misunderstandings.
• We do not error-check, nor do we correct any assignments to be submitted for a grade.
• We do not provide comprehensive presentations of material you missed due to class absences, nor will we discuss with you topics for which you have not yet read the applicable sections of the text.
• If you are unprepared to identify specific concepts or problems with which you are having difficulty, or are unable to provide evidence that you have attempted to work on that material previously, we cannot help you.
• We do not provide detailed directions on the analysis of your own laboratory data.