Peer college tutors are a major asset for any college campus. They provide benefits not only to themselves and their fellow students, but to their institution at large as well. They do this as a nimble, cost effective tool for enabling student learning and success.
They have also proven to be more effective than professional tutors. Curious as to how? Here are a few of the ways:
Peer Leadership
Peer tutoring is a way for a student to be a mentor and a leader on their campus. It is empowering them with a responsibility, which means they need to be consistent and reliable. There may be stumbles along the way as they develop, but it teaches them skills such as organization and communication that will help them succeed inside and outside of the classroom.
Builds Community
A thriving campus is a welcoming one, where all students feel supported and connected. Having students help each other creates a positive atmosphere where no one is left behind and everyone succeeds. This can be hard to do, but a big way to move in the right direction is to nurture a network of peer tutors.
Deepens Learning
Engaging in peer tutors deepens the student’s own learning as they help teach the concepts. The peer mentors are also learning on other key items like how to convey ideas in a digestible way, how to be patient, and how to be adaptable. It’s hard to find a learning opportunity as valuable as tutoring. After all, as the old saying goes: “To teach is to learn twice.”
Career Focused
Being a peer tutor can help refine and improve career aspirations. While in college, students need to be preparing for their eventual jobs after graduation. No matter what that might be, peer tutoring can help build the skills needed for success. As mentioned before, this includes things like organization, communication, professionalism, and reliability.
Fosters Confidence
Through peer tutors, students are learning in a more comfortable environment where they aren’t afraid to ask questions. They can take their time and really dive deep on concepts. When students are growing more confident in the classroom, it benefits themselves as well as their classmates. There will be more rigorous discussions and a more positive atmosphere. Since getting tutored by their peers helps students develop into better students themselves, they might just go on to tutor others in the future!
Commitment and Persistence
Ultimately, whatever a student or college’s individual goals are, the end result we all are striving for is student success and graduation. Peer tutoring is helping all students involved be more committed to their eventual completion of their degree. The tutor has a meaningful campus experience, while the tutee is able to better comprehend the concepts they need help with.
Peer tutoring can work out great for any college or university. Once you have the right tools to do it well, the outcomes will transform your campus life. Whether it’s deepening student learning, career prep, or building community, implementing a system of peer mentors to help their fellow students is a smart way to achieve your goals.
