While the York Tutor Center is full of enthusiastic tutors willing to help anyone every period of the school day as well as before and after school, students are still hesitant to utilize this program. Some peer tutors addressed common worries students have about being tutored by their peers and hopefully helped ease their concerns.

The York Tutor Center tries to make the website as easy to use as possible. Any York student can sign up online and the program will try to place the student with a tutor who is in a higher level in the subject that the student is struggling in. The teachers in charge will also speak with the tutors before to make sure they are comfortable helping with that subject. Mr Immel, department chair of the Learning Commons, is aware that there are many private tutor companies that may be more convenient for students, but he still feels that the peer tutors can be helpful for students who decide to use it.

“I feel that there is a culture that if you don’t know what you are doing you have to pay for a private tutor and that can be expensive,” Immel said.  “We want to be here to offer support to as many students as we can.”

After talking to a variety of students who have and have not used the tutor center, I have compiled the top concerns and worries that keep students from utilizing peer tutors. When given an opportunity to respond to these concerns, the tutors unanimously feel that students should feel free to come in for help anytime because they are always willing to help anyone.

Some students would rather go to someone who they know if qualified.

All of the tutors I spoke with feel confident that they could help their peers in a variety of subjects. Even if they did feel overwhelmed or underqualified, there are multiple tutors willing to help every period of the day. Sophomores Feba Elayadom, Aleksina Jovic, and Madeleline Shea are tutors seventh period, and they all feel knowledgeable and able to utilize each other to help their peers as best as they can.

“Every time I ever felt overwhelmed or didn’t know something, I knew there was someone else in the area that knew it so there is always someone else to help” Elayadom said. “ If I didn’t know something about math, Madeleine was there. If I didn’t know something about chemistry, then Aleksina was there. There is always someone else to help.”

For some students, it is more convenient to get tutored outside of school.

Many people have busy school days and would rather get tutored in the evening, which is totally fine. The York Tutor Center is still available for those who need help during school; even if it is just a quick question, there are always people willing to help. Peer tutor Kailee Skotty also feels that the peer tutors are not only always available, but they are especially effective because they know how the class is taught.

“It is completely free and available to anyone at any free period they need,” Skotty said. “Also the peer tutors have taken or are taking the exact same classes that they are teaching you so you never have to worry about the material being taught different way.”

Students may feel embarrassed to get tutored by their own peers.

While they understand the concern, the tutors are putting time into helping their peers and are not there to judge anyone. Junior Emily McNicholas feels passionately that students should not be embarrassed about being tutored by their peers. She was enthusiastic about getting more students coming to the tutor center for help and that as long as they come prepared with questions, they should have nothing to worry about.

“Don’t be embarrassed. We are like you in a way and even though we might be your same age or upperclassmen, we are here to help no matter what,” McNicholas said. “We may have taken the class and we can actually help.”