Students often turn to friends or classmates when they need help with homework or studying for a test. Teachers  are willing to help but not always consulted.

Counselor Donna Ramos said, “Many students feel that if they do not understand material, then they are slower than their peers. What students don’t understand is that if they are having a problem in class, there is most likely another student with the same problem.

“When I suggest to students to attend tutoring, they tell me that they are nervous. In response, I tell them that asking a teacher would help them feel more comfortable not only with the material, but also with the teacher and the class.

“Though students turn to their peers for help, I’d suggest for them to always ask the teacher first. Teachers can provide the most accurate information that a student can greatly benefit from.

“Many teachers are available before and after school. For students seeking extra help, I would suggest to schedule an appointment at least a day ahead to let the teacher work out a time slot so they can meet. As a result of going to tutoring, students have told me that it really helped,” said Ramos.

Tutoring can provide a student with one-on-one attention and a chance to ask questions. With individual attention, a teacher can help a student go through each step, therefore making it better for the student to understand.

Freshman Kaitlin Lau said, “I once had to go to tutoring for math. I had a problem understanding the question we were going through in class.

“I first told my teacher that I was having a hard time. Then, I asked him for extra help outside of class to give me better understanding of the lesson.

“The thing I liked most about my tutoring session was that my teacher walked me through each step slowly and made sure I understood what he was teaching me. After my lesson, when I went to class the next day, I was able to follow the material being taught in class and answer the questions asked.

“I think the best part about tutoring is that it helps a student tell a teacher what specific problem needs to be tended to,” said Lau.

Students should be able to recognize that they need help if a lesson is difficult.

Junior Nicole Corpuz said, “Once, I had a hard time understanding and following a lesson in class. When I noticed that I could not comprehend what was going on, I spoke to my teacher after class.

“After scheduling an appointment, my teacher met with me to go over the lesson again in greater detail. When I got back to class the following day, I was capable to keep up with the lesson because I had been tutored well,” said Corpuz.