I have yet to ever encounter a student studying for midterms who appears this enthusiastic and optimistic. Then again, this image seems to be taken in a vacuum, so anything’s possible.
It feels like boulders have been lifted off of my shoulders (rhyme intentional) now that I’ve completed my midterms. Do you know that feeling? Oh right. For many of you unfortunate souls, midterms will continue this coming week. Or, for some, midterms are just beginning and for those of you, I have the utmost sympathy. It is so much better to just get them out of the way!
Besides for coffee, energy drinks are now imbibed by sleep deprived students who need to study more. The energy drink has become an important part of the beverage market over the years, with skyrocketing profits, despite the potential health risks.
It is an extremely stressful period in which students exploit energy drinks and coffee so as to counter their biological inclination to have a decent amount of sleep. In economics, an important principle is that there is a finite amount of resources, and it is our goal to allocate them efficiently. This idea is most relevant when it comes to midterms week, in which one must decide how to best utilize the 24 hours of the day. There is simply not enough time that allows for both a decent amount of sleep and studying. There is always a trade-off: the more you sleep, the less you study, and vise versa. (For those of you who are math majors, it is an inverse relationship.) Queens College provides free peer tutoring for those who need help in various subjects. I am always a fan of this particular four letter F word, but it is important to note the system’s positives and negatives.
The presence of a free student tutor at one’s disposal is a boon for a struggling student. Tutors often charge arbitrary amounts for their services; finding one that is free is virtually unheard of. The tutor, also a Queens College student, may also be familiar with the professor and his/her teaching and testing methods. In that regard, the service will not just help you grasp the concepts of the course material, but will also enable you to prepare for the test. Queens College peer tutoring thus gives students a better understanding of the material specifically within the context of that particular course, a service that almost no private tutor can provide.
Now why would people choose to be peer tutors at Queens College when they could undoubtedly make more money if they disseminated their tutelage elsewhere? Thought they might be knowledgeable in the subject, they might not be experienced enough to be a paid one. Instead, they could develop their teaching skills as well as reinforce their knowledge in this program. The peer tutoring thereby serves as a stepping-stone for greater pay and more exposure. After all, potential clients want to hear about your success stories; the more people who do well after consulting you, the more qualified others deem you to be.
How do you make a Queens College brochure with an image as picturesque as this one even more attractive to potential students? By adding in the details about the high achievements of the students, namely in stellar GPA’s.
While on the surface it is obvious how students and tutors gain from peer tutoring, Queens College in fact benefits, too. By instituting this program, the college can boast of another amenity it provides, one that especially reaches out to underprivileged students. After all, many people attend Queens College because of its affordability; therefore, they would certainly not have the financial means to hire a private tutor. Additionally, the result of tutoring is an increase in the average test score. Queens College’s reputation rises if its student body appears to be improving scholastically. The college would consequently get more federal grants and monetary donations from alumni and wealthy private citizens who would come to believe that there is much potential for academic greatness in our institution.
Peer tutoring has many positives, but there are also some drawbacks. Free does not entail quality. By not paying, you are not guaranteed to have a helpful tutor. The help they offer might be mediocre at best; after all, you have no way of knowing their credentials or the experiences of others students that they tutored. Furthermore, money plays an important role in encouraging a tutor to prepare and organize a lesson plan. Psychologically, a financial reward serves as an incentive to put in more effort; otherwise, if they do not live up to the person’s expectations, they could be fired. Long-term commitments can result from a paid gig, while peer tutoring at Queens College can be done with various people. It is therefore difficult to foster a relationship with those who peer tutor or for them to pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses.
Racking up good grades will help you in the future, whether it be in your applications to graduate or medical schools, or simply bragging to your grandchildren about how smart you are!
Whatever the case may be, it is important to take advantage of any and all the resources you have to do well on midterms. If you think tutoring will help you, consult either a paid or free tutor. At the end of the day, graduate schools only see your final grades-there is no asterisk that notes the fact that you received help.
