4 tips to get you started with online tutoring

Studying can be tough for anyone, especially when trying to wrap your head around a subject you’re already struggling with. But it’s something that most of us have to do if we want a better grade or want to learn something new.

Luckily, if you’re willing, connecting with a tutor online can help transform studying from boring, hard work, into something really engaging and fruitful.

If you’ve never studied online before, you might not know what to expect. You might even think it isn’t for you if you’re not used to self-direction. But students can adjust really quickly and reap the benefits of studying online using these four tips below.

Plan to succeed

Whether you’re looking to study with an online math tutor in order to help improve your math grade, or you’re just studying something new like a language for personal gain, you should be honest with yourself about your motivation to learn or improve your grade, and how much time you have per week to dedicate to studying the subject.

Set yourself a learning plan and stick to it. Would you like to improve a grade point by the next report card? Would you like to be able to introduce yourself in Spanish in two weeks’ time? It’s easier to motivate yourself accordingly when you have an actual plan with goals and timelines.

Start slow and small while you get started with online tutoring

If you’re new to the whole studying online thing, or even to working with a tutor in general, you’ll want to be realistic about your time commitment as you begin.

This can be broken into two smaller pieces of advice:

1. Don’t dive in the deep end right away and start loading up your schedule with a bunch of tutoring appointments. Instead, start with one or two sessions per week, then increase your study load when you’re confident about your time management abilities.
2. Studies show that people learn better when they divide their study time into smaller, more manageable chunks. Studying for 15 minutes each day instead of studying for 2 hours one day has been proven to have more positive effects. Consider this when building your online studying schedule.

Be an active participant

Choosing a good tutor is only half the battle. How interested you are in studying will be conveyed in each of your lessons. If you are attentive and engaged during each of your lessons, your tutor will have an easier time working with you to attain your learning goals. So participate! Help drive each lesson: ask questions when you don’t understand and respond and engage in discussion. Use your tutor time wisely: it’s your opportunity to have one-on-one time with a subject matter expert: think about what you’d like to learn and let your tutor know.

Familiarize yourself with the Skooli platform before you start studying

Don’t let something like lack of familiarity with the technology stand in the way of your studying or detract from your lesson time. Watch one of our introductory videos before you get into the classroom to become familiar with how Skooli looks and feels before you even start!

Now it’s time to set your study goals and achieve them. Happy studying!