Free tutoring website offers its services to students

A 24-hour tutoring service is available again this year, but not all students may be aware.

The program, Tutor.com, was first implemented last spring and offers multiple academic services to Fairfax County Public Schools students, accessible through Schoology. According to the website, the service will find a tutor for anyone in about 60 seconds.

“I think it’s convenient in the sense you could get live tutoring 24/7,” counselor and Peer Tutoring Program sponsor Douglas Sawitzky said. “It seemed pretty flexible.”

Senior Robert McCarthy said he used Tutor.com for IB History of the Americas essay review, but didn’t feel satisfied with the service.

“The person I got basically said to talk to my teacher and just told me basic essay points that weren’t very specific to HOA,” McCarthy said.

Sophomore Rishika Jain also said she used Tutor.com for tips on essay-writing.

“I asked them what I could do to improve my essay to give more clarity, like [using] different word choice,” Jain said.

Jain said a negative aspect about the site was a lack of tutorials on how to use it.

“A lot of times I was confused on where to go and schedule a session,” she said.

Also implemented last spring, the Peer Tutoring Program allows students to either walk in or book an appointment and get help from student tutors.

Sawitzky said both programs have their pros and cons.

“I think it’s just a matter of preference sometimes,” he said. “If you know you can’t come from three to four and you’re working on something and get stumped, I think [Tutor.com] is a nice resource to try out.”

Sawitzky also said PTP might sometimes be more appealing to students.

“For some people who would prefer an actual live person, I can understand why PTP would be more comfortable,” he said.

Either way, Sawitzky said he encourages students to take advantage of the resources offered at Marshall.

Sawitzky also said he plans to raise awareness for Tutor.com by including the link in the weekly counselor emails students receive.

“The program started when everyone kind of had their academic habits for last year,” he said. “I think as kids [this year] start to take quizzes and tests, they’re starting to ask themselves, where can I get more support?”

Sawitzky said he believes students will start using Tutor.com for their first time this year.

“I think they’re going to familiarize themselves more with it,” he said. “Ultimately, everyone’s going to come to their own conclusion [about] whether it’s effective and useful for them or not.”