Many students hesitate to attend tutoring because they think they’ll feel judged for not fully understanding the subject, but the tutoring center welcomes students with open arms.
Kimberly Nanez, coordinator of the Student Academic Success Center, invites students to feel comfortable going to tutoring, and taking advantage of some of the resources that the school has to offer.
“I want students to know that our office is a place that they can come, and that it’s an open space where students can have the liberty to talk to us,” Nanez said.
The tutoring center, in Room 211 of the Central Academic Building, offers specific tutors who specialize mainly in math and science.
Elizabeth Herrera, math senior and math tutor at the center, says the main problem students have is that they don’t understand professors who teach too fast.
“With math we have to go through the problems together and work it out. It’s basically just reviewing problems and going through those examples,” Herrera said.
Walk-ins are welcomed, but appointments have first priority. A student can schedule one appointment per day, and the maximum time is three hours per appointment.
The tutoring center helps students, because they are being tutored by their peers, versus going to the professors for help because some students may feel intimidated getting help by their teachers.
Herrera says she definitely feels like tutoring does make an impact in the student’s grades.
“A student came in and had three quizzes failing and he came in and got an A on the next quiz, and he managed to pass the class,” Herrera said. “It is very beneficial to come in, and it doesn’t make any less of you, and if you’re not sure of something we will help you understand it.”
Richard Montemayor, math sophomore, attends tutoring frequently, specifically for calculus. Montemayor recommends students attend tutoring because it’s a free resource at the university. Montemayor goes to different tutors every time because he likes to get a full perspective of each tutor’s style.
“We are a service that helps students,” Nanez said. “We are trying to help across the board for students to be successful.”
For more information or to schedule a tutoring appointment, call 210-784-1332 or email tutoring@tamusa.edu Students also can visit Room 211 of the Central Academic Building. The tutoring center hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Hours vary depending on the tutoring subject.
