22nd March 2012 9:00
By Blue Tutors
Tutoring is a very attractive proposition for university students. It offers similar flexibility to may part-time jobs, but commands a much better rate of pay, which means that a tutoring university student can end up spending much less time working than they would with another job, and yet make a similar amount. However, this is too simplistic a view on tutoring while at university, and there are lots of things to consider when deciding whether it would work for you.
Firstly, you should be aware that having an 18-21 year old as a tutor splits parents. In many ways the situation can work very well because the tutor will recently have studied the qualification they are teaching, and the tutor is close to the student’s age which means no communication barriers, and usually a better chance of making the student feel comfortable. Parents don’t always consider these qualities to be as important as experience of a older tutor though, and the sentiment we occasionally hear is that a particular young tutor may turn out to be brilliant, but we would much rather employ a good older tutor with a track record.
Of course, there are lots of students out there, and most diligent tutors are likely to find a lot of students who are happy to be tutored by an undergraduate, so the more important consideration is how it will affect you. Will the demands of private tutoring be more than you bargained for? And will tutoring pay enough without impacting on your studies?
It’s important to remember that students begin lessons on the promise that their tutor will be available until the student’s exams. Unfortunately this is usually the same time as the tutor’s exams, and the tutor is likely to be asked to teach more or longer lessons right when they would like to be focussing on their own studies. Essentially the tutor has a choice: accept that their role as a tutor will mean lesson study time, don’t become a tutor, or end the relationship with a student when the student needs help the most. This last option is obviously something which should be avoided at all costs, and if it’s something which you are comfortable with then we would suggest that you rethink the idea to become a tutor.
Experienced tutors will say that although lots of good students are incredibly reliable, one shouldn’t make plans for their lesson fees too far in advance. Students can fall ill, families can go on holiday, or a student may stop lessons altogether. Relying on one’s tutoring income to pay for rent or food is a difficult situation, and we find that tutors are much more successful and happy when the money earnt from tuition is additional to that needed for their living costs.
Lastly, one should remember that 1 hour of tuition doesn’t mean just 1 hour. Almost every lesson will require a little preparation, and travelling time can make an hour turn into at least 90 minutes. We always advise tutors to take on students in convenient locations, and to remember that the attractive lure of £30 an hour has to be weighed up against preparation and travel time.