What is a Peer Tutor?
What is a peer tutor? Peer tutors at Shenandoah work in small groups with fellow students (tutees), offering academic support and expertise in an informal setting. Some tutors are generalists, focusing on broad skills, or disciplines, while others specialize in certain courses or groups of courses.
Peer tutors are an important resource because students can identify more easily with their peers, who can explain concepts in the students’ language as well as provide positive academic role models.
There are certain guidelines that help tutors do their jobs effectively. Tutoring requires a delicate balance; you must try to straddle the line between professor and student with grace, dignity, and intelligence.
All tutors must be patient, caring, flexible, enthusiastic, organized, able to communicate effectively, and exhibit strong interpersonal skills.
Tutor Eligibility Requirements
- 3.0 overall GPA
- 2 completed faculty reference forms
- At least a B+ average in class for tutoring
Apply to Become a Tutor
Complete the form below to apply to become a peer tutor.
Recommend a Tutor
Complete the form below to recommend a tutor for your class.
Faculty/Staff Tutor Reference Form
Here’s what some of our current tutors have to say about tutoring:
My previous tutor helped me with Pharmacology when I was a sophomore. I went to tutoring because I knew I was missing some important points in class that could be explained to me by a peer. My tutor and I really connected and it became fun going to tutoring. The way she explained pharmacology to me was really helpful and I knew that I could do the same for other students in that class. – Angelina Martirano
My previous tutor helped me find my passion for nursing as well as provide me with excellent study habits and resources. I am now giving back to other students and it is incredibly rewarding. -Olivia Bixler
My previous tutor helped me practice sight-singing and analysis skills and gave me the confidence to work hard and pass the course. Because of that, I went from hating music theory to loving it! -Cameron Edmiston
I decided to become a tutor because I truly believe I would not have succeeded in my nursing courses without taking advantage of peer tutoring. In nursing, material is taught in classes at such a fast pace, and having a tutor who understands what it feels like to be in my shoes and be willing to take their time to go back over everything and answer my questions was one of the best things to happen to me as a student. I hope that as a tutor I can be able to give other students the confidence they need to succeed in their classes the way my tutor did for me. -Bryanna Morrell