Do students need tutoring to succeed in the VCE?

[VivaTequila]

but that's just my opinion, paying for a tute will undoubtedly increase your score.

really? i strongly disagree with that statement. paying for a tutor wont UNDOUBTEDLY increase your score. It might in some cases but IMHO i dont see what a tutor can provide that a 1 on 1 teacher session cant provide. If your teacher doesnt have the time or is not a very good teacher than go to the internet. There are millions of videos and resources from highly educated people on the net. In fact, VCE is practically designed so that you can achieve any score withought the need for out-of-school help. All you need is the text book and some determination. I self learn practically every subject cause i personally cannot learn a thing when someone trys to explain it to me. Im the kind of person that needs to read it for my self and do the questions to understand. So my opinion might be biassed. Although I have absolutely nothing against tutors at all. In fact i wouldnt mind doing it. In the end if the student is happy and wants to do it, why not make money off it?

Interesting actually... I still believe that paying for a tutor will definately, incontrovertibly, 100% increase your score. It might be questionable as to how much, but considering that spending time with a tutor is essentially time spent collaborating and investing time and effort into your studies whilst getting (hopefully) insightful input, feedback, and contributions from the tutor, it's hard to argue the opposite way. It's also hard to argue that it will have absolutely zero impact on your score. I just can't see it doing nothing or working the opposite way which is why I am saying that it will definately help. There's also the matter that tutors exist; people must be utilising them for something, and presumably the system works and tutors do in fact help your score.

Again, I'm not talking in the realms of degrees of efficacy, because I don't think they would help all that much in the majority of cases. But I don't think they can damage your score, and I don't think that you'd break even if you utilised a tute. The only way to go is up.

Actually I do believe it can have the opposite effect and I have seen it happened as well. In some cases kids can rely TOO heavily on tutors and tend to not develop independent skills which are vital for exam study. This is mostly seen in kids who have been tutored from a young age. Sure it can help with things such as concepts and discussing ideas especially in subjects like English. But I do know people who don't study at all for tests and even exams because they think "oh I'll just ask my tutor". but of course I'm not saying all cases are like this, just that it is possible that having a tutor can have negative affects, again especially if you've had a tutor for most of your schooling.

hmm i dunno, it's a plausible hypothetical but it seems VERY unlikely. guess it's true though, i can't argue that a tutor will definitely help, but it is most likely to help.

[pi]

some do, some don't, different people learn differently

+1

I'd say most of the 99.5+ kids in my year didn't have tutors...

I'd say the complete opposite unfortunately I only know of one person so far with an ATAR of 99.5+ from MHS who didn't have a tutor at all throughout his VCE.


My opinion on this topic depends on what the individual defines as "successful". Some are very happy with a 70 ATAR, whilst some want 99.75+ to be "successful". Personally, I'm happy with my scores and I'll admit to having an English tutor for most of yr12 (started in Feb). I chose to have this (me, not my parents btw) because I felt I needed to improve and had the potential to be more than a B+ student. I chose to not have tutors in other subjects, mainly because I felt I was capable enough to get a score that I'd be happy with (I'm also one who doesn't want to waste much money either ).

[james_blues]

I wanted a English tutor since i was averaging only B's in year 11 and wanted to improve on this. In year 12 i got A's for all GA's, so tutoring can be helpful in improving your weaknesses

[paulsterio]

I still don't understand why my parents are willing to fork up like $2000 over the course of the year for my English tuition (only thing I did) - which didn't even help me anyway, when they could have just put that money towards my car fund =.=

[pi]

I still don't understand why my parents are willing to fork up like $2000 over the course of the year for my English tuition (only thing I did) - which didn't even help me anyway, when they could have just put that money towards my car fund =.=

Some parents value academics over owning cars in the short-term?

[WhoTookMyUsername]

long term?

[pi]

long term?

Well, VCE english only lasts a couple of years... The ATAR is only relevant for a few months, so it's short-term imo

[pi]

career is 4 lyf, first car is 4year

Most people change careers many times in their lives, so the ATAR doesn't define what career you will have in your whole life (main exceptions include med/dent/etc.).

Either way, English SS > $2000 for car, for me anyway

[nisha]

Ok, so I'm slightly surprised on the amount of people that don't prefer tutoring.
As an Asian student, our parents (mostly) see tutoring as an outlet to enhance a student's learning.
Yes, I do agree, that tutors CAN SPOONFEED a student, int what they need to know, and the students think, thats ONLY what they need to know. But in the end, that is not the tutor's responsibility. If you love the subject, are getting tutored on the side (to reinforce concepts, or help you with a difficulty), then naturally you should want to go above and beyond the course material. It is all down to your motivation. You can only take the horse to the pond, not force it to drink.

Tutors can act as:
1. To reinforce concepts on which you have learnt at school
2. To provide extra material (notes, harder practise exams and questions) in which the student cannot obtain from the internet or from school
3. To help students that are having difficulty in a particular area
4. Teach concepts better than your teacher at school
5. Assist in providing help when avaliable (by phone, email)


This all depends upon WHAT subjects are being tutored (Maths subjects are approached differently than English-based subjects) and WHAT TYPE of qualifications the tutor has. Obviously, it is desirable to pay a tutor that is a master of the subject (Eg, obtained high marks in VCE, has a considerable amount of experience and/or has a uni degree or is a vcaa assesor).

From personal experience? The best tutors are those that make YOU THINK. The ones that encourage your own ideas (english), and the way you would grasp and attempt a problem (maths), and because of this clear understanding that you have, you like the subject and want to aim exceptionally high in that area.

[greenbeans]

There are a squillion different sides to having tutors and not having tutors, but personally I am not in favour of them for my learning. I would love to tutor myself, but I think they can be quite exxy.

I've heard stories of students who only use tutors as their form of revision and rely on their tutor to do their own 'learning' which I think is really a load of bs. Plus, you've already got a plethora of resources at the ready thanks to your school. Hello, weekly candlelit dinners with teachers going over 12973109 essays you wrote them, soooo many practice exams, free book talks, your friends and past VCE kiddos who did the same subjects, iPods to record your notes, annoying parents to quiz you on information you have to gargle, computers and printers at the ready, THE FREAKIN WEB!!!!

There seems to be quite a division between the kids who gets tutors - those really needing the help.. and those who are the top end students really wanting to push themselves. Either is great, but you CAN see an attitude difference between those students who are the independent learners and willing to get a tutor to beast their scores for their own goals, and those who unwillingly trudge off to the tutor because they're mopey about their (past) grades or it was their parents' idea/s. Or maybe I'm being way too judgmental, but that's how I saw it for at least the middle years. And ....therefore... probably the biggest learning curve I discovered, *particularly* during year 12 was how your attitude towards your studies is definitely the most influential factor of your success/outcome/failure/blitz/happiness with VCE!

But honestly, all you brainiacs here at AN wouldn't need tutoring, they'd be teaching their tutors a thing or two themselves! 

[Mariammm]

I had a maths tutor last year which helped me get my scores up from low-mid 90s to high 90s ... It just gave me that little boost i needed, especially since my teacher was pretty dreadful... Was a massive ripoff though ... I'm now trying to convince my mum that i do not need bio, further or methods tutoring or any other subject for that matter.. But i guess its because she wants to be assured that she she has done everything possible to support me ... Considering that i'm doing bio with distance ed...Imo it just wastes a whole night of valuable study time( if you dont need it). .. Getting ready, travelling, attending - money and time drainer

[fuzzylogic]

I'm a firm believer that tutoring only helps certain types of learners, as taiga said, and on top of that, a good tutor tailors their method to the student.  Almost every student in my chem, maths and physics classes in year 12 had some form of tutoring or coaching (physics probably because our teacher at school was absolutely dismal), and pretty much every one who got over 99 would have had some form of tutoring in at least one subject. 



 

[John President]

I definitely think the question being asked is very generalised - everyone has different learning styles, strengths and weaknesses, plus it may vary depending on the quality of the teacher, plus dozens of other varying factors...but I don't think tutoring is essential (although it can be very helpful)

I got an ATAR over 99 without ever having or feeling the need for a tutor during high school - though I did really work for it. Although in hindsight I do think I could have benefited from one for English. My teacher spent a lot of time explaining very simplistic points, which meant that the more advanced students didn't really get as much help with more complex skills in English - unless I went to see the teacher one on one. Then again, tutors are expensive...

Fuzzylogic, I find your post interesting - Your school clearly had a culture of students seeking tutoring to boost their scores (not surprising given its PLC) while my school is a complete polar opposite - an almost entirely Anglo-Saxon public school that has little renown for academia. Unsurprisingly, hardly anyone sought tutoring - although my teachers were very good and very motivated to get the best out of us. Especially my physics teacher.

Although in general, I think exceptionally gifted students have little need to blow tons of cash on tutoring and should instead channel their energies into doing their own revision - for free.

Or everyone should just look on ATARnotes 

[greenbeans]

yeah i second the whole 'you can't get over XXXX in VCE without a tutor'

[fuzzylogic]

Fuzzylogic, I find your post interesting - Your school clearly had a culture of students seeking tutoring to boost their scores (not surprising given its PLC) while my school is a complete polar opposite - an almost entirely Anglo-Saxon public school that has little renown for academia. Unsurprisingly, hardly anyone sought tutoring - although my teachers were very good and very motivated to get the best out of us. Especially my physics teacher.

Although in general, I think exceptionally gifted students have little need to blow tons of cash on tutoring and should instead channel their energies into doing their own revision - for free.

Or everyone should just look on ATARnotes 

Yes, you're right there is a culture of tutoring being the norm at my school.  What I found interesting was that starting from year nine even, a lot of our teachers actually encouraged students who were struggling to find private tutors as well as giving them extra help.  I know one of our maths teachers at school had a list of maths tutors that he would give out to anyone who wanted it. 

As for 'exceptionally gifted students' having little need to spend money on tutoring-- I don't know if I quite agree.  Again, this is probably the product of going to a school where tutors are the norm, but almost year after year, ever top student and incredibly smart student I've known or known about has had tutoring, or been to Dr. He, or North Shore etc.  I've also seen incredibly talented students in my class fall behind their peers in who probably werne't as talented, in SACs and tests, simply because they hadn't had tutoring.  It seems VCE is not and has not been for a long time, a level playing field. 

That said, I never really struggled, yet felt the need to have tutors in almost all my subjects, probably because of peer pressure LOL...in the end, we did a lot of extension, and I have to say that helped me a lot come exam time.