The Tutor.com Blog

Marine Corps Reservist, Lieutenant Colonel Brad Lanto has been part of the military for 20 years. While he works in the Pentagon as the Marine Corps Liaison for the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP) in Reserve Affairs, his wife and two children are back in North Carolina. We caught up with the Lt. Col. and his wife, MaryBeth, who is a middle school counselor, to see how Tutor.com has been making a difference for their seventh grade son, Zac. We also learned how the challenges Reservists face may be different than other military members. While Reservists don’t move nearly as much, they too face long deployments, which put many miles between them and their families back at home.

Tutor.com:  Lt. Col. Lanto, how long have you been away from your family?

Lt. Col. Lanto: I left for the Pentagon last October and I expect to be here for one year. While I’m gone, my wife is the primary caregiver and has to help with school work for our two children on her own.

MaryBeth:  Our son is a great student, but this year he’s in an advanced, honors math class and the pace is very fast. I’m never sure how to help him or if I’m offering the right techniques.  We’re glad to have access to Tutor.com.  Our son connects to tutors and also uses the resources Tutor.com offers, including the videos, worksheets and recommended websites.

Tutor.com:  That’s great. Sometimes we forget to talk about all the resources in the SkillsCenter Resource Library. When does he use those?

MaryBeth:  He likes to use the mobile app and check out the resources from his iPhone when we’re driving and then at home he uses his laptop to connect to one of the tutors for help.

Tutor.com:  We love to hear that kids are doing school work even in the car! With the app he could connect to a tutor from his phone too. Are there other features your son likes about getting help online?

MaryBeth:  Yes, he likes to review the videos of his own sessions that he has had with a tutor when he’s studying.  And it helps him with the math skills he needs. He’s a very busy student with a full course load of challenging courses and he plays in two soccer leagues.  So having help available 24/7 is really beneficial.

Tutor.com:  Lt. Col Lanto, how do you think Reservists will use Tutor.com?

Lt. Col. Lanto:  Many Reservists are going to school on the GI Bill and need help with their own work, such as having a paper proofread. Reservists who aren’t deployed may be working, going to school, and doing their drills for the military. Having tutors available around their schedule helps them get everything done.   Many Reservists also have families and multiple children who benefit from online tutoring.

MaryBeth:   Tutor.com offers so much and really is a relief for parents.  There are so many different  ways for children to learn – videos, worksheets and live tutoring.  It’s a great resource.

To learn more about Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families and how it supports families of Reservists and National Guard service members, please go to www.tutor.com/military.

Working with the U.S. Military has led our team to some exotic locations (Hawaii!), but most importantly as we travel to events across the country we always meet amazing people. One of these inspiring individuals is Patty Barron, the Director of Family Programs for the Association of the United States Army (AUSA). Patty’s energy and enthusiasm for supporting military families is legendary. It’s no surprise that she has a great family, including a son who regularly uses Tutor.com. Patty and her son Joe squeezed us into their packed schedule to share some thoughts about online tutoring, Eagle Scouts and what it means to be a military family.

Tutor.com:  Besides your role at AUSA, what is your connection to military families?

Patty:  My husband (Col. (R) Michael Barron) recently retired after spending 30 years in the Army. In some ways I grew up in a military family because I was just 22 years old when I got married and my husband’s first assignment was in Germany. We had our first child there and we learned quickly to depend on ourselves and our friends. We didn’t have family close by, but our military friends were there for us. I love how diverse the military is, and yet we share many of the same values, including pride of our country and of our families and the importance of education.

Tutor.com:  So Joe, you are growing up in a military family. How does that affect your school life?

Joe:  I’m in 11^th grade and I’ve moved five times.

Patty:  My older children moved eight times! They went to four elementary schools, two middle schools and three high schools. That’s a lot of change. When you move so much you can’t request your teachers and you don’t know the lay of the land.

Tutor.com:  Joe, how have you handled all of the moves?  

Joe:  I make sure to be really active and join a lot of after-school events to meet people and make friends. I’m not a great runner, but I joined the cross country team. I’m also part of the stage crew for school plays and I’m working on becoming an Eagle Scout.

Patty:  I have to interrupt and brag a little about his Eagle Scout project. He just finished a 64-foot bridge to connect the Wounded Warrior Trail to the wildlife refuge to help extend the hiking experience. He was actually very sick that weekend. We had him in the Emergency Room on Friday and on Sunday he was out building a bridge!

Tutor.com:  That’s worth bragging about! Joe, we know when you’re not building bridges, you’re getting ready for the SATs or finishing homework for your tough schedule of Honors English, German, Pre-Calculus and AP Biology and History classes. Why did you start using Tutor.com?

Joe: My mom told me about Tutor.com, and for the first two months I didn’t think I needed it. Then during my final math exam I decided to get online and work with a tutor to study. I had the tutors help me with all the problems I got wrong during the year. I got an A on that final. Now I use Tutor.com pretty regularly for help with pre-calculus, and I work with English tutors to proof my papers and help with grammatical mistakes.

Tutor.com:  What do you like best about online tutoring?

Joe:  The tutors help show me the process to use and break down the problems. I like having one-to-one time to ask direct questions. No matter where I am, I can just get online and get help. I also like connecting to tutors on the iPad.

Patty:  My older kids were very bright, but they were at the mercy of what I and their father could help them with, which is mostly writing. Neither of us was great at math. Tutor.com would have really helped my older children.

Tutor.com:  We are always impressed with how military children seem to handle themselves and excel at school. Do you think there is something about being in a military family that supports this?

Joe:  All military kids are proud of their parents. We are so proud of our family and we never want to let them down. We want to make them proud.

Patty:  You have to be very well educated to move up in the military and our kids see that. We really value our families and a great education.

Tutor.com:  What advice would you give to parents and students who may be struggling a bit with school?

Patty:  I learned a lot from the experience of raising my two older children (now 29 and 27 years old). Parents need to know that their kids will be just fine. If they don’t go to Harvard, that is okay. You need to know your children and what they can do and really push them to be their best. I have a nursing degree and a master’s degree in counseling, and I always gave my children one mental health day a quarter. Just to give them time to sleep or catch up on homework or whatever they needed.

Joe:  Talk to your teachers and let them know you are trying. They will help you. It’s good to figure out the best way you learn. For me, working with a tutor online is the best way for me to get help.

Patty: I just want to add that it’s an enormous benefit for students to have access to Tutor.com to get help. I really love the program!

If you’d like to learn more about Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families go to www.tutor.com/military .

Every week millions of teachers spend time planning out lessons that will engage a classroom of students. Mat Doty, a ninth grade teacher at the Crossroads Center, an alternative education center that is part of the Baltimore County Public School System, is one of those teachers. But, Mat doesn’t have to plan alone.  Mat has been participating in the MyLivePD™ Online Coaching Service pilot program since September 2011. Thanks to a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, several school districts, several Teach for America (TFA) regional districts and National Education Association (NEA) members have enjoyed free access to experienced Algebra coaches online.

Mat uses the service regularly to connect to a coach during his prep period or after-school hours to collaborate on lesson plans especially for upcoming high stakes exams. Here’s how MyLivePD is helping Mat every week.

Tutor.com: Mat how long have you been teaching?

Mat: I’m in my fifth year of teaching at the Baltimore County Public School System. Right now I teach Algebra to classes of 18 ninth graders, who all have different challenges when it comes to school and school work.

Tutor.com: Ongoing professional development is an important part of your profession.  What types of professional development programs have you participated in?

Mat:  I’ve done a lot of professional development (PD) since I started my teaching career. I’ve attended conferences, workshops and I have even provided PD to other teachers, as well.

Tutor.com: What type of PD were you providing?

Mat: I focused on helping teachers make math relevant to their students to help really engage the students in the classroom. The program also brought the elements of urban culture to suburban teachers.

Tutor.com: How is MyLivePD different from other PD programs you’ve done?

Mat : It’s a completely new way to get help. Before MyLivePD, if I had a question about a teaching technique or wanted to try something new in my classroom, I would have to wait for a larger workshop or seminar that may be weeks or months away. Now I can get help from one of the coaches right when I need it, which is really exciting.

Tutor.com: How often do you use MyLivePD and what types of topics do you discuss?

Mat: I started using the program this past September. I have been using it pretty regularly. In the fall I used it to get my courses fully planned and to tweak some of my lessons. I also connected to coaches to prepare for my observation. Now, I’m using the service for suggestions on engaging my students to prepare them for the Maryland High School Assessment (HSA). Our recent benchmark tests were not as high as I’d like and I want to find innovative ways to prep them for the test.

Tutor.com: What do you like best about connecting to a coach for PD online?

Mat: I like how immediate the help is and how personal it is. I get to ask a specific question and get a very personal experience and response. Not long ago, I prepared a lesson and it didn’t work out as well as I had hoped. That day I was able to connect to a coach online during a prep period and work through some other options. I had a new lesson plan ready to go for the very next day. Other PD doesn’t work like this.

Tutor.com: How would you recommend other teachers use MyLivePD?

Mat: There are many ways teachers can use MyLivePD. I recommend it for planning lessons to help make them more exciting and to better engage students. When you are planning alone you can hit a wall sometimes. It’s great to have a coach to share ideas. The service also helps teachers take more risks and try something new like inquiry-based lessons. And I like that I can have a great new idea and lesson plan in 30 minutes or less. It really saves me planning time.

If you or your school district would like to check out MyLivePD go to www.mylivepd.com to watch a video and read more about this new, teacher-driven PD.

In 2006 the College of Coastal Georgia realized it had a problem. As a 2-year college at the time, it was running out of on-campus tutors to satisfy their students’ need for extra academic support. With its tutoring centers daily at capacity, the College of Coastal Georgia realized it needed a program that could augment what the on-campus center couldn’t supply. That is when they decided to partner with Tutor.com.

Brought on initially to provide on-demand, one-to-one support during the evening hours and weekends, Tutor.com became an instant hit. Students appreciated the extra hours of support that better fit their busy schedules. Even better, they could connect to a tutor online from the comfort of home. For many students who commuted and were not on campus every day, this made tutoring truly accessible.

In 2008 the College of Coastal Georgia began moving forward with some exciting changes as it became a 4-year college. Throughout that transition, Tutor.com provided them with the flexibility to grow their program as the demand for academic support increased. Between the additional students and the campus’s own promotion of their tutoring and instruction services, the school decided to offer Tutor.com 24/7. Students responded and campus usage of the service during the 2010-2011 academic year was 750% greater than the year before. Anywhere, anytime access was giving students the support they needed.

With about 3,500 students and over 13,000 one-to-one tutoring sessions under their belt, here is what College of Coastal Georgia students who have used the service have to say about Tutor.com:

• “I am more confident going into tests because this website is offered to me at anytime during the day. I love it!”
• “I had never heard of a service like this before, it was refreshing to have someone right there in my house that could help me with what I needed exactly! I would definitely recommend this service to others!”
• 99% are glad the College of Coastal Georgia offers the Tutor.com service*
• 96% are getting help completing their assignments*
• 96% are improving their grades*
• 97% are more confident about their school work*

Throughout the six year partnership the College of Coastal Georgia has expanded to be a 4-year school, increased its matriculation, and developed innovative programs to assist students with coursework. During that busy time, in order to make a good partnership a great one Tutor.com focused on what it does best, providing additional support. The Coordinator of Academic Tutoring and Instruction at the College of Coastal Georgia, Niki Schmauch, noted, “Our relationship with Tutor.com has been so successful because of the caliber of the company. Between the high quality of the tutors, the constant technological innovations and the responsiveness of the client services team, we have found the perfect partner in Tutor.com.”

To find out more information on Tutor.com for Higher Education, click here or call 888-888-6726 ext: 258.

*Survey results complied from post-session surveys during the 2010-2011 academic year

Michaela and her family.

Sergeant Master Michael O. of the U.S. Marines has moved every four years of his 26-year military career.   During his last move, from Georgia to Virginia, he brought his wife and two daughters along.  Once his older daughter Michaela was enrolled in her new school she immediately found that the new curriculum was challenging and for the first time she needed extra help.   We caught up with Michael, his wife Marcia, and their eighth grade daughter Michaela to find out how Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families helped them during a difficult academic time.

Tutor.com: One of the reasons the Department of Defense wanted to provide online tutoring to military families is the very mobile lifestyle you lead.   How has that affected your family?

Michael:  I’ve moved many times during my military career, but often my family would stay put to give them stability.  But, for this last move before I retired, the family moved with me.  It was a big adjustment, especially for Michaela who found her classes in Virginia very different from those she had been taking in Georgia.  It really had an impact.  We didn’t realize how different the education systems were between states. 

Tutor.com:  How did you find out about Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families?

Michael:  I was at a meeting at the Pentagon for new community members and someone happened to mention it to me.  I only wish we had learned about the service our first day!  It made a big difference for Michaela.  We loved that Michaela had access to tutoring whenever she needed it.

Tutor.com:  What subjects did you get help in Michaela?

Michaela: I worked with tutors mostly on math.  I would use it to study before a test.  I’d ask the tutor for extra problems that I could work on, especially word problems which are hard for me.  The tutors helped give me tips and then I could do it on my own.  I did better on my tests.   I also got help writing papers.  I really liked working with the tutors.  At the end of the year I had a high B in my math class.

Tutor.com:  What made math so tough?

Michaela:  Moving from my old school to a new one was hard because the classes were different and I didn’t know some of the information.  Tutor.com helped me with everything I didn’t know.

Marcia:  Yes.  I’d say that the tutors really connected the dots from one curriculum to the other.

Tutor.com: Do you have a busy schedule outside of school?

Michaela:  Yes!   I’m a cheerleader and I sing in the chorus.  I’m also in a mentoring program with my mom called Emerging Young Leaders.

Marcia:  Emerging Young Leaders is a program for middle school girls sponsored by a sorority. It helps girls get ready for college and provides culture awareness.  We also recently went to a weekend retreat put on by the Steve Harvey Foundation called Girls Who Rule the World. 

Tutor.com:  You are a busy family!  Michaela, what’s your advice to other busy students who want to get great grades?

Michaela:  You have to be organized and follow your schedule.  Include enough time to study.  And if you have questions, ask during class or go to the teacher before or after school.  I used Tutor.com in the evenings and on the weekends.  It was really convenient way for me to get help.

Have a Tutor.com story you want to share?  Email jkohn@tutor.com.

In our ongoing Success Story series about how military families are using Tutor.com, we were lucky enough to meet Elizabeth and Kiara W.

Kiara and her family.

Elizabeth grew up in a military family as a self-described “military brat” and is now a military spouse living with her family on Edwards Air Force Base.  Her husband is currently serving a one-year deployment in Afghanistan.

Kiara is a junior in high school taking multiple AP classes and plays guard forward for the basketball team. An excellent student, Kiara found herself struggling with pre-calculus.  The family usually relies on Dad for math help, but with him deployed, Elizabeth started to search for tutoring options. A few months ago she discovered Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families and now Kiara’s C is an A. Here’s how she mastered pre-calculus.

Tutor.com: When did you first realize you needed help with school work?

Elizabeth: I knew Kiara was having a tough time with pre-calculus and her Dad is the one who helps with math, not me! So I started looking on the base and looking online to see what kind of help was out there and if there were any discounts for military families.  Everything was so expensive. We were glad to find Tutor.com. (Note:  Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families is free for eligible military families*.)

Knowing that Kiara can get help whenever she needs it eliminated stress for me and I think this option is better than a lot of the programs I researched.

Tutor.com: Kiara, how has online tutoring helped you?

Kiara: It’s really easy to use. The tutors are always helpful and nice. I’m using it most nights to help with homework or ask questions before a test. I mostly connect to a tutor from our desktop computer, but if I’m studying in my room late at night I just use my iPhone to get help. I like to take pictures of the blackboard or of my textbook and share it with tutor. It’s awesome!

Tutor.com: What’s different about online tutoring from learning in the classroom?

Kiara: At school the teacher usually shows one way of doing something. When I connect to a tutor, they show me a different way and I can understand it better. The tutors make it easier for me.  And sometimes the teacher is moving too fast for me. I know they need to keep on schedule. When I can’t keep up, it’s easier for me to ask a tutor for help.

With the tutors, I can get my work done faster and really understand it, too.

Tutor.com: You have straight A’s and participate in sports. How can other students achieve the same goals?

Kiara: You have to make sure your priorities are straight and don’t be too embarrassed to ask for help. Do your homework first and then worry about everything else.

Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families is funded by the Department of Defense MWR Library Program and Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program. To see if you are eligible for this program, please go to www.tutor.com/military.

Chris L. makes movies but gets his homework done first.

We love hearing from students who are using our service. And we love it even more when students are so excited about having access to live, expert tutoring that they want to tell their friends about it.

A few weeks ago, we found out that Chris L. a Senior from Fort Sam Houston had made not one, not two, but five different videos to let his peers know about Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families. From a hilarious romantic comedy to a horror themed video, they are all fun to watch (links to all videos below).

When Chris isn’t making movies, you can find him participating in the Student Council or helping out teachers and students with a range of technology issues as a tech intern chosen by Dr. Roland Rios, the Director of Instructional Technology at the Robert G. Cole High School. Chris is also one of just 20 students chosen to meet with base leadership to discuss how the base can better meet the needs of students.

We reached out to Chris and Dr. Rios to find out where Chris gets his inspiration from and how he is personally using Tutor.com to increase his math grades.

Tutor.com: We loved your videos!  Great diversity, music and casting.  Why did you decide to create all these videos about Tutor.com?

Chris: I’m a member of our Student to Student (S2S) program and I wanted to do the videos to show other military students that they could get online tutoring. I used iMovie from Mac to make all the movies.

Note: S2S is a popular and important program for military students run by the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC).

Dr. Rios: iMovie is a great program that offers templates for different types of videos. Chris came up with the concepts and did all the work to put these videos together.

Tutor.com:  Chris, were you already using Tutor.com when you created the videos?

Chris:  Yes. I was using Tutor.com regularly last school year for pre-calculus. I had a pretty low grade but I raised it to a high B, low A by connecting to the tutors. I mostly used it to prepare for quizzes and exams. I also use it to have my essays proofread.

Tutor.com:  What do you like about getting help from online tutors?

Chris: I like that it’s a different type of learning environment. It’s private and I don’t feel embarrassed asking questions.  That’s why I thought it would be great to use videos to tell other students about the program as part of Student to Student.

Tutor.com:  Did you get help or tutoring before the introduction of Tutor.com?

Chris:  We have great teachers. They are always available to help after school. But sometimes I’m working later at night and need help then. I got an iPad for my birthday and now I use it to connect to a tutor. I love that tutors are always online to help me.

(Note: The Tutor.com To Go iOS app is available at tutor.com/mobile)

Tutor.com:  It’s your Senior year. What are you planning on doing after graduation?

Chris L: I’m applying to a few  military academies and schools that have ROTC. I want to join the Army like my dad after I graduate from college.

Tutor.com:  You are a really busy and really successful student. What advice do you have for other students struggling at school and trying to balance all of their activities?

Chris L.:  School always comes first. Keeping your grades high is really important. After you take care of homework and school then you balance everything else – activities and friends. When you have problems, make sure to ask for help. Go to a teacher or find out what else is available to you.

Watch Chris’s Videos about Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families

• Horror  
• Romantic
• Male Lead
• Female Lead
• Documentary

Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families is funded by the Department of Defense MWR Library Program and Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program.   To see if you are eligible for this program, please go to www.tutor.com/military.

Tutor.com is proud to offer tutoring to U.S. military families around the world 24/7.*   Many students growing up in military families move frequently throughout their childhood and often attend several schools. Over the last decade about 2 million children have been affected by the deployment of one or both parent(s).  Moves and having a deployed parent can make school work difficult.  That’s where Tutor.com comes in.

Since the service is available around the clock from anywhere and now any device, students can always get the help they need.   Recently we spoke to Kennedy, an 11^th grader whose father is an Army service member deployed in Israel.   She has been using Tutor.com for a few years and is taking an extremely challenging course load including AP U.S. History, AP English Language & Composition, AP Calculus, and Physics Honors.   She does four hours of homework daily.  And somehow squeezes in gymnastics.  We are beyond impressed and so glad to share her story with you.

Tutor.com:  Why did you first start using Tutor.com?

Kennedy:  I’ve been taking advanced math classes since sixth grade.  Success in my sixth grade math class meant I could take Algebra in seventh grade.   Connecting to tutors through Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families has been really important in helping me make it through tough math classes.

Tutor.com:  What are you using Tutor.com for this year?

Kennedy:  AP Calculus! I have an A in the class.  Tutor.com really helps me succeed in math.  I’m also going to use it to help with my college applications.

Tutor.com:  Why do you think online tutoring helps you?

Kennedy:  It’s great that I can use the program anytime.  It’s always accessible.  I’m usually on between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., but I’ve also had a few 1:00 a.m. sessions!  My favorite part about using the service is that I don’t have to fall behind or wait until the next day to ask the teacher for help.  I’m much better prepared for my classes.

The tutors are very patient which can never be taken for granted. They explain everything really well and they always work with me until I get the problem.

Tutor.com:  If you didn’t have access to Tutor.com, how would you get help?

Kennedy:  I probably couldn’t afford tutoring without Tutor.com.  My Dad would help if he was here, but he’s deployed now.  I always tell my military friends about the program and I know my one friend is using it right now for Organic Chemistry.  I do a lot of homework.  Usually four hours a night and Tutor.com helps me spend less time on math homework.

Tutor.com:  Now that you are halfway through high school, what advice would you give other students who may be struggling with math or other subjects?

Kennedy: My advice is work as hard as you can. Doing the homework is the key to success and finding help when you are struggling. Everyone reaches that point in math class where they just don’t get it.

Honestly, I’m so grateful for this program.  To me, it’s the best benefit for the military and I wish more people knew about it.  I try to tell every military family I know!

Thanks to Kennedy for a Certified Awesome interview.  If you are a member of a military family and would like to try the program, go to www.tutor.com/military.

*This program is funded by the Department of Defense MWR Library Program and Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program.

Melissa S. (right)

Every day, thousands of students connect to one of our tutors to overcome a challenge. It may be that night’s homework, ongoing math struggles or simply to review completed work. We’ve been hearing from the students through their post-session comments for years. “Your tutors rock!” “Awesome help!!!!” “Thank you for saving my life, again” are the types of comments that put a smile on our face and make us want to work even harder to deliver high quality online tutoring and homework help.

This school year, we’ll be featuring and celebrating a few Tutor.com Success Stories each month right here on our blog. Our first story comes from Melissa S., a junior at Oakland University in MI and regular Tutor.com user since 2003 who dropped us a note this summer to tell us how instrumental  Tutor.com has been for her studies. Melissa has used Tutor.com since sixth grade through her local library, Clinton Macomb Public Library.

We’d love to hear your Tutor.com success story! Email jkohn@tutor.com and tell us how Tutor.com is making a difference for you. Please include your contact information.

Tutor.com:  How did you first find out about Tutor.com?

Melissa:   I saw a flyer in the Clinton Macomb Public Library when I was in sixth grade.  I was really struggling with math and had no one to help me.  I tried out the program and soon was using it just about every day to help me with homework and to improve my skills.

Tutor.com:  Why did you start using Tutor.com?

Melissa:  I never had a tutor before. Sometimes my Aunt would help me, but math was really a struggle for me. I had failed a math class before I knew about Tutor.com. I took the class again and with help from Tutor.com I received the highest grade that year.

Tutor.com:  Why do you think the program helped you so much?

Melissa:  Since math was so difficult for me, I never knew if I was on the right track. I’d sit down to do homework and be completely confused. I’d have no idea if I was even headed in the right direction. I’d give up on myself and feel really discouraged. Tutors were expensive. Knowing I could connect to a tutor using Tutor.com for free (Note: Clinton Macomb Public Library funded the program) whenever I needed to gave me the motivation to keep going and get the work done. The tutors always gave me encouragement and they gave me motivation to stick it out. It really helped my confidence.

Tutor.com:  What did you like about the experience with the tutors?

Melissa:  I liked that they didn’t just give the answers. I used to want the answers, but I appreciate now that they worked with me to figure out how to do the problem. Honestly, I still hate math, but I can tolerate it with Tutor.com.

Tutor.com:  Can you tell us some of the results you experienced from using the program?

Melissa: I’m certain I would have failed some of my math classes without Tutor.com. Using Tutor.com helped me get through middle school and high school math.  I dramatically improved my grades. I can’t picture my academic career without it. I was always put in lower level math classes but in college I took calculus and earned a B-. I don’t think I would have even tried to take college level calculus without Tutor.com.

Tutor.com:  Are you still using Tutor.com in college?

Melissa:  I was using it for my math and science classes. Now I’m done with those requirements, but I still use it to have papers proofed.

Tutor.com:  What advice do you have for other students who are struggling with math?

Melissa:  I’d tell them that you need to take the time to do the problems. And use Tutor.com. Just bring  all your questions to the tutor!

Thanks to Melissa for sharing her story with us. Want to share your story?  Email Jennifer Kohn at jkohn@tutor.com !

Each month our team of mentors nominates a “Tutor.com Tutor of the Month”. We are pleased to introduce June’s Tutor of the Month, Andranik A!

In addition to tutoring with Tutor.com, Andranik is also one of our very own success stories. First hearing about our service when he was in high school, Andranik sought help from us for clarification in some of his science classes. After high school, he went on to graduate from the University of California Irvine in June 2010, with degrees in Neurobiology and Psychology (Cognitive Science). Andranik is currently working as a full-time staff research associate for the Alzheimer’s disease laboratory and applying to medical school. His knowledge of chemistry, biology, and algebra are helping to educate a new generation at Tutor.com

How did you find out about Tutor.com?

I actually saw a flyer for Tutor.com (offered by my local library) posted in a hallway bulletin board of my high school and decided to give it a shot. Back then I wanted clarification on some chemistry concepts and the tutors did a great job explaining them to me. So much so that I excelled in college general and organic chemistry and decided to become a tutor myself.

What is your favorite part of tutoring?

I just like the feeling of knowing that somewhere out there, an anonymous person just figured something out and it hopefully stuck with them. Being helped myself before I joined, I appreciated how the knowledgeable tutors were able to clarify concepts for me so I’m glad to be giving back in my own way.

What’s one thing you think every student should do in order to become a better student?

It’s tough to say one thing that will make someone a better student but if I had to, I would remind students to constantly keep their mind on the long term goals they have. Think about how much your future self will thank you for doing all the right things to make the rest of your life easier on yourself with what you do in the present.

Do you have any funny or touching Tutor.com stories?

I had one student who recognized me by my first name and actually thanked me personally for helping her out with all the questions she had been asking. She also mentioned that after she got introduced to the site, her grades have been getting better. That was enough to make my day, if not week.

Interested in becoming a tutor? Apply now!

After every session with Tutor.com, the learner is given an opportunity to rate their session and leave a comment. It’s a rainy day here in our NYC offices, but we can’t help but feel happy and energized when reading some of the comments from students in military families over the past month.

We’re happy to share some of this sunshine!

• This has saved my son’s and my sanity with all of the help.  Thank you US Navy for offering this to our family!  Top on my list of benefits that help.

• The simpliest way I can explain this service is that if it was not available I could not continue to so well in off duty education. Great asset one of the best ideas by DOD ever.

• Our tutor was GREAT.  She explained everything very clearly and was patient with myself and my son.  I can now help him add mixed numbers and he can be more confident in his answers.  I am VERY thankful for this service.  THANK YOU SO MUCH.  I wasn’t sure if I would like this site or how well it would even work.  We will be using this all the time, rather than arguing over the “correct” way to solve a math problem.

• Used the Resume Support feature!  FABULOUS!  Wonderful… thank you, thank you, thank you… this online feature gave me real time feedback, on my schedule at 9 pm!  As a military spouse, with two children, re-entering the job market this couldn’t have been more conventient.  Thank you so much!

• I love the help I got with my resume. I have asked friend to look ove it and they always tell me there is nothing wrong.  With my tutor they where able to help me add some things I was missing and change things that I over lookd. I will be using this again soon. Thank you so much.

• I really enjoyed working with Shannon T today. I really enjoyed the lesson [...]. I really appreciate that these tutors are helping students and military families everywhere. I love that www.tutor.com is offering to help me whenever I need help. It’s simply amazing! I come here when I need any homework help and they always assist me! I know I can count on you www.tutor.com!

• I have to pass my pre-ap precal class this semester, or I will fail for the year, since using tutor.com, I have been able to catch up and even go beyond what we have been learning in class! Thanks Tutor.com

• I’m so grateful for this program! It is helping me so much! It’s hard being a military child at times, especially when one has to move to a new school towards the end of the school, resulting with a month and half absence in school!  So you can imagine my relief when such wonderful tutors here at Tutor.com are available to me! Thank you so much, I plan to continue to use Tutor.com for the rest of my high school career and most likely well into my college!

• This service is a lifesaver!  It is a night and day difference taking college algebra with this service vs. the last time I took it trying to do it on my own.  You can guess how that went…because I’m obviously taking it again.  I feel like I’m actually going to do it this time!  Thank you!

We want your stories!

Are you in a military family? Has Tutor.com helped you with a resume or with your homework or studying? Comment below, or email us us to let us know. We’d love to feature your story.

Sharing some great (unedited) comments from students that made us smile this week.

• “Best tutoring i have done so far for chemistry. They challenge you but support your through the problems you encounter. Great service so happy the Armed Forces does this for its people.”
• “I was crying over my math homework 5 minutes ago – and you saved me! Never take this away – I will never survive AP calc without it! Special shout out to tutor Eric G: thanks for the integrals buddy (give him a raise. GIVE HIM A RAISE)
• I am deployed in Iraq, taking Algebra to complete my prereqs for med school.  Trying to do Algebra on my own is near impossible.  THANK YOU SO MUCH Tutor.com and DoD/ACYS!!!
• “We military children deal with enough with our parents deployed and all and this service lifts a load off our shoulders. Thank you so very much for this, I sincerely mean this. as a thirteen year old preparing for high school I need all the help I can get.”
• “my tutor was so nice and excellent she broke down all the steps to help me reach the answer.”
• “I REALLY THOUGHT THAT I DIDNT KNOW HOW TO DO THE PROBLEM…..BUT THEN AS I WENT OVER THE PROBLEM WITH THE TUTOR….I FOUND THE ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM I WAS STUCK ON…………THIS PROGRAM IS GREAT!!!”
• “I think that this program is really helpful. I also like that we can use a whiteboard to write down the problems n make the shapes for the problem. M tutor was also helpful n patient .”

Did you know Tutor.com has conducted over 6 million online tutoring sessions and 95% of our students tell us they’d recommend us to a friend.Read more about what students say about Tutor.com.