Get to know a Tutor: Ryan Brenner

Wed, 05 Oct 2016 09:24:14 -0400

1. Tell us a little about yourself…

Hi! I’m Ryan, a tutor with the LRC, and a math/economics double major. I’m a transfer student who came from Carroll Community College, and am now in my senior year.

2. Tell us about how you are involved on campus.

I’m president of the Japanese Student Association. We believe in closing the East-West gap one person at a time, by providing language and cultural topics to give students the tools they need to reach across the Pacific. We meet Wednesdays at free hour in Sondheim 112! Come visit us! All right, shameless plug out of the way. I’m also in the accelerated pathway program in economics, a TA for econ 101, and I’m doing independent research in economics, so I’m all over the place.

3. How long have you been a tutor?

I’ve been a tutor since the beginning of the year. I came in last semester to tutor economics, and ended up tutoring calculus too. I’ll always remember my very first tutoring session, about trigonometric integrals. Good times.

4. How and why did you get involved in being a tutor?

“How” is easy: I filled out the form on their website. They make it super easy for potential tutors to apply. “Why” is a little more involved. Obviously it’s a job so there’s money involved, but that’s really not the point. It helps keep me sharp in subjects I may have taken years ago, it’s a good item for my resume, and of course, the joy of helping people learn is unparalleled.

5. What is your favorite thing about being a tutor?

My favorite thing is the part, after a few sessions, where you and your student aren’t a tutor and a student anymore—but just friends, one of whom happens to know more about the topic. A close second is when I walk into my tutoring room and find a whole solid piece of chalk, and it practically radiates.

6. Why should students utilize the tutoring?

Why shouldn’t students utilize the tutoring? It’s free, we cater to your schedule, and there are no obligations except to show up each week. If you want to improve your grades, or even if your grades are fine but you want to make sure they stay that way, come to tutoring. And if you really don’t like it, we can cancel your appointments and give your slot to someone else. (I’ll miss you, though, of course.)

7. What advice would you give students about how to prepare for a tutoring session?

Make an earnest attempt beforehand to study and understand the material on your own. The lecture sets out the mold, and your studies pour into the mold to create your understanding. Tutoring is a revision process, to fix any problems in your understanding. If you don’t try to understand and come in with specific things you didn’t get, I’ll just lecture, but you already heard a lecture. (Shoutout to all my students this semester for doing great on this. You guys rock.)

8. When and where can someone work with you through the Learning Resources Center?

I tutor Econ 101 at 11 on Mondays and 1 on Thursdays, Econ 102 at noon on Thursdays, and then Phys 112 at 10 and at 4 on Wednesdays and noon on Fridays.

I’m always happy to help!