If you're studying economics or just want to learn more about it, a private economics tutor can help a lot.
Here, we'll look at the pros and cons of working with a private economic tutor, how you can find one in Perth, and what you should look for when shortlisting potential tutors.
The Pros and Cons of Working with a Private Economics Tutor
As an online tutoring platform, we obviously think there's value in private tutoring, but it's not without its flaws so let's see the advantages and disadvantages of hiring a private economics tutor.
The Advantages of Working with a Private Economics Tutor
We'll start with the advantages of working with a private tutor, but make sure you also read about the disadvantages before you decide to start searching for private tutors.
Lots of people see all the benefits of private tuition but are then surprised by some of the downsides so make sure you've considered everything before you start your search.
Clear Explanations
In private tutoring, it's regularly just you and your tutor (unless you've opted for group tuition). In one-on-one private tutoring sessions, you can be sure that the tutor is focused on you and will take the time you need to explain any tricky concepts, which is useful because economics is full of them.
With regular classes, there are often too many students for tutors to take the time to explain things in a way tailored to each student so that they fully understand, but with private tutors, this is the norm.
Learn how to find the perfect economics tutor in Brisbane.
Get Regular Feedback
When learning, it's as important to know what you're getting right as what you're getting wrong and a private tutor can regularly provide you with feedback on how you're doing.
A student with a private tutor is far less likely to feel lost because they'll know exactly what they're doing well and what they need to work on.
Help with Exam Prep
This is a huge advantage for working with a private tutor. Teachers in school or professors at university can't really help their students with exam prep or revision because they won't be there.
However, a private tutor can help the student put together an individualised study plan, teach them revision techniques, and even work through past papers and exam techniques with the student.
Remember to look for a tutor who knows the exams you're taking, private economics tutors from Adelaide won't be familiar with the QCE, for example.
Learn at Your Own Pace
With a private economics tutor, you can learn at your own pace. If something's a bit tricky, you can take more time on it. If you've quickly grasped a new concept, you can move on and not waste more time on it.
This is one of the main reasons that students look to private tutoring because, in class, it's unlikely that the teacher has been able to find the perfect pace for teaching each student since they're all different.
Sometimes the pace is too quick for a certain student and they start to fall behind; a problem that worsens with each passing lesson. Other students may find the lessons to be too slow and end up frustrated with the rate at which they're learning.
Find out what to look for in private economics tutors from Sydney.
Lessons Adapted to You
Private tutoring is a way to get lessons that are tailored to you. In addition to the pace and clear explanations, private economics tutors can also choose the topics and activities that they think will be best for you.
This ultimately means the sessions can be more engaging and the student will learn better. You'll likely learn more in each minute of private tutoring than you will in a standard economics class just because the lessons are adapted to you.
The Disadvantages of Working with a Private Economics Tutor
As you've seen, there are lots of great reasons to work with a private economics tutor, but there are also downsides.
Let's see what they are so that you can make an informed decision on whether private tutoring is right for you.
Incompatibility
Getting the wrong tutor can turn into a nightmare. If you have a tutor that just isn't compatible with you, tutoring can quickly become a waste of time and a waste of money.
Keep in mind that this isn't necessarily anybody's fault, but it doesn't help the matter that things just aren't working. Every tutor's different and every student's different so sometimes they just won't work well together.
You can avoid this by carefully selecting your private tutor, which we'll explain later in the article.
Lack of Classroom Experience
In some cases, a tutor may have never taught in a classroom before. They may have worked in economics, studied the subject, and even spent many years tutoring, but they might lack some key teaching skills.
Being a good tutor is as much about knowing your subject as it is knowing how to teach and in some cases, the tutor may lack the latter.
One Point of View
Economics has many schools of thought on everything and by learning from just one person for a long time, you may end up with a narrow view of the subject.
In school and university, you may learn from several different teachers and professors, but with a private tutor, if you stick with the same tutor for a while, you won't learn as much about all the differing perspectives in economics.
Scheduling and Availability
Regular lessons at a university or school will take place at a given time and you attend them. With a private tutor, you'll need to schedule each session and while you can go for the same time and place each week, sometimes, you may have to compete for time on a tutor's schedule.
Make sure the tutor you hire is available when you need them.
The Cost
This is arguably the biggest issue with private tutoring. You have to pay for your sessions and while there are tutors for all budgets, if you get an ineffective tutor, you may end up paying more in the long run because you'll need to spend more sessions with them.
Conversely, an expensive tutor may be good but you mightn't be able to afford to hire them as often as you'll need.
The cost is one of the major downsides to private tutoring that you'll need to work out before you hire a private tutor in any subject, not just economics.
How to Find the Perfect Economics Tutor
Now you know whether or not tutoring is right for you, here's where you should start your search for the perfect private tutor.
Local Classified Ads and Bulletin Boards
This is a classic method, but you can look in the classifieds and announcements on bulletin boards in local businesses. If there aren't any announcements for private economic tutors, you can also leave an ad saying that you're looking for one.
Online Tutoring Platforms
In the digital age, websites like ours are a great way to look for private tutors. You can search by subject and location to find plenty of economics tutors across Australia and around the world.
On their profiles, you can learn more about them, see how much they charge, see the kind of tutoring they offer, and also read reviews left for them by other students.
Social Media
Social media is a powerful tool for finding tutors. You can always post to your socials that you're looking for a tutor or find tutoring or economics groups and communities and ask around for a tutor.
Tutoring Agencies
Approach a tutoring agency and let them know that you're looking for a private economics tutor. They'll find one for you.
Word of Mouth
Word of mouth is an excellent way to find tutors. Make sure that everybody you know is aware that you're looking for a private economics tutor. The next time it comes up in conversation, they'll be sure to mention you.
What to Look for in a Private Economics Tutor
When searching for private tutors, you need to keep a few things in mind. These are some of the factors you should consider when shortlisting and hiring a private economics tutor.
Experience
The longer somebody has been tutoring, the better their tutoring service is likely to be. Experience also comes at a cost so you can save money by opting for more inexperienced tutors.
Track Record
If you need help with exams, you'll want to make sure your tutor has a good track record. Ask them how their other students have done, what their pass rates are, etc. However, keep in mind that this doesn't account for the value added as they may have just been working with gifted students.
Remember that private economics tutors in Melbourne, for example, won't have taught the same exams so their track record mightn't be as applicable to students in Perth.
Cost
You don't want to spend too little and hire an ineffective tutor that you'll have to spend a long time with, but you also don't want to hire a tutor you won't be able to afford in the long run.
Before you start your search, work out how much you can afford to spend on tutoring.
Qualifications
It can be helpful that your tutor has qualifications (or real-world experience) in the subject that they teach. It can also help if they have teaching qualifications, too, as you can't become an effective tutor without both.
Reviews
Last but not least, see what their other students had to say about them. Remember that with a bad review, there are two sides to every story, but with many bad reviews, there may be a pattern emerging.
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