By Jenna French
Stephen Zwanzig was once tutored at the REACH Center on campus, and now he dedicates a portion of his week to tutoring others.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Zwanzig, a junior, said. “It’s fun because you’ve been through those classes too, and you can help them with things you struggled with.”
His friends first introduced him to the Math Resource Center, one component of the REACH services available on campus, and Zwanzig really liked the environment and the center’s mission.
“[Tutors] are a good idea because not everyone has the skills required to pass the classes they need to pass,” he said. Math tutors at the MRC offer one-on-one support for students who have trouble with homework. Tutoring services are free, as are all REACH academic services.
A math tutor for the past two years, Zwanzig has helped countless students improve their math skills, but he said many first-year students are not always on par with basic math at the college level. These are typically the types of students he helps.
Junior Maymona Nageye uses math tutoring on a regular basis and said the extra help reflects in her grades. “Scores improved when I used it,” she said. “It helps a lot.”
It’s sometimes hard to tutor people his own age, Zwanzig said, especially when students have trouble responding to advice and suggestions.
Zwanzig is majoring in Mathematics and minoring in Physics. He plans to pursue a master’s degree.
The Math Resource Center, located in Strickler 226, offers tutoring for most 100- and 200-level math courses.
The center underwent major renovations over winter break, and tomorrow, Jan. 25, REACH will host an open house with free food to showcase new equipment and materials. The event is slated to run from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Students wishing to sign up for math tutoring or any other academic discipline can make appointments by visiting http://www.reach.louisville.edu/tutoring or by dropping by the REACH offices in Strickler Hall during normal business hours.
