Hi friends, how are you doing? Hope you all are staying safe and healthy! I was a little busy recently preparing for my final exam for my Financial Management course. To be honest, I am not good at numbers, and I was a little apprehensive about taking finance classes. When I say I’m an MBA student, people often ask, “Wow, you’re doing an MBA? Do you like finance and accounting?” And I respond with an awkward smile “Err…unfortunately, no.”
But I knew I needed to work on this area to improve my overall grade, and more importantly, finance is essential if I want to run a business. The good news is University Canada West provides a free 60-minute one-on-one tutor service that students can book once a week. My Financial Management professor recommended it, so I wanted to try it for myself.
How to book a tutor: To use the tutoring service, you first need to make an appointment. Don’t worry, it’s quick and easy!
- Go to the MyUCW Student Portal at myucwest.ca
- Click on the “Learning Success” tab in the left navigation bar
- Click on “Tutors”
- You’ll see which tutors are available and the subject area they can help you with
- Find the subject area you want and choose your tutor
- Click on “Book an Appointment Here”
- Next, you will see a calendar where you can view the tutor’s availability
- Choose your desired date and time
- Fill in your information: name, email address, student number, topic/subject you want to get help with
- Confirm your appointment
- Next, you will receive a confirmation email
- Get ready for your appointment!
In the session: Make sure you’re well prepared for the session with the questions you want to ask the tutor – what specifically you’ve been struggling with – so the tutor can give you more personalized advice. Make the most out of it by being well prepared in advance.
My experience with tutor Maria: Because I was preparing for my final exam, I brought some example quizzes from my course and asked my tutor Maria to see if I was solving them correctly. I had difficulty understanding some of the concepts, e.g., bonds, stock valuation, and Maria walked me through the fundamentals in detail (patiently). We also practiced some examples together. At the end of my session, I was feeling relieved and much more prepared for my exam. Maria was really kind and took the time to explain things to me in a way I could understand. She even offered me a session on the weekend (and she doesn’t usually work on weekends) if I really needed more help before my exam. I didn’t do it, but I truly appreciated her genuine care and help. I highly recommend her if you need a tutor for your finance classes.
Review: I’m very happy with UCW’s tutoring service. It helps students who need extra help, like me, to learn better (and it’s free). It also provides current students and alumni with a part-time job.
My personal advice: If you feel like you’re a little behind in a class, don’t be discouraged. You’re not alone. Many students feel the same way and we can always improve. The most important thing is to not give up and get help if you need it. Don’t hesitate to ask for help. UCW is always there to help us achieve our goals and succeed in our academic and professional lives. Let me know if you try out the tutoring service!
Written by UCW MBA Alumna Jieun J. Published on October 2, 2022.
