Students are the Best Teachers by Haley

Students are the Best Teachers by Haley - January 2016 Scholarship Essay

Every year on New Year’s Eve, people from all around the world decide to make a resolution for the coming year with the hopes of improving themselves in some way. Some of the most popular choices are losing weight, staying healthy, and simply enjoying life. Of course these are appropriate options, but as I look on to the new year I would like to pursue a resolution that benefits others, as well as benefitting myself as a college student. Therefore, I have decided to become more patient.

I am a mathematics major, and during the summer I took part in an internship that allowed me to work with teenagers that hoped to pursue an education in the sciences. I felt so fulfilled by the opportunity that I decided to become a tutor for my school, and will also be tutoring in the quickly approaching spring semester. This is very important to me because not only do I get to help my peers with their education, but also because I have plans to become a mathematics professor.

During my time tutoring, I have found that the most vital element to my work is patience. Often students come to me with almost no knowledge of the subject they need assistance in, and they expect me to know everything about it. In this situation I always rely on my ability to be patient; patient with the student and also patient with myself as I scour my brain for the information I need. Tutors are expected to know a very wide variety of subjects. Personally, I am responsible for tutoring math classes from pre-algebra to Calculus II, as well as introductory physics and statistics. Without patience, this would seem impossible.

How would this resolution help me become a better student? The answer is simple. Being a successful tutor also makes me a successful student. Being patient and working with my peers has extended my mathematical knowledge further than I had ever imagined. I can now recall formulas and methods which I thought I had forgotten long ago. My memory when it comes to my subject has improved tremendously in just one semester. So, with patience I’d like to keep working hard helping people, as well as progressing in my own knowledge.