Do you want help with a question on your math homework? Looking for someone to read over an essay? Nervous for an upcoming test? Confused about anything at all in one of your classes? At New Trier High School, we all encounter these challenges quite frequently, and if you’re saying that you do not, I don’t believe you. 

Rather than letting the stress and questions pile up, which will only hurt you and your grades in the end, consider coming to the Academic Assistance Center (AAC).

This year, I am one of many student tutors at the Winnetka Campus. I am supposed to be helping my peers with math during period 1B, but I haven’t actually gotten the chance to do that since early in the first semester—I believe it was as far back as October, if you can believe that. 

Some may say that the student tutors only take the position for resume-building purposes, but I hope I can serve as an example proving that is not always the case. Whether or not anyone comes to the AAC during period 1B makes no difference on my resume, but I would like to actually be tutoring—it is what I signed up to do and something that I honestly enjoy. 

Another dissuading factor turning people away from the AAC may be the “student” in student tutor. In reality, these are students who are fully capable of providing academic support, and there are real benefits to this system. 

All student tutors in the AAC are recommended by a teacher, typically one for a higher level course. Additionally, they attend a training session at the beginning of the school year—you can trust that these are qualified sources.

Meeting with a teacher to ask for help can sometimes feel daunting, and it is often difficult to find a free period that lines up with theirs. What helps is to start by talking about it with a peer. Being high school students as well, we can sympathize much more easily with any situation you may find yourself in—since all student tutors are juniors or seniors with ample high school experience, chances are we have been there too. And that’s not to mention that I would consider myself and the other tutors I know to be friendly and approachable people. 

The AAC does a wonderful job of providing convenience to students. It is located in the building we all spend five days a week in already. There are no appointments or requirements, so students can stay for as long or as little as they like. There are student tutors and teachers in the AAC for a variety of subjects during every single period each day of the week so that students can drop in at whatever time works best for them. Plus, while private tutoring can be very costly, the AAC is completely free to all New Trier students. 

I can’t speak for others who work in the AAC, but I miss tutoring. I enjoy helping others better their understanding of a subject I love. So, if you think about it, coming to the AAC is actually a win-win. 

I hope more students will consider dropping by the AAC soon and starting the semester off right. I say this to all New Trier students: the AAC can help with material from any level class and all subjects. We all need a little help sometimes.