Department of Engineering and Communication
Mechanical engineering student volunteers for tutoring
Tutoring for pupils from low-income families
Not every family can afford private tuition. It is often precarious living conditions that reduce performance at school. Improving these with private tuition is hardly possible on a low income. It's a good thing that there are people like Sabrina Roy who are campaigning for free private tuition. The mechanical engineering student at Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg is a member of the national board and Bonn site manager of StudyTutors. An association that organizes voluntary tutoring for pupils from disadvantaged and low-income families. Sabrina's job is to maintain communication with the committed students, check police clearance certificates and conduct introductory interviews. For example, with medical student Theresa from Bonn. The 20-year-old has always been a volunteer and would now like to tutor, preferably in biology, German and English. Students can choose their preferred subjects, the age group of the pupils and the type of school when they register. “Signing up was very easy, like ordering online,” says Theresa, who wants to break out of the medical bubble at least once a week with her volunteer work.
Tutoring should also have a “buddy character”
In conversation with Sabrina, she finds out what is important when it comes to tutoring at StudyTutors. “The whole thing should not just be traditional tutoring, but also have a buddy character,” says Sabrina. The students are there to help with motivational problems, for example. “If the parents are plagued by existential fears, this also reflects on the students.” The volunteer students are also supposed to teach students how to learn properly and how to motivate themselves. “Sometimes you just need someone to be there,” Theresa remembers from her school days. She would prefer to tutor high school students, as it is the closest thing to what she remembers from her school days.
90 unsolved cases
One hour of tutoring per week is the goal, as Sabrina Roy explains. But if things don't work out, that's no problem. For one-to-one tuition, students can use the textbook as a guide, but making up their own tasks or using the internet is also encouraged. Tutoring sessions should always take place in a neutral location and not at home. “This is for protection, you never know what the students are like,” explains Sabrina. Popular locations include the city library, the university, social facilities and, of course, Bonn's Hofgarten when the weather is nice.
There are currently around 90 unplaced tutoring students, according to Sabrina Roy. And the number continues to rise. StudyTutors is therefore always on the lookout for committed students who want to give private tuition. Initial skepticism and questions can be clarified by email before signing up. You can also find out more on the StudyTutors Instagram channel.
E-Mail: sabrina.roy@studytutors.de
Instagram: @bonn.studytutors
Text: Jonathan Schmitt