Community Reflects on Academic Supports
ByKAYLEE GONG, LYDIA KUHNERT, and ARISA YOSHINO
Phillips Exeter Academy isn’t easy for anyone — between the hours of homework, consistent overload of tests, and demanding schedule, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and fall behind. To combat these struggles, Exonians resort to various fallback methods such as asking classmates for notes, emailing teachers, attending the Learning Center, or seeking help with the most polarized method: a private tutor.
Every week, a variety of students join online calls and receive help on their coursework from a tutor outside of Exeter. Some students cannot make the Learning Center times or need additional guidance to catch up. But despite the popularity, many students across campus are unaware of the e-book guidelines:
Phillips Exeter Academy does not encourage students or their parents/guardians to hire outside tutors or to serve in that capacity themselves. Please note that a tutor is defined as any adult outside the Exeter faculty who regularly works with a student. [...] If a student works with a tutor, whether virtually or in person, we ask that the name and contact information of the tutor be provided every term to the teacher and the Dean of Academic Affairs. (pg. 83)
Dean Marshall explained the necessity behind this requirement. “I think that many students are not following the guidelines by reporting their work with outside tutors to their teachers. This is in their best interest, as it gives the teacher an option to be in direct contact with that tutor.”
Not only are privately paid tutors discouraged by the rules, but so are any parents and adults outside of the community who fall beneath the umbrella of a “tutor.” Certain students across campus may feel indifferent regarding private tutoring, without having hired paid tutors. But undoubtedly, countless portions of the student body have turned to external Exeter relations for help. Whether those figures are guardians or old friends, the e-book’s definition of a private tutor impacts a much larger portion of the community than many believe.
Specifically regarding paid private tutoring services, not all of the student body has financial access to this resource. Senior Stella Song, a head peer tutor at the Learning Center, vocalized her opinions regarding the inequality that stems from private tutoring. “It is obviously helpful, but only if you can pay for a good tutor. It’s very expensive and not everyone can do that. One of the reasons that I tutor for free at the Learning Center is because private tutoring is not something that was accessible to me. I also feel like it’s a very bad feeling if you’re in class with other people, and they all understand it.”
An anonymous student agreed and hashed out private tutoring in the context of Exeter specifically. “It can make people who don’t have private tutoring feel disadvantaged and frustrated, or maybe that they’re not doing as well as they hope they are, because they think they don’t have that extra resource. Especially because Exeter is so competitive, and everyone is fighting for the same thing, it seems like every advantage helps.”
However, on the opposite side of the spectrum, some students shared positive sentiments on private tutoring. “I’d say with tutoring,” an anonymous prep said, “I have more of a one-on-one personal perspective. In a way, I get my own time. There’s no check-in limiting me from asking as many questions as I want. But I feel like at the Learning Center, it’s a bit harder to get that one-on-one, personal experience.”
Furthermore, private tutoring allows some students to better ask for the help they need in a comfortable setting. The prep elaborated, “Before Exeter, I would never have gotten a tutor or said I needed help. But when you finally do ask for help, it really impacts you positively rather than negatively. Private tutoring helps kids finally ask for help. Personally speaking, I noticed a huge improvement when I finally got a tutor.”
Another anonymous student propelled this idea of how private tutoring may be utilized to catch up, instead of getting ahead of classmates and increasing classroom competition. “Generally, private tutoring doesn’t really fend to the competitiveness of the school because I believe that most people with tutors are trying to keep up with their classes, just to make sure they understand the course material.”
Senior Byran Huang, a head tutor at the Learning Center, pointed out, “I think Exeter curriculum is unique in the sense that private tutors can not even help you much when you get to a high enough level course. It still comes down to the students, and oftentimes, the students at the Learning Center can teach the topics better because they’ve had the same teacher, and it comes down to the quirks of the teacher.”
Marshall agreed in support of other helping methods, “I believe that the utilization of outside tutors has grown substantially in the past 5 years. I continue to believe that the most productive source of help stems from our on-campus resources - the Learning Center, meeting with one’s own teacher, peer tutors, Mr. Nydick, etc.”
Although private tutoring may not be accessible to a portion of students on campus, the Learning Center is. It is a hub of academic help during weekday evenings in the library. Upperclassmen and teachers offer assistance and suggestions on homework across a variety of departments and specialties to help students.
Head of Learning Center and English teacher, Ms. Moriarty explained, “[The Learning Center] offers extra help. Students can ultilize the resource, and it’s open to everyone. It’s also a school sponsored resource, so there’s a far less chance of a student depending too much on their tutors. We hope that students take advantage of all the resources available at Exeter before hiring a private tutor.”
Song noted, “I think the Learning Center is pretty impactful, at least from the amount of people that go. Ms. Moriarty, the head of the center, said there are more than 2,000 visits per term.”
“It’s definitely a staple on campus,” agreed Huang. “Especially for preps and lowers, as they’re trying to figure out their Exeter career and grapple with difficult classes and rigorous teachers, it’s an opportunity for them to see someone who has succeeded in those classes.”
Another head tutor at the Learning Center, senior Catherine Yan, praised the student-to-student connection that the space promotes. “When asking for help, peers usually feel more approachable than an instructor, which encourages students to seek help from peer tutors. However, I do feel like the Learning Center is underutilized and that there are people who would benefit from it, but don’t use it as much as they could.”
Across the broad spectrum of resources available to Exeter students for additional help, private tutoring is only one option. For those who utilize it while following e-book guidelines, additional and private help can be greatly beneficial to catch up or keep up with such academically rigorous courses. However, for other students without access, the Learning Center serves as a wonderful location to receive help from the Exeter community. Although private tutoring may only apply to a select portion of the student body, everyone should never be afraid to ask for help.
