Student FAQ
- Tutors are students that have demonstrated a mastery of their subject matter. Tutors help students to develop more effective ways to learn material and to prepare for exams. Tutors are not substitutes for course instructors and should not be used as a primary source of support for a course.
- ASTC tutors must meet specific qualifications including having a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2, a B+ or better in the course they wish to tutor, a faculty recommendation, and be in good standing. Tutors obtain a recommendation from the faculty member who instructed the course when they were enrolled. It is important for students to understand that their tutor may have taken the course with an instructor different from their own. The way in which course material is presented may differ depending upon who the current instructor is and thus may affect the tutor's ability to assist the student.
The purpose of tutoring is to help students to help themselves, or to guide them to the point at which they can become successful and independent learners.
A tutor is not responsible for teaching course material or completing course assignments. ASTC tutors work with students on a continual basis, meeting weekly to review and reinforce course material.
- Yes!
- Go to class, listen attentively, take notes, and address questions with your instructor to clarify any difficulties or problem areas
- Attempt to do your class assignments and practice problems before coming to your tutoring sessions
- Identify specific areas where help is needed prior to attending your session
- Come prepared with all necessary materials: class notes, textbooks, syllabus, handouts, paper, pencils, etc
- Be ready to actively participate in your tutoring session!
Tutoring for Stony Brook students is FREE!
To become a tutor for the Academic Success and Tutoring Center, please follow the directions to complete our tutoring application. You can learn more about our application process and tutor qualifications by visiting the Become an ASTC Tutor page. To be a tutor for other campus tutoring services, please contact those programs directly.
Tutoring is available for undergraduate Stony Brook University students. You must be currently enrolled in the course(s) for which you are receiving tutoring.
Graduate students and Post-Baccalaureate students currently enrolled in SBU undergraduate courses for which we offer tutoring are eligible to utilize our services.
The ASTC offers individual and small group tutoring. Most appointments are created as one-on-one appointments. To make your appointment a group appointment, please visit our "Group Tutoring" page.
The ASTC has tutors for a variety of undergraduate courses. For a list of courses for which tutoring is available this semester, please click here. We do our best to hire many tutors to meet the needs of SBU students. However, if a tutor is not available, there are other tutoring services, help rooms, learning centers, and office hours available! If you are seeking assistance with a writing course, please visit the Writing Center.
The ASTC does not offer tutoring for graduate level courses. Graduate students are encouraged to speak with their instructors regarding opportunities for extra assistance.
You must cancel your appointment at least 5 hours prior to your appointment start time to avoid a "no show" penalty. Students who receive a combination of two "no shows" or "late cancellations" will be removed from all future tutoring appointments and will not have access to tutoring for the remainder of the semester.
Even if you cancel 5 hours in advance, appointments that are cancelled for two weeks in a row may be cancelled for the remainder of the semester and opened to other students. The ASTC reserves the right to cancel remaining appointments for sessions that are cancelled on a frequent basis. Our goal is to make sure that students who need the service and will use the service, have access to appointments.