Tutoring
SSC Recognized with CRLA Certification!
The College Reading & Learning Association's (CRLA) International Tutor Training Program Certification (ITTPC) program certification authorizes SSC to issue certificates to tutors meeting its CRLA-approved requirements for the following program certification levels: Level I Certified Tutor, Level II Advanced, Level III Master Tutor.
Fall Tutoring Now Open
Both appointment-based and drop-in tutoring have now begun! Please check Navigate and the drop-in schedule on this page for our availability.
Our tutoring program provides free course-specific support for primarily first- and second-year students in introductory STEM courses. Our friendly tutors are highly trained undergraduate students who have successfully completed the courses they support at Virginia Tech. You can meet with a tutor by scheduling individual appointments or by attending one of our weekly drop-in tutoring sessions.
We are proud to have received all three levels of International Tutor Training Program Certification through the College Reading and Learning Association.
Cancelling appointments
Please cancel unneeded appointments through Navigate at least 24 hours in advance. Here's How to Cancel (PDF)
No show policy
Students who do not show up or cancel at the last minute (within four hours) three or more times in a semester can be temporarily banned from making appointments.
Can't find an appointment?
We're sorry to hear that! Please fill out this survey to let us know what you need. The survey does not grant you an appointment, but it helps us collect data on how to expand our tutoring services in the future.
Please also consider these additional academic support services at Virginia Tech.
What to Expect from Tutoring
What can a tutor help me with?
Tutors can clarify course concepts and teach strategies to more effectively learn, study, and solve academic problems in specific courses. They can’t help with graded work before it is graded (without written permission from your instructor), but they are still happy to help you understand the concepts in that work.
What are tutoring appointments like?
Your tutor will ask what you want to work on and explain how they can help. Then you’ll get to work. Be ready to participate! As peers, tutors aren’t here to lecture or judge. They offer fresh perspectives and activities to help you learn course concepts and strategies.
How many tutoring appointments can I reserve?
At any given time, you can view three weeks' worth of appointment availability on Navigate. Within this window, you can make up to three appointments per course per modality (i.e., three in-person appointments and three virtual appointments per course). You also have unlimited access to drop-in tutoring.
Do you offer weekly tutoring appointments?
For the most part, no--most appointments are made as one-time appointments through Navigate. However, we do provide weekly appointments upon request to students who are (1) registered with Services for Students with Disabilities, (2) on academic probation, or (3) repeating a course after previously failing it. To request weekly appointments, please email tutoring@vt.edu.
Will tutoring help me get an A in my classes?
All students have different situations and goals, so there’s no guaranteed outcome for tutoring. However, if you truly commit to developing your academic skills in a course, you will:
- Think about your current learning strategies and habits
- Understand what changes you can make to improve your grades
- Have specific strategies to use now and in your future classes
- Become a more efficient learner by studying smarter, not just harder
Can I get tutoring for all of my classes?
We mostly support some of the highest-demand 1000- and 2000-level courses. Here are the courses we are supporting in Fall 2023:
- AAEC 1005 (drop-in available)
- AAEC 1006
- ACIS 1504
- ACIS 2115
- ACIS 2116
- ALS 2304
- BIOL 1105 (drop-in available)
- BIOL 1115
- BIOL 2004
- BIT 2406 (drop-in available)
- CHEM 1014
- CHEM 1035 (drop-in available)
- CHEM 1036
- CHEM 1045
- CHEM 2535 (drop-in available)
- CHEM 2536
- CS 1014
- CS 1044
- CS 1064
- CS 1114
- CS 2114
- ECE 1004
- ECON 2005
- ECON 2006
- ENGE 1215
- ENGE 1216
- ESM 2104
- ESM 2204
- FIN 3054
- FIN 3104
- FIN 3134
- FIN 3144
- FIN 3154
- GEOG 1014
- GEOS 1004
- GER (several courses; drop-in available)
- HNFE 2804
- MATH 1014
- MATH 1025 (drop-in available)
- MATH 1026
- MATH 1214
- MATH 1225 (drop-in available)
- MATH 1226 (drop-in available)
- MATH 1524 (drop-in available)
- MATH 1535
- MATH 2114 (drop-in available)
- MATH 2204 (drop-in available)
- MATH 2214
- MUS 2025 (drop-in available)
- MUS 2045 (drop-in available)
- MUS 3045 (drop-in available)
- PHYS 2205
- PHYS 2206
- PHYS 2305 (drop-in available)
- PHYS 2306 (drop-in available)
- PSYC 1004
- SPAN 2105