Math tutors losing students, money

They are lurking in every classroom. They consist of two words and seven digits. They say: "Math Tutor."

These signs taunt struggling students, forcing them to ponder the possibilities, and sometimes leave them no choice but to pick up the phone.

Paul Tucker, a former psychology teacher, offers assistance in math and statistics for students. Even though he is tutoring about 50 people this quarter, he is not as busy now as he once was.

"Ohio State changed its entrance requirements starting about 10 years ago, and what has happened, in particular in the last five years, is that my tutoring income has basically dried up," Tucker said. "Fewer people are taking remedial math or freshman level math; most are starting at a higher level."

Deciding whether to take advantage of these outside sources or to receive assistance provided by the university is usually dependent on the amount of help a student needs.

"It depends on your difficulty," Tucker said. "If it is a simple point of clarity, it is best to go see your TA or to go to a tutor room. But many people have a misunderstanding of the material."

He offers sessions that are normally one hour long, but will accommodate students if their specific needs require something different.

"I prefer hour sessions," Tucker said. "Sometimes students procrastinate too much and have a test coming up, and we may go for two hours."

Steve Ayers, who has been tutoring students since the winter of 1992, received a degree in math education from OSU and also does tutoring at Franklin University.

"So far, I have about 10 students," Ayers said. "But obviously I will pick up students as the quarter goes along. Some students schedule regular appointments and others just come in as needed."

For now, tutoring is Ayers' primary occupation, but that may need to change because he said he has also been hit by the increase in admission standards at OSU.

"I think 1997 was my best year," Ayers said. "I was doing about 550 hours a quarter. Doing 60 hour weeks was not uncommon, 10 hours a day, six or seven days a week. Now it is a lot less and many of those students I used to tutor are not even getting in to OSU."

Along with the increased admission standards, the price of this type of tutoring turns some students away. Tucker charges $15 per hour, while Ayers charges $20.

Ryan Baie, a junior in geography, felt he could find more useful ways to spend his money.

"When I was having difficulty with math, I just went to my TA's office hours," Baie said. "I saw the signs all around advertising the service, but with the prices they were charging, I decided not to call."