Stuck on a homework problem or struggling through an essay? There is no need to panic. Thanks to Berkeley’s Writing Center, Math Lab and Science Tutors, students have the opportunity to get their questions answered from those who sometimes know best—their peers. Tutors, who must apply for their positions, share their expertise with students seeking help through this unique aspect of the Berkeley community. Many students in the Upper and Middle Divisions have already utilized these important resources and the programs continue to expand, bringing in more students than ever before.

Over the past twenty years, The Betty Bruce Hoover Center for Writing has served countless Berkeley students looking to improve as writers. The Writing Center is open during all school hours, every day of the week. This year, tutors and directors hope to provide one thousand tutorials. At any stage in the writing process, students like Gabrielle Silberman have benefited from the Writing Center.  About her last Writing Center visit, Silberman said, “Although I kind of had a general idea of what I need to fix in my paper, it was good to hear from someone who knew what they were doing” and she recommended that other students visit the Writing Center if they have not already.

Following a no-pen policy, tutors guide students in making their own revisions instead of making the corrections for them so that the student can gain a better understanding of the writing process in the future. According to Tom Brandt, one of the Writing Center’s faculty directors, “the tutors enjoy helping other students, and it makes them better writers, so everyone wins in the process.”

Students may also use the OWL program, an online version of the Writing Center that allows sharing of Google documents between tutors and students.  Brandt explained that this program is “for people who can’t find time during the school day to be tutored but still want to be tutored” and creates a “conversation online… just like a real tutorial.” Writing Center tutors also participate in multiple outreach programs including tutoring students from Academy Prep, interacting with other high school writing centers, and this year, hosting a national conference at Berkeley.

In addition to the Writing Center, Berkeley also has a Math Lab, which welcomes Upper Division students during third and fourth period every day of the week except on Friday. Student math tutors are either enrolled in Honors or AP math courses, making them proficient resources, and a faculty member is also always present during the Math Lab’s open hours. Junior Sebby Rhodes, a Math Lab tutor, encourages students to use the Math Lab and said, “For anything from test prep to homework questions, it’s a good place to go.” Those who have taken advantage of this opportunity have improved their math skills and all around confidence. According to Rhodes, the math lab “is a really good resource if you are having trouble with math or a current chapter.”

Another resource available to students is the Science Tutoring program. Students can bring their biology, chemistry and physics questions to the science tutors who are available every day at lunch. Junior Nathan Mester described the Science Tutoring program as a “great environment” where students “can come in and be tutored [any day].” After being encouraged by other students, Freshman Anjali Kapadia has begun to visit the science tutors before her biology tests and quizzes. Kapadia says that she goes “to clear up questions” and said that if she is confused, the tutors “explain it another way to help me understand.”

Students who have used Berkeley’s tutoring programs have had positive experiences and plan to return to them in the future.  Thanks to the continued work of student tutors and their faculty directors, Berkeley students know that help is always available.