By Lily Edwards
Making the decision to get a law tutor is a large commitment, costing time, money, and
patience. Often, students are unsure about whether their circumstances are suited to
getting a tutor, so this blog will analyse some common reasons students consider tutoring.
Common reasons students consider law tutoring
“I have too many questions to ask in class”
No question is too silly in a tutoring session. Your law tutor is there to help you and wants you to
understand the content as best you can. Asking questions is actually the most efficient way
for your tutor to help you achieve this, as they will be able to give you specific guidance on
areas you may be struggling with. In this way, tutoring eliminates any feelings of peer
pressure, as the goal is to help you improve in a non-judgmental manner. This is achieved by
listening to you and creating a safe space for you to ask all the questions you have.
“I want to save time and miss my lectures”
Unfortunately, tutoring sessions will not replace your lectures, and if this is your mindset,
then tutoring will not be efficient for you. Having a tutor is an extra time commitment
alongside lectures and tutorials which helps to consolidate a long-term understanding of
legal principles. Therefore, law tutoring sessions expand on your lecture learning rather than
replacing it.
“I need help with exam technique”
Having a law tutor isn’t all based on going over lecture information. Your tutor has profound
knowledge of exam style and techniques. Usually, in a traditional lecture, the lecturer’s aim
is to teach you new information, meaning consolidation and practising exam technique falls
onto the student. However, having a tutor who is mindful of exactly which information is
useful for exams is advantageous, as this saves a lot of time deciphering which information
is relevant.
“I’m really busy and don’t have a lot of time to sit down and study.”
On one hand, having a tutor does not mean you can get away with not studying (but
imagine if it did!). There is still a duty on you to put in the work and study to perform as best
you can in your exams. However, on the other hand, tutoring can be really helpful where
you have a busy lifestyle and manage social commitments with studying and having a job for
example, as you are in control of your learning. For instance, being able to dedicate 2
evenings a week to an hour-long tutoring session and an hour of consolidation afterwards
can help you to remove distractions and be productive.
“I don’t like my lecturer”
Just like tutoring sessions will not replace lectures, your tutor cannot replace your lecturer!
If your reason for getting a tutor is simply because you don’t like your lecturer, then you will
not get the full benefits of tutoring, as your tutor cannot teach you new information from
scratch. Therefore, even if your lecturer’s teaching style does not fit well with you, it is
essential to try to attend and listen in these lectures. Then, a tutor can help you understand
and consolidate the information in a way which suits your learning style.
“I only need help with one specific lecture”
There is often a misconception that having a tutor means committing to having sessions all
the time. However, this is not true. You could have just one session to consolidate the
content, or you could have one session a week to consolidate the whole module. The
beauty of private law tutoring is that you are in control of when you would like to have sessions and
what these focus on!