Upper School Peer Tutoring expanded from offering scheduled meetings to include live drop-in help Oct. 24. During lunch or afternoon break, students can meet with peer tutors in the Learning Center without scheduling an appointment.

Peer Tutoring Co-Leader Elizabeth Johnstone ’24 said introducing live help will open up peer tutoring as an option to students who previously saw it only as a last resort for projects or finals.

“This year, we want to normalize getting help, which goes with the idea of being able to drop in at any time,” Johnstone said. “Getting a professional tutor or [even] setting up a meeting with a teacher can be something that carries a lot of weight, and that’s a leap that a lot of kids don’t want to take.”

Peer Tutor Tanya Anand ’24 said students can receive useful guidance from peer tutors, as the tutors are familiar with the specific curriculum at the school.

“I learned a lot of study techniques last year, so peer tutoring [enables me] to share them with people who need it,” Anand said. “An example of [the assistance peer tutors can offer] is when [students need help] writing an essay, since [the tutors] know what teachers might be looking for or what parts might need to be improved. One of the biggest helps is having someone else look through [the essay] because a lot of the time you don’t see the errors in your own work.”

Peer Tutoring Co-Leader Aidan Deshong ’24 said the drop-in help offered this year will help make peer tutoring more effective and accessible for those who need it.

“When I started Peer Tutoring last year, it was evident that [the system] could be improved upon,” Deshong said. “[Students] now being able to show up to Peer Tutoring without setting up a meeting can help with issues such as sudden realizations that they don’t understand the work they’re doing.”

Tiffany Armour ’25 said peer tutoring is a good alternative to going over work with teachers or classmates.

“I feel more comfortable getting extra help from a student that used to be in that class rather than going to the teacher,” Armour said. “Peer tutoring helps [provide] an environment where students can get work done or get help in a subject without feeling the stress that they might feel otherwise.”