It’s no secret that juggling schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and a social life can feel overwhelming at times. However, it’s important to recognize that you’re not alone—many students face these challenges! Poly Prep offers a variety of on-campus resources to help students navigate the school year’s demands. Whether you are dealing with academic pressure or the absolute rollercoaster of high school drama; support is available. Below lies a guide on how to access the help you need.
Where can I go if I’m feeling overwhelmed with my classes, workload, or socially?
Stop by room 016! There, you will find the Upper School Guidance Counselor Anais Kingsberry. “Students can get support from me by just stopping by my room, they can also send an email or send a calendar invite to meet…there are times when I’m out tabling, students can approach and chat then.” There can be a negative connotation associated with counseling and Kingsberry has aimed to mend that uncomfortability. “Some of our goals are to increase visibility and help students to feel more comfortable with counseling because there’s always some level of discomfort around counseling,” she explained.
What is peer tutoring?
As the school year kicks off, it’s almost inevitable that students feel crushed by the demands of academics and extracurriculars. “Peer Tutoring at Poly is a student-based way in which anyone can seek out effective help from their peers,” said 11th grade Peer Tutor Leader Eliza Rorech. Think about a subject where you struggle in: Math? Writing an essay? Language? Having a peer tutor with expertise in the area where you’re struggling can be incredibly helpful. Four years ago, students proposed the idea of incorporating student leaders to help manage responsibilities and enhance the program’s effectiveness. “Now, we have six leaders who serve specific grades, Eliza, Chloe, Nate, Cici, Parsa, and Petros… Because of their help and leadership, we’ve partnered with the approximately 250 student participants of last year’s program,” Learning Support Faculty Member Sarah Bond explained. Sophomore Lila Rice explains how “sometimes topics just click once a peer explains it.” It is the teacher’s job to make students grasp the material, but it may be hard for them to understand the mental processes of a teenager. That’s the benefit of peer tutoring — having someone who understands your challenges and guides you through the material makes the learning process much less intimidating.
How can I get academic support?
While many find success in meeting their teachers for extra help, others find that meeting with a peer is especially helpful. “Use your resources at school, whether it’s a teacher or a peer, and know it’s always okay to ask for help,” said Bond. “Asking for help demonstrates how much you care about your work, and is never seen as a weakness, rather it shows how strong and self-aware you are. Peer tutoring is about building trust and relationships with other students academically.” Junior Anna Brandmeyer agreed with this statement. “Having a student to student bond has definitely made me feel more comfortable when learning new material,” she said.
How can I get or become a peer tutor or ask to be one?
Check your email! Bond has recently sent out a few emails regarding sign-ups for becoming a tutor or a tutee. Being aware of this support may help students succeed academically and thrive emotionally. “There is so much to do at Poly, that sometimes it can be difficult to remember all the different types of support available to you especially when you’re in a bind,” Bond explained. Rorech noted the ratio of tutors and tutees: “there are a lot of peer tutors who will sit in the Google Sheets document and not get paired because there are way more tutors than people who want to be tutored. So you’ll always get accepted, but you might have to wait a while to be paired depending on the demand.”
Peer tutoring offers stability by meeting often, during the clubs block, and having a consistent tutor throughout the school year. You can email [email protected] directly or any of the leader’s emails down below. Search your inbox with the keywords “peer tutor,” there you can find plenty of emails guiding you to sign up, or you can email any of the leaders: Elizabeth Rorech, Chloe Guedes Smith, Ciara Malley, Nathaniel Hyman, Parsa Aghazadeh, Petros Dulos.
