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Initiative
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When one of my lecturers approached me 2 years ago, to ask if I’d be open to becoming a peer tutor, I was honored, but also slightly nervous. I had always been involved in volunteering but when I moved here and started university, I didn’t do as much as I would have liked. So I figured this would be an opportunity to not only meet new people but to also fill that void of volunteering and giving back.

After a few months of tutoring, I started peer coaching other tutors and I loved it. Just getting to sit down and talk to a tutor and actively listen to them was so rewarding for me. Usually peer tutors are the ones who are doing really well in their classes so, from a distance, you would think that they have everything under control. But when you actually sit down and talk to them, you realize they have their own struggles and they just need someone to listen. I want to go into medicine and to be a good doctor, you don’t need to have the academics alone, but you also need to be a good listener, empathetic, kind and understanding. And I think being a peer tutor and coach has helped me nurture those sides of me.

Working as a peer tutor also has its fair share of challenges. Sometimes a student will really need help at that exact moment but you also have to rush to your class. This was really difficult for me to deal with. But I had to learn to strike a balance between being selfless and helping other people but also not neglecting myself and the other responsibilities I had outside of tutoring. It definitely got easier with time and there has always been several other tutors and coaches that are there to support me.

If anyone has been asked to be a peer tutor and is not too sure about it, I’d say, “Go For It!” It’s so worth it!