The first objective of a college tutor is to help his student comprehend the given material. The means to achieve this objective will vary from student to student. Methods also depend upon the subject matter, the course, and the student's current level of comprehension.
College tutors help develop confidence in their students. Better comprehension and higher grades may lead to increased confidence. Tutors can monitor this by regularly discussing how a student feels about his progress and performance in a course or on an assignment.
Students who seek tutors are usually expecting to improve their course performance and grades. While better comprehension of the material and increased confidence increase the chances of better grades, these are not always directly related. Accordingly, tutors should seek tactics and strategies for converting better comprehension and confidence into better performance.
Students who use tutors may seek them out of their own accord or may be instructed to do so by a parent, guidance counselor, or instructor. This may make students nervous, ashamed, or just generally apprehensive about the experience. Tutors should set the creation of a comfortable atmosphere and accepting environment as an objective. Not only will this make students feel better about themselves and their experience, it also improves the chances of them coming back and succeeding.