"Yeeees!" I hear many of you agree with the title. And this article is exactly for you guys, to show you maybe a little bit different perspective. And to tell you something about broccoli... =)

I was never on the other side – I've never had a tutor. When I was studying at the university, I consulted with my lecturer a few times on topics I'd missed due to other study-related commitments. That's all in terms of any additional help during my studies.

Well, lucky me, right? But what about those who do need an extra little helper (i.e., a tutor)? If you need it, get over it and be happy, thankful, and appreciate your tutor, please. It's never an easy job to try to engage someone who isn't interested at all. We, tutors, are not here to torture you; we want to help you. Yes, we do this to earn money, too, but by doing the job we like. Well, at least in my case, that's absolutely true – I wouldn't be tutoring for over ten years if I didn't like it =) I could do many other jobs: secured jobs, without crazy working patterns (evenings + weekends), having paid holidays... but NO – I want to be a tutor, I want to show you that maths isn't as bad as you think, and I want to push you to your limits and let you achieve your best. But I can't do it without your help.

Yes, that's right. The success (whatever that means for you – either passing exams, getting better grades, generally stopping struggling with maths...) of any tuition is not entirely up to the tutor. The student's approach is the key factor. I know, sometimes you and your tutor won't click. I have students who like me very much as a tutor, and I meet, from time to time, those who just can't find the connection. That's okay, that's normal. And, of course, change the tutor if that's the case.

But if there's no specific problem, if it's just you "hating" maths, then it's time to think about changing your attitude.

I know, sounds annoying. But without wanting to learn, having a tutor come to teach you like that – it's like buying an apple, having one bite (if even!) and throwing it away. Sounds ridiculous, right? =)

EAT THE WHOLE APPLE, come on! =)

Maybe it would be a bit better to compare it to broccoli (okay, I like broccoli, but as I said earlier, I'm the one who's a bit unusual, so I guess most of you won't like it).

You know it's healthy, you know you need it, you know you should eat it – so when having broccoli – EAT THE WHOLE BROCCOLI! =)

Let your tutor give you what they can offer to you. It's not vitamins and minerals; it's knowledge you need and should possess.

It's not torturing. It may look like it to you at first (oh no, more maths, ew!), but just as you can have a tasty dish containing broccoli (I swear you can!), you can have good and even funny maths lessons. Just be open-minded and give your tutor a chance to show you they didn't come to torture you.

And one more useful secret I learned over the years: if you want to learn, it usually works better than dwelling on the feeling that you're forced to learn (by your parents, educators, or society in general).
Visualise the positive outcome you'll achieve when you learn what you need and start approaching learning (maths or anything else) with a positive mindset. Then you'll start seeing a change: you'll spend less time on actual learning, practising, and revising because the whole learning process will become easier (simpler, faster,... you name it).

Hooray! What a good news! =)