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Free tutoring and help for Stanford courses

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No matter where you came from or what kind of high school experience you’ve had, the classes at Stanford can be at a whole new level of difficulty. Successful students draw on all the resources that are available to them, and tutoring is often part of taking your skills to the next level. If you find yourself needing a little help, you’re not alone! Free tutoring and other academic support resources are included in your Stanford tuition, and there are no extra fees involved. Here are some of the most important academic resources used by students across the university.

Tutoring and Academic Coaching

Whether you're having trouble with a problem set, struggling to speak more fluently in your foreign language class, or looking for help on your next big essay, Stanford has a wealth of tutoring resources to help you develop the skills you need.

  • The Hume Center offers both drop-in and appointment tutoring to help you hone your writing skills. They also have oral communication tutors that can help you improve your public speaking and presentation skills. Visit their website to learn more, and to sign up for an appointment or find out about drop-in hours.
  • CTL Tutoring (offered through the Center for Teaching and Learning) offers one-on-one appointment tutoring for specific classes in Foreign Languages, Math, Chemistry, Physics, Bio, Econ, and more. They also offer drop-in tutoring at certain times and locations, including your local cafeteria, library, or community center! Click on the link above to find the list of classes they offer tutoring for, as well as to sign up for an appointment or find their drop-in locations.
  • There are a few other places on campus where you can find subject tutoring, including the Physics Tutoring Center, the Lair (for CS) and the Stanford University Mathematical Organization (for the Math 50 series).
  • Academic Skills Coaches can help you build up new study skills for college, learn to take notes more effectively in class, get through your readings more efficiently, and become better at time management.

Companion Courses

Certain classes offer optional “companion courses” where you get an extra unit of credit for an additional meeting or two each week. These additional course meetings offer more practice on the material covered in the main class, and can be a great way to get a little extra support as well as a higher unit count.

Note that some classes set up their companion courses as a 1 unit add-on: for example, Chem 31AC for 1 unit, which you sign up for in addition to the regular Chem 31A for 5 units. Other classes set up their companion courses by offering an alternate version of the main course with the extra 1 unit already built in: for example, Math 51A for 6 units, which you would sign up for instead of the regular Math 51 for 5 units.

  • The ACE Program offers additional support courses for Math 19, 20, 21, 51, 52, and 53; CME 100 and 102; and CS 106A, CS 106B, and CS 107. Fill out an application form on the ACE site if you are interested in enrolling in any of these companion courses.
  • In prior (pre-COVID) years, the Physics department has offered Physics 41E, a 5-unit version of Physics 41 (normally 4 units) for students with little or no high school physics or calculus. They also offered Physics 43A, a 1 unit companion course to Physics 43 (4 units) that offers additional assistance and applications. In years this course is offered, you can fill out an application form (linked in the course description on Explore Courses) if you are interested in joining.
  • In prior (pre-COVID) years, the Chemistry department has offered Chem 31AC (a 1 unit companion course to Chem 31), Chem 31BC (a 1 unit companion course to Chem 31B), and Chem 33C (a 1 unit companion course to Chem 33). In years this course is offered, contact the instructor if you are interested in joining.
  • The Program in Writing and Rhetoric (PWR) offers a PWR 1 Studio for Multilingual Writers, a 1 unit companion course to PWR 1 for students who grew up writing and speaking in a language other than English. They also offer a PWR 1 Workshop, which is a similar 1 unit companion course for any student (not necessarily multilingual) who doesn't feel confident in their high school writing preparation and would like some extra support. Click on the links above and fill out an application form if you are interested in joining either class.

Additional Resources

Looking for more help? Check out the Stanford Undergrad Website's page on Tutoring Resources!

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