Students seek tutoring for a variety of reasons. Whether to improve a grade or increase their understanding in a certain subject area; stay organized and on track in all their classes, or prepare for entrance exams and standardized tests, a tutor can be just the boost they need. But for some students with slumping grades and rising frustrations, tutoring may not be a boost but a lifeline.

While hundreds of thousands of American students meet with tutors each week, no two students are alike and for those with learning differences, finding the right tutor who can understand and even diagnose specific issues while implementing a personalized strategy for academic success can be a desperate, frustrating, and costly exercise in futility.

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The Winter Olympics are only weeks away, bringing with it the excitement of medal counts and new household heroes. For these amazing athletes, Olympic gold will cement their legacies. But the competitors are so close in talent and skill that the difference between greatness and going home empty handed can be measured in tenths and hundredths of seconds. So what is it that sets the elite athlete apart from the competition? It turns out they are the same as those which separate top-tier students from the very good. Hard work and dedication certainly play a role but coaching, game-planning, and knowing what and how to train to maximize potential are what push students and athletes alike to the next level.

Creative Tutors founder, Jan Van Blarcum, Ph.D. explains what it takes to go from great to good in the academic arena. “Many times a C student can become a B student by putting in extra hours of study and a B student may become a B+ student by working even more diligently. But at a certain point the rate of return on simply working hard will plateau and additional study and stress will not help to break through that ceiling. This is when a student needs to work smart, and with the expertise and concentrated focus that a tutor brings, the sky is the limit.”

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