What you're actually getting
One-to-one time with a domain expert who knows exactly which topics carry the marks, which misconceptions students reliably have, and what the examiner is actually looking for. Commercially, this is the most expensive form of tutoring there is. It is included, and the room is empty.
How to make it worth their time and yours
- Bring a specific question, and your attempt. "I don't get chapter four" is unanswerable. "I followed the derivation to line three and then I don't see why the sign flips" is a five-minute fix.
- Say what you think the answer is. Even when you're wrong — especially when you're wrong. The generation effect works here too, and it lets them find the exact misconception rather than re-explaining from the start.
- Ask what students usually get wrong. They will tell you. It's frequently the single most valuable sentence of the term, and it costs you one question.
- Ask what a top answer looks like. Also usually answered, in detail, and almost never asked.
The thing to actually get over
Nobody thinks less of a student who turns up with a specific question and a visible attempt. The opposite: it is the clearest signal available that you are engaged with the material. The students who never come are not perceived as strong — they are not perceived at all.