Should I keep my math tutor?

So with my first tutor, I had an 80% in math and then it jumped up to an 86% for a while but nothing changed, I was still at an 86. Later, she (my first tutor) said she didn’t feel like she was doing very well as my tutor and wasn’t qualified enough, so she got me a new tutor, the second one. So far with tutoring, I haven’t seen too much change in my grades. All I’m really doing is practice questions in every session. Both tutors said that I knew the subject, but it was because I made miscellaneous mistakes on my tests/quizzes (ex. : forgetting to write + or -).

At every session, I just do practice tests. Lately, I got the worst test grade in this semester, and this was when I had the 2nd tutor. I panicked at the test, forgot to do a question, and just had a lot of dumb mistakes. My grade is now an 84.9%. I don’t feel like tutoring is helping, I’m really just doing practice tests. I mean, I felt a little better with the 1st tutor but should I just stop tutoring? It costs 26 dollars an hour, and I don’t feel like I’m improving at all. I could just do practice tests on my own.

At the same time, I want to get an A really badly, and for this recent test I studied for 3 hours (reading notes, doing copious amounts of practice tests given to me) and I still didn’t get the grade I wanted at all. I feel so useless, and I don’t know if I should stop tutoring or to just go on with it and hope for the best.

You have the same problem I do. If you know the material, which both tutors said you do, and you would know by doing the homework, then I don’t think tutoring will help much. What you do need to figure out is how to calm down before and during the test. What I’ve found that helps is right before the test, to close my eyes and breathe in for 4 counts and out for 8. It was something I learned in yoga that’s applied really well. It should be slightly comforting to know that at least you understand the material, it’s just poor test taking skills.

Thank you!!! Thankfully my tutor just quit for another job so I don’t have to fire him. Makes me feel bad if I have to. And yeah, with math I feel like people either get it or don’t, all I really have left to do is practice a lot and relax so I’ll see where that takes me