In the very recent past, there was only one method of tutoring. This was in person tutoring; whether it be through the school, outside corporation, or with a fellow classmate with further knowledge on a subject. Another catch would be the great cost of tutoring. Most tutors(including my former tutor) cost upwards of $50. Now, there is a new, more convenient, and cost free method of tutoring: PAPER. 

PAPER is a virtual tutoring network that is accessible through Google and the Palm Beach County School District portal which allows students to tutor at any time of the day on almost any topic. PAPER was founded in the year 2014 as it started off relatively small and slow, but has since grown to astronomical size. 

The broad topics that PAPER covers are: Mathematics, Social Studies and Humanity, English & Language Arts, Science, World Languages, Career & Technical Education, Art & Music, Physical Education, and Health.

Currently, PAPER is one of the most popular forms of tutoring. Their mission statement is: ”Paper’s team works tirelessly to ensure equal access to academic support for all students—no matter their circumstances—and we’re working district by district and state by state to achieve this mission.” In the past, tutoring has been a privilege only available to those who can afford it. Many tutors are quite pricey which results in only a select amount of the school population to receive out-of-school assistance. PAPER allows everyone an equal opportunity to learn and grow whilst out of school.

The most convenient part of this service is the full online accessibility. As previously mentioned, this service is free for most people as a result of their school district, and is available at any time of the day or night. For example, if one gets home from work at midnight and has a big calculus test the next morning, there will be a PAPER tutor available. This availability is what makes PAPER as popular as it is. 

Accessing PAPER is easy. Simply access through the school portal. After you are signed in, the dashboard will consist of all the classes on your schedule with “Ask a Tutor” beneath each one. There are also options to upload and review a regular essay, college essay, as well as a resume. 

Although I have never utilized this tool, I have plenty of friends that have used it. Unexpectedly there are very differing opinions on PAPER. Some believe that it was not a help, while others believe it was very helpful. 

In all, PAPER tutoring may not be as useful as old-fashioned in person tutoring, but it is not meant to be. PAPER excels when a student is absolutely clueless on a subject and must learn on short-notice and at an inconvenient time. 

Next time that you are up procrastinating late about your math test the morning after, give PAPER a try and see your chances of success sky-rocket!