This post is sponsored and contributed by Studypool.
When you love to learn and help others, the urge to combine your two interests can be strong. And when the opportunity knocks to share what you know – while working from home – who can say no? Opportunity doesn’t always knock, of course. Sometimes, you just have to go find it – and that’s exactly what Jason, who wrote to us about his experience with Studypool, had to do.
Jason tells us, “If you’re as passionate about tutoring as I am, you’ve spent countless hours searching for tutoring communities to make your learning noticeable. Being a tutor and being financially rewarded for quality work in various subjects was a challenge.” At least that was until Jason found Studypool, which quickly became his favorite tutoring platform.
chance
Studypool creates opportunities for students as a way to help them get homework and pay. Using their platform, you can browse through their 38 available subjects and choose which subjects you want to offer to help students. Subjects range in complexity from grade school level to higher education and include history, computer science, law, website design, film, and more.
“I grew up in Southern California studying business administration, so I’m closely aligned with these subjects,” comments Jason. “Life is challenging, and so are the sessions on this platform.”
When a student posts a question on Studypool, they are also prompted to set a delivery time window and the amount they are willing to pay. Tutors can then browse available jobs, review questions that interest them, and send bids on tutoring sessions. Once a student selects your services, you answer the student’s question(s) and provide an accompanying explanation of the answer(s). Once the student is satisfied with your work, you will be paid the agreed fee.
To help him evaluate whether an available tutoring session is for him, Jason mentally created a framework consisting of three steps:
- analyze – “Tutoring session job requirements are crucial to scan and acknowledge before committing. You wouldn’t buy a car without checking how many miles it had, right?”
- get in touch – “This is the hidden token. If I’m still confused about a task or a set of instructions, I’ll private message the student and ask them more probing questions before my next step.”
- bid – “When I feel confident with my ability bandwidth, I will bid on the question and wait until they decide.”
You can also choose when to work, which was another important aspect of Jason. “My day-to-day work and children’s scattered wildlife don’t really come up with an agenda. So I would pick some peaceful gaps throughout the day to pick my own tutoring sessions, and pick my own deadlines, just enough to mold it around my semi-chaotic life,” he admits. “It’s really hard to get things done during the week, but with so much tutoring demand seven days a week, my weekends are golden. This flexibility can adapt to your life settings and it creates a sense of ownership regardless of your noisy traffic.”
Does it pay?
At Studypool, you get to set your own rates – so you decide what your time is worth! No more scrabble after doing very cheap work.
It’s also important to note that Studypool’s tutoring sessions are offered to students on a bidding basis – whenever you decide on a question or assignment that you’d like a student to help with, you’ll have to submit how much you’re willing to pay. This – then the student decides if they want to reward you with their tutoring session. Their decision may also be based on your overall rating with Studypool. You’ll want to balance all of these aspects when setting your rate.
(Pro-tip: Since the students set how much they’re willing to pay, the nature of the bid can be reduced, although if you think asking for more than the student offers is unrealistic.)
“Earning potential is high on Studypool, I’m constantly making $500 per week tutoring part time,” Jason shared. “I noticed full-time tutors making over 60K a year – the cherry on top. There is nothing worse than working countless hours to get paid for half an hour.”
Studypool takes a cut of every job you do through their platform – their commission is between 20% and 30%, and those with the best grammar and English skills enjoy the lowest commission rates. Payments are reportedly made via PayPal or check, and can be expected five days after submitting your payment request.
requirement
To tutor with Studypool, you must have a college education or be currently enrolled in a college or university. Once you sign up on the site you will be asked to provide proof.
Your communication skills must also be excellent, so make sure your grasp of English grammar and spelling is up to par. It’s important that you communicate clearly and build rapport with the students you’re helping – they encourage friendly, casual communication, complete with appropriate slang and emojis.
You will also need the necessary equipment for online tutoring. This means access to a computer with an internet connection, and any resources you may need to support your tutoring sessions. If you want to pay via PayPal, you also need a PayPal account.
How to apply
To start your application, press the Apply Now button on the Become a Teacher page Enter your email address, desired username and a password in the form you are directed to. Then go to your email and click on the link in their confirmation email. You will be asked to verify your identity by signing in to Facebook or by providing some personal information (such as a driver’s license). They note that this evidence will not be stored and will be kept confidential.
You will then be guided through the first step of a three-part tutor application. The first part is what you would expect – you must fill in your name and address along with the name of the school you attended (or are currently enrolled in). You will also be invited to upload a profile picture or choose from their cartoon avatar.
The second part of the tutor application involves writing a bio and completing their writing assessment. You’ll want to spend some time on this because it’s the method they use to assess your writing and language skills. Your bio should be at least 200 characters and tell them about your education and/or tutoring experience. For the essay, you are invited to select a question from a drop-down menu and write an essay of at least 200 words in response. Once you have chosen your topic, you will be given additional requirements – your word count is limited to 500 words, and your essay must be plagiarism free with correct grammar and no spelling errors. Finally, you are given three true or false questions that you must answer correctly to ensure that you have read all the instructions provided.
Once you have completed all the steps of their application, they advise you that your submission will be reviewed within 48 hours.
When you have the skills and passion to help students of all ages and education levels with their schoolwork, Studypool can be a great way to work from home and make a difference. Why not go ahead and start your application?
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