Get to Know a Tutor!

Greetings Retrievers!

You all know that the Learning Resources Center offers free tutoring for UMBC students. You know that we have weekly appointment tutoring available to you for pretty much every 100-level and 200-level course at UMBC. You know about our awesome Writing Center and our amazing Math Lab, now in its new location on the first floor of the library. But do you know about our tutors? The exemplary UMBC students who devote their time and use their skills to help students just like you? Well, now’s your chance to get better acquainted!

Welcome to our new monthly feature called “Get to Know a Tutor!”

Our first profiled tutor hails from Ocean City, MD! Meet Maura Smith!

So, Maura, tell us a bit about yourself and what you’re studying.

I’m a Health Administration & Public Policy and Political Science double major, with an Information Systems minor. I’m also on track for the Accelerated Master of Public Policy.

That’s amazing! Are you involved with any other projects on campus?

I’m currently an IT and Research intern for Real Food UMBC, I’m on the finance board for The Garden, and I participate in Global Brigades.

You’re really involved! So how long have you been tutoring?

I’ve been tutoring since the second semester of my freshman year, so that’s five semesters total.

What do you tutor for the Learning Resources Center?

I’m primarily a tutor for STAT 121, but I also tutor a variety of HAPP related courses and anything with a statistics component.

How did you get involved with tutoring?

I became a tutor following a recommendation from my Statistics instructor, Bonnie Kegan.

So, what’s your favorite thing about tutoring?

My favorite thing about tutoring is having really productive sessions that both further the student’s understanding of the material and frame it in terms of the student’s major.

What do you recommend students bring with them when they attend your sessions?

In order to have good sessions, students need to come with specific questions and topics. We can go over homework or past quizzes, whatever the student wants. If a lot of students come, then we have mini-lectures. 

If you need help with Statistics, you can find Maura in the Math Lab every Monday and Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.