If you've invested in GRE tutoring, it's not as simple as just showing up for the session. Here are six ways to make your tutor's job easier so they can deliver the best possible instruction.

Get Personal

Since tutoring is often an ongoing relationship, it's helpful to get to know each other. Definitely tell your tutor what your academic goals are, but don't be afraid to chat a bit and fill them in on your background: what you do for a living, what you studied at university, and what you do in your free time. A formula that works in any human interaction is to freely reveal information about yourself first, so the other person feels comfortable doing the same. Approaching each other as human beings helps make the tutoring relationship more enjoyable. It also helps to share your fears about the GRE with your tutor - they have heard them before, and will probably be able to help you manage those concerns. 

Be Prepared

Before the first tutoring session, send your tutor a summary of what you've done so far to prepare. List the materials you've used, practice tests you've taken (with scores), and give her a sense of your timeframe and goals. In order to devise a good study plan, your tutor needs to know how much time you have to work with and what progress you've made so far. Include any details about your situation that might be relevant.

Before subsequent sessions, be ready to report on what you worked on since the last session. Do your best to correct mistakes ahead of time and to be able to explain your thought processes. Have the Powerprep test pulled up on your computer if you've taken one. Have your questions ready. And of course, do the homework as best you can, and if you can't, let the tutor know well before the session, so they can plan accordingly.

Understand The Why

GRE prep can be overwhelming, and even after a few tutoring sessions, it can be difficult to wrap your head around all the different tasks and their timeframes. Understanding "why are we doing this" is helpful; seeing the framework of GRE prep will help you put things into context. For more on this, check out Greg's "So You Want a 340" videos.

Follow The Directions

After a tutoring session is over, make sure you're very clear on what your tutor wants you to do and how exactly you're supposed to do it. Then make sure you actually follow those instructions to the letter. Going rogue and working on additional things can feel good, but there might be a heavy opportunity cost. If you are confused, do not be afraid to reach out to your tutor for clarification. We all forget things, and any good tutor will not get annoyed if you contact them between sessions - I would much rather be able to help you course-correct so you can stay productive. Speaking of forgetting things...

Take Notes

When your tutor is teaching you something, it may require your full attention. After all, you're probably wrestling with a GRE question and trying to verbalize your thought process. But when the dust settles, it's a great idea to say something like "so the strategy here is to x, then y, then z" to see if you've understood the essence. Then, just tell your tutor you need a few moments to write it down so you can remember it when you're practicing by yourself. Attention tutors: remind your students to do this! Otherwise they WILL forget important things at times.

Respect Their Time

Have your schedule accessible to make scheduling easier. If you have to change or cancel a session, give your tutor as much notice as possible. Short-notice cancellations mean your tutor's day is thrown off and they miss an opportunity to earn money. No one likes surprises. Also don't schedule multiple appointments and then start rearranging them or cancelling them if at all possible. Finally, be on time, and if you're running late, send your tutor a heads up before the session starts.

The Bottom Line

Since many people haven't worked with a tutor before, they often haven't thought much about how to get the most out of the relationship. I hope these simple tips will enable you to get more value out of the time you spend with your tutor and make it easier for them to help you raise your GRE score.