You may be a high school student perplexed by those dizzying combinations of numbers and letters that appear before you in algebra class.
Perhaps you're an elementary student struggling with reading, or an adult trying to pass the General Equivalency Exam.
Chances are good you might benefit from tutoring.
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MIKE?REUTHER/Sun-Gazette
Tom Cordell helps student Linsay Dapp with her studies at Excell Tutoring Services.
Tom Cordell, owner of Excell Tutoring Services, works with all sorts of people in need of help.
But Cordell and his stable of tutors don't believe in the "one size fits all" formula.
"Every student is unique," he said.
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Tom and his wife Jamie opened the business in January 2011
While a student at Pennsylvania College of Technology he used tutoring to help pay his way through school.
That led to him formulate a business plan that led to his business.
He has 10 tutors who can assist students in a variety of subjects.
Many of his clients include students preparing for SAT's or younger kids needing help with basic reading.
"We pride ourselves on giving individual service," he said.
Cordell said busy schedules and increasing numbers of activities pull many people in too many directions these days.
And that's a big reason students fall behind in their studies and may need tutoring.
"Life is 100 miles per hour," he said.
Many students, he said, simply don't recognize that they may even need of assistance.
Many others may not even want help or are turned off by school.
"We see students fight things to no end," Cordell said.
Cordell said he and other tutors work to mentor and coach students and help them understand the importance of taking their education seriously.
For some students, it can help to get them to socialize more with their peers, to get involved in extra-curricular activities.
It's important, he said, to get everyone on the "same page" including the student, the parents, the teachers, and the school.
Cordell said his tutoring service coordinates with area schools.
"It's a team effort," he said.
Linsay Dapp, 17, a Loyalsock High School senior and Excell client, said having a good relationship with one's tutor can make the difference.
"Before tutoring I was way behind," she said. "Now, I am where I need to be to start my senior year."
Cordell said it's not uncommon to receive those "frantic calls" from parents about helping their child right before some big test at school.
More often than not, a tutor can be found for the student immediately.
For the most part, a client who signs up with Excell is in it for the long haul.
Cordell estimated that about 75 percent of elementary and high school students go through an entire school year of tutoring once they sign up for his services.
The typical student receives about two hours of tutoring a week.
Cordell and his tutors often meet with clients in their homes.
However, he is hoping to soon open a permanent location for his business.
