Think Math Tutoring - Frequently Asked Questions

Login | Register

Sign up today and get 20 minutes free! Create an account

Frequently Asked Questions

General:

Tutoring:

Pricing/Purchasing:

Requirements and Support:

General:

How does www.ThinkMathTutoring.com work?

Our service works just like a tutoring center, except it is more convenient because you don't have to travel anywhere except the world wide web. First, you need to create and activate your account. After you have an account, you can log in to purchase minutes and schedule appointments or go to Tutoring On-Demand. All our sessions are one-on-one , private, and online. You attend your sessions in our virtual classroom, which has so many great features, it's like meeting a tutor in person! You will only have access to the classroom if you are logged in to your account.

Who can use www.ThinkMathTutoring.com?

Currently, anyone who has a PC can use our services, from anywhere around the world. Unfortunately, Mac systems are not supported by our classroom at this time. Please see other technical and system requirements below.

How do I create an account?

Click on the sign-up button that appears on the right-hand sign of every page. Fill in your information, create a password, make sure you have actually read the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and then click the Send button. In order to verify you gave us a valid e-mail address, an activation e-mail will be sent to the address you provided; the e-mail will be from support@thinkmathtutoring.com, so make sure you check your junk mail. Your account will not be activated until you follow the instructions in the activation e-mail.

Is www.ThinkMathTutoring.com safe?

All of our tutors undergo a third-party background check. If you are a parent concerned about your child's safety, you can always be in the room with your child while they attend tutoring sessions, or you can view their recorded session(s) at a time that's convenient to you. We will also do what we can to monitor recorded sessions for quality control and safety, but we cannot view every session.

Tutoring:

What Subjects can I get tutoring in at www.ThinkMathTutoring.com?

We only tutor in math! We tutor most math subjects in K-12 and lower-level (freshman/sophomore level) undergraduate college. This includes, but is not limited to: pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, pre-calculus, and calculus. If you need help in a math subject not listed on our site, please ask - we might be able to help!

Why can't I just get an answer through e-mail?

At www.ThinkMathTutoring.com, we strongly believe that you learn best by doing. If our tutors do your homework for you, you will not know how to do the problems on your tests. By participating in a live tutoring session, your tutor can help you to figure out why you are having trouble with a certain type of problem or concept and help you to learn strategies for solving the same type of problem on your own.

How do I get a tutor?

First, create and activate your account and then log in to your account. Then you can either go to the Scheduler for Tutoring by Appointment, or go to the Tutor Profile page to see if a tutor is online so you can have Tutoring On-Demand.

For Tutoring by Appointment, hover over the day you need tutoring on to see available appointments. Click on the day to make an appointment with the tutor of your choice. Appointments must be made at least one hour in advance; we recommend making appointments as far in advance as possible to ensure that the time you need is available. Once you've made an appointment, a countdown will appear in the upper right side of the screen. At your appointment time, that countdown turns into a button you can click on to enter the classroom.

For Tutoring On-Demand, simply go to the Tutor Profiles page and choose a tutor that is available (a green "connect" button will appear on their profile). Once you fill in the required information, you can begin your session right away!

Who are the tutors?

Our tutors are professionals in the field of mathematics, including current or former college professors, and undergraduate students studying mathematics or mathematics education. All of our tutors go through an extensive training and certification process with the National Tutoring Association, which includes a background check. You can read more about each tutor and their qualifications on the tutors page.

Can a specific tutor be requested?

You can always choose your tutor for Tutoring by Appointment as well as Tutoring On-Demand. If the tutor you wish to meet with is not available when you would like to meet, you might have to choose a different tutor or a different time to meet. Please see our tutor profiles to see which tutor would work best for your needs.

How often and how long should I meet with a tutor?

This depends on how much help you need. Typically, a tutor can help you with 1 to 2 homework questions in 20-30 minutes. If you struggle with just the homework, go to Tutoring On-Demand whenever you need help. However, if you struggle with study skills and test taking as well, we recommend 2 hours a week with Tutoring by Appointment.

When is the service available?

Availability of tutors varies from day to day. Check the Scheduler page to see when tutors are available for Tutoring by Appointment. Availability for Tutoring On-Demand also varies, so check the Tutor Profiles to see if a tutor is available when you need one.

Do I have to schedule an appointment to meet with a tutor?

You do not need an appointment! We offer Tutoring On-Demand, which means you can connect with a tutor any time you need to (subject to tutor availability). We also offer Tutoring by Appointment, in case you would like to guarantee a certain time for tutoring. You can also make appointments up to one hour in advance of the time you would like tutoring. This allows your tutor to prepare for your session and give you the best tutoring possible.

What is the minimum length of a tutoring session?

There is no minimum length, although you should keep in mind that, on average, it generally takes 20-30 minutes to work through 1 to 2 homework problems with a tutor. You will need to have at least 30 minutes in your account for Tutoring by Appointment and at least 10 minutes in your account for Tutoring On-Demand.

What is the maximum length of a tutoring session?

The maximum length of a session varies. For Tutoring by Appointment, it is 60 minutes. For Tutoring On-Demand, it is around 30 minutes, although you can always log back on if a tutor is still available.

How many tutoring sessions can I schedule each day?

You can participate in as many sessions per day as you need through Tutoring On-Demand. However, you can only schedule one 30-minute or 60-minute appointment per day through Tutoring by Appointment.

Can I cancel an appointment if I need to?

Appointments can be canceled any time up to your scheduled time. We strongly encourage you to cancel your appointments as soon as you know the time will no longer work; otherwise, your tutor will be waiting for you in the classroom, and it would not be fun for them to wait for someone who is never going to show up! Minutes will be refunded for appointments canceled more than one hour before the scheduled tutoring session. However, credits will not be refunded for appointments canceled within an hour of the scheduled time; this is due to the fact that another student will not be able to take the time slot if you cancel within the hour, but they will have a chance to schedule that time slot if you cancel at least an hour beforehand.

Can I review past sessions?

All sessions are recorded. You can find a real-time recording of each session your "My Account" by clicking on "Feedback Center", usually with 24 hours of your session. All your past tutoring sessions will appear in the "Feedback Center" soon after they are completed so you can give feedback and/or view the session.

Pricing/Purchasing:

How does www.ThinkMathTutoring.com pricing work?

Minutes can be bought in any amount, with a 5 minute minimum, for $0.50 (USD) per minute.

How do I buy minutes?

You can purchase minutes in any amount starting at 5 minutes by logging into your account. When you log in, you will be in "My Account", and you will see where to purchase minutes from there.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We use PayPal to accept payments, but you do not need to have a PayPal account to make payments. You can make secure payments using your credit card or bank account information through PayPal as well.

Requirements and Support:

Are there any hardware requirements?

The hardware requirements are: CPU: 266 MHz Pentium II or Higher; Recommended: 1 GHz Pentium III or higher; RAM: min 256 MB, Recommended: 512 MB or above. Data Storage: HDD: min 20 MB disk free space. Required disk space may increase within the session. Keep up 100 MB disk free space.

Some students find it easier to work problems in the classroom using a pen and tablet, but any other input device, such as a mouse, will also work. If you have a microphone and earphones, you can use voice chat with your tutor, which can save time and allow you to get more information into your tutoring session.

What are the system requirements?

Operating System: Windows XP Home, XP Pro, Windows 2000, Windows 2003, Windows Vista (all editions); Web Browser: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Netscape, Google Chrome (Java from Sun Microsystems must be installed).

Other software requirements

Usually eLecta (the online meeting software we use for our virtual classroom) does not require other programs be installed on your system. Sometimes, however, you may need to install a specific audio/video codec if experiencing audio problems or unable to participate in a videoconference. In this case the system will inform you about the problem. You can find more help with the classroom and the system requirements by clicking here.

How do I contact customer service?

Send an e-mail to contact@thinkmathtutoring.com or fill out our contact form.

How do I reach technical support?

If you are experiencing problems with www.ThinkMathTutoring.com, you can send an e-mail to support@thinkmathtutoring.com. If you are experiencing problems with the classroom, please see eLecta support by clicking here.

I forgot my username or password. What do I do?

Your username is the e-mail address you provided at registration. If you forget your password, go to the log in area and select "Forgot Your Password?" You will then enter your e-mail address, your password will be reset, and the new password will be sent to your e-mail. We strongly recommend that you immediately change your password to something you can remember after your password is reset.

How do I update my account information?

Log in to your account and then click on "Change Password" for password changes or "Edit Account Info" for any other changes to your account information.

I canceled my session; why didn't I get my minutes back?

Minutes are refunded for canceled sessions only if the session is canceled at least one hour in advance. This is because all sessions must be made at least one hour in advance, and if you do not cancel your session, no one else has a chance to take that time slot.

I just created an account, but I can't log in. What do I do?

You must activate your account in order to log in. Check your e-mail inbox and junk mail for an activation e-mail from support@thinkmathtutoring.com; follow the instructions in the e-mail to activate your account. If you still cannot log in, try to reset your password by clicking on "Forgot Your Password?".

How do I request a session credit?

If you are completely unsatisfied with a past appointment, please indicate so in the "Feedback Center" in your account within 60 days of the appointment. We will review the session and if we find it to be unsatisfactory, we will refund your minutes. Please note that credits will never be refunded in the case that the student demands the tutor to do the homework for them.

How do I close my account?

If you are completely unsatisfied with the service as a whole, or if you find you no longer need the service, but still have minutes in your account, please contact us at contact@thinkmathtutoring.com explaining your situation. All remaining minutes will be refunded at their purchase price (less a small fee if the refund is made more than 60 days after the minutes were purchased) if they were purchased within 6 months of the request.

System Requirements

Supported Operating Systems

Windows XP Home, XP Pro, Windows 2000, Windows 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 7

Supported Web Browsers

Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Google Chrome, Safari (PC)