Basketball, baseball and football are popular sports for a reason: teamwork.

Yes, it is exciting to watch an individual win a gold medal speed skating – Apolo Ohno! Humans are social creatures, though, so team sports dominate fandom.

We offer tutoring in groups at MATC for a reason: teamwork. It is not cheating to team up to study; it is the smart way to study. Teamwork can even make studying fun – or, at least, less un-fun.

When the instructor says something confusing to you, you can ask your teammates to explain it differently. When you get the wrong answer to a problem, you can ask your teammates where you went wrong. When you get stuck writing an essay, you can talk through it with your teammates.

In other words, when you study with others, such as a tutor and a couple of classmates, you can collaborate. (Collaborate, by the way, means to cooperatively solve a problem or team up on a project, which employers definitely want you to be able to do.)

We know that some of you may be shy or introverted (or geniuses). For you, group work may seem daunting (or pointless). Consider the facts, though: Students who regularly attend group tutoring get better grades than those who do not. They also are less likely to drop a class or to drop out of school.

To be honest, you may not need a tutor if you and your classmates build a strong team yourself.

Don’t waste time banging your head against the table in frustration. Teamwork saves time, tuition money and sanity. Join a team today!