Is it weird that i'm jealous of my roommate's private tutor?

[Nigel]

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy my roommate is doing well in physics, but I can't help feeling a little pang of jealousy. Her private tutor sounds like a dream. He brings her little treats sometimes, stays late to help her prep for labs, and apparently gives the best pep talks. My private tutor for economics is nice enough, but it's strictly business. We meet, we go over the problems, he leaves. It feels very transactional. I know the main goal is to learn, but a little encouragement would go a long way. Has anyone ever asked their tutor to be a bit more... supportive? Or is that crossing a line? Maybe I should just be grateful for the help I'm getting, but her experience just sounds so much better

 

[MaverickJ]

Some tutors are intentionally "strictly business" because we've had experiences where getting too friendly backfires. Students start cancelling sessions, or treating us like friends instead of professionals, or expecting free help outside scheduled time. It's a boundary thing.

BUT—that doesn't mean we don't care! I always check in with my students: "How are you feeling about the class overall? Anything stressing you out?" If a student asked for more encouragement, I'd be happy to provide it.

Your tutor might not realize you need more support. Try saying: "I really appreciate your help, and I think I'd learn even better if we could also talk about study strategies or motivation sometimes." See how they respond.