As a tutor, I have worked with students across all walks of academic life – from the high achievers to those who walk into a session without a clue what they are learning or subject they need help with. It is the latter group, the disorganised students, who often present the biggest challenge but are also the most rewarding.

Disorganisation can take many forms: forgotten assessments, half ripped worksheets, last minute panic, or just the vague shrug of “It’s only due next week”. These students often are not lazy, they are overwhelmed, under-supported, or simply unmotivated. For some, school feels like a wave of deadlines, so they disengage to avoid the constant sense of failure. Tutoring these students is not about turning them into perfect planners overnight. It is about meeting them where they are and building trust to create progress. I have found that starting each session with a quick check in, “What assessments have you got coming up”, “Have you been given any assessment tasks?”, “Do you know when everything is due?” can go a long way. If they do not know, we look it up together. Slowly, they are able to start seeing the value in having a game plan.

I’ve also learned to be flexible. Sometimes, the best use of an hour is not drilling practice questions, it is helping them set up a planner or setting out how they will approach an assessment. These may seem like small wins, but for a student who is used to chaos, they are major steps forward. It can be easy as a tutor to project our values and beliefs, but it is important to adapt to the needs of each student. What we see as important – organisation, high achievement – may not hold the same value for them.

Progress does not always look like higher marks, sometimes it is the moment a student remembers their book two weeks in a row or says “I got my assessment task today, can we go over it?”. Working with disorganised students has taught me to value patience, and celebrate small wins, because when students finally believe they can keep up, everything starts to align better.

Annie Bulkeley