ECE sophomore Ferrer helps students navigate college workload as ESC tutor - Engineering Student Success - Purdue University

Ferrer starts tutoring sessions with engineering students by having them explain challenging concepts to the best of their ability.

Luke Ferrer was not prepared to give a full lecture on electrical engineering.

So he was relieved to find out that helping a student as a tutor was not at all like a lecture hall. Ferrer, a sophomore, was totally new to tutoring when he was hired as one for the Engineering Success Center (ESC) in January 2026.

“When I started, I thought tutors would provide second lectures to students,” Ferrer, an electrical engineering student from Washington, D.C., said. “That made me nervous: I don’t quite remember everything from all my classes. But when I started actually tutoring, I realized students come in with questions and I ask them questions to help them come to the solutions themselves.”

Tutoring is much more guidance than giving answers, Ferrer discovered. Instead of being an answer supplier, the tutoring process reveals tools and make connections that will empower students to succeed “when the guardrails are taken off.” 

Luke Ferrer has been a tutor since January 2026.

Watching students navigate the maze of understanding algebra or engineering principles — and eventually finding solutions with less help each time — excites Ferrer. To be the best tutor for each student, Ferrer begins sessions by asking students to explain the problem or concept in question to the best of their ability.

“Oftentimes when people explain things out loud, they see that they know more than they thought,” Ferrer said. “From there, I ask them to walk me through how they solve a practice problem, and that helps both of us figure out where the confusion is.”

Though only one month into tutoring, Ferrer has watched students start sessions totally overwhelmed and end an hour later with newfound confidence and independence. Students who have sought Ferrer’s help regularly in those weeks have grown so much that he calls their sessions “emotional support” because students solve problems without any extra help while Ferrer sits by.

That’s the ultimate goal in tutoring. A little early guidance in a study room can go a long way on a later exam. Don’t wait until a problem feels impossible to approach tutoring, Ferrer encourages: Tackle questions early on by reading notes and then trying a practice exam.

Then looking at notes, then doing a practice exam. Again and again.