Examination scores have a huge impact on people¡¯s future education and job opportunities. There are lots of different ways people try and study to prepare for exams. I often help my foreign friends study for the HSK. If a friend comes up to me and asks whether he or she should find a tutor, I always tell them that I will help them study. Studying with me is better because tutors are too expensive, they often don¡¯t have much time in their schedules, and they are not as invested in my friend¡¯s success as I am. Finding a good tutor in Beijing is pretty difficult. On top of that, even the best tutors cost a lot. Studying for a Chinese language test is no exception. A lot of people think that since foreigners usually have a lot of money, they can charge a lot for tutoring. If you go to a coffee shop, you can often find a foreigner studying with a Chinese language tutor. Sometimes I can¡¯t help but overhear their class. I am usually not impressed with the tutor¡¯s quality of teaching. The shame of it is that the foreign student usually doesn't know Chinese well enough to realize that his or her tutor is not very good. Since I study Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, I can tell. So, I always tell my friends to come to me first. Another reason that I usually tell my friends to come to me instead of finding a tutor is because I have a really flexible schedule. Chinese language tutors usually fill their schedules with classes. Some of them are even students, so they really only have time to meet with a student once a week. I am also a student, but I can always make time for my friends. Anyway, helping my friends study is more like having fun and hanging out than the other classes I teach. Finally, as their friend, I certainly care more about their success than any tutor would. Chinese language tutors oftentimes only take on students to gain experience and to earn money. They often have no personal feelings for their students and therefore don¡¯t go above and beyond what is required of their job. As their friend, I believe I would be the better teacher. I care about what happens to them and I am willing to sacrifice some of my free time to help them. In conclusion, my advice is that if you need help studying for an exam, it is better to find a friend who is knowledgeable about the exam subject rather than finding a tutor to help you study.