01
How an online session works
It helps if you send me what you’re working on before we meet: the topic, a question you’re stuck on, an error message or a section of your notes. That way the session starts on your problem, not on small talk. If a test or exam is coming, tell me the date so we can plan around it.
During the session we’re on a video call with screen sharing. For programming, you share your screen and run your own code while I watch, ask questions and point to the line that’s causing trouble. For maths, we work through problems step by step, and I’ll ask you to explain your working back to me, because that’s where gaps show up.
Sessions are usually 60 to 90 minutes, the same as in person. The aim is that you leave with the concept clear and a sense of what to practise before next time. If you’d like something to revise from afterwards, study notes and concept breakdowns can be prepared too.
02
Why coding and IT suit online tutoring
Programming is one subject where online tutoring can work better than sitting side by side. You stay in your own setup, with your own files, your own editor and your own errors. Nothing gets lost copying code onto someone else’s laptop, and when the session ends, every fix is already on your machine.
It works the same way for SQL and databases. We can look at your actual tables and queries together while you type every change yourself, so it sticks. For Java and Python, I might ask you to predict what a line will do before you run it. That habit is what turns copying code into understanding it.
If you want more on the languages and topics themselves, the programming tutoring page covers logic, algorithms, debugging and code structure. Maths works well online too, especially with screen sharing, and the maths tutoring page covers algebra, calculus and discrete maths.
03
Is online tutoring effective?
Honestly, it depends less on the screen and more on the session. Online tutoring works when the tutor can see exactly what you see, when you arrive with a real problem, and when you do the thinking instead of watching someone else do it. Those three things matter just as much in person.
Where online can be harder: an unstable connection, a noisy room, or the temptation to keep another tab open. Most of that is in your control. Where it’s easier: no travel and no lost time getting across town, so a 60-minute session costs you 60 minutes. For students juggling lectures, work and family, that’s often what makes tutoring worth it.
04
What you need on your side
Nothing fancy. If you can join a video call and share your screen, you’re ready. A few things make the hour go further, though, especially for programming, where we’ll be working directly in your own code and you’ll want everything open and running before we start.
Don’t worry if your setup isn’t perfect. We’ll sort out the practical details when we first chat, before any session is booked. All of South Africa is on the same time zone, so wherever you are, we’re simply agreeing on a time that suits your timetable.
- A laptop or computer, so you can run your own code
- A stable internet connection, and enough data for a video call
- Headphones, if there’s noise around you
- A quiet spot where you can talk and think out loud
- Your module outline, notes or the exact question you’re stuck on
- Your camera on, if you’re comfortable, so I can see when something isn’t landing
05
Platform or private tutor?
Search for online tutoring in South Africa and many of the results are platforms: marketplaces that list a lot of tutors. They’re useful for comparing options. The trade-off is that you’re choosing from a profile card, and you may not know whether a tutor has studied anything like your course.
With a private tutor, you deal with one person from the first message. Ask whoever you’re considering a few direct questions. Have they done this kind of module themselves? Can they work on your actual code or problem over screen share? Will they explain, rather than do the work for you? The answers tell you more than any rating.
06
Who you’d be learning from
I’m Jorryn Panjasuran, a second-year IIE Bachelor of Computer and Information Sciences (Application Development) student based in Durban. I started with no coding experience at all, graduated top of a class of 200+ in the IIE Higher Certificate in Mobile Application and Web Development, and received the Full Stack Impact Award in 2025.
I’ve guided 150+ students across 24+ subjects in 2+ years of tutoring. Because I’m a student too, I know the pressure of deadlines, the anxiety before exams and the frustration when things just don’t click. You can read what students have said in the reviews section.
