Kathy had always feared Mathematics. She would have done anything just to get some help at night before her Maths exam. "I just wish somebody could help me at this hour. I do not want to face failure tomorrow" wished Kathy, a ninth grade student.

Like Kathy, there are hundreds of students who long for last minute help during examinations. But now they do not need to worry. Thankfully they are born in the age of computers. From books to computers, from blackboard to screen-board, from school to online tutoring... education industry is on its path of transformation!

This transformation is more due to the need of down ridden American education system. No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) passed by American government has made it mandatory for schools to give special attention to the weak students and monitor their performance through periodic tests. As an initiative towards this direction, schools are encouraging separate online tutoring sessions to supplement the traditional school teaching. This has also encouraged many online tutoring companies to offer quality services at competitive prices. Companies like TransWebTutors (www.transwebtutors.com), Tutor.com, Smart Thinking, Tutor Vista etc. are offering amazing education services for not only K-12 studies, but also for college and pre-college level studies. In a package of say $99 a month with TransWebTutors, one can even enjoy unlimited tutoring. To add on to it, they also have a vast pool of experienced teachers who have specialised in subjects like Mathematics, English, and Science etc. In fact, apart from basic tutoring, they also offer services like online career counselling, essay writing assistance along with regular performance assessment modules. They even have modules for helping students prepare for standardised tests like GRE, SAT, GMAT etc.

The best part about online tutoring is that this service can be availed of at any point in time. This gives so much flexibility to students that they do not have to study under any pressure, they may study as and when they are comfortable. "I just love the fact that now I can make my own schedule for studies" says Bob, a seventh grade student. "Flexibility of time, really great teachers and interesting teaching methods, I have actually started loving studies all over again!" Bob continues cheerfully.

Another interesting aspect of this latest buzz is that it is transforming the world into one single nation. Considering the cost advantage and quality of education in Asian countries, the American online tutoring companies are even outsourcing their services to their Asian counterparts. Teachers from India and other Asian countries are much more qualified and dedicated towards this profession. American students themselves are praising their services. Mr. James shares his experience by saying "I was really apprehensive about the quality of teaching that my son would get from such online tutoring companies. I wondered why he preferred online teachers to his home tutor. But now I realise that the kind of personal attention and flexibility of time that he needed was only possible this way."

Online tutoring is indeed serving two purposes simultaneously: increasing the quality level of education and removing the national boundaries. It is like spreading good quality education across borders. Cyber education, as they say, is a world that knows no national boundaries!