There's no academic panic quite like the night before an exam when you can't quite grasp the words in front of you no matter how many times you've read them. It's then that you want help but ?? ?? ??where to turn? You've played back the professor's lecture dozens of times already. The teaching assistant is likely fast asleep and not up to answering your frantic messages. And your friends probably don't know much more than you do. An online tutor can be your sanity—and grade—saver.

Online tutoring services are among the best tools you can use to help get ahead academically, from tutoring videos to live one-on-one help, often 24/7. They're especially useful now that you might not be on campus and all your classes could be via Zoom.

Another smart reason to use an online tutor is cost. It tends to be relatively inexpensive compared with private tutoring, which can often cost a few hundred dollars an hour. The online variety can be found starting at just under $30 per hour.

As the school year gets closer, it's time to tart thinking about who can help you master their material. We've done the homework for you and selected a few to consider.

Chegg Tutors

Chegg Tutors taps into those who are currently enrolled in or have graduated from top colleges, who lend their expertise to high school and college students. Chegg Tutors has an extensive list of subjects, including computer science and engineering, as well as test prep. A lesson via chat on Chegg is $6.95 for one or $14.95 a month for unlimited online chats. Video call lessons cost $30 per month.

Learn to Be

Learn to Be is the service to turn to when you need tutoring for kids in grades K-12 but don't have the funds for it. Fill out an application and this nonprofit might be able to match you to a tutor that fits your needs. If you can pay something, it's welcome, but if not, tutoring is free.

Revolution Prep

Revolution Prep offers one-on-one tutoring (at a pricey $1,199 for 12 hours), homework help ($99 per month), and small-group test prep ($399 for 12 hours) for high school students. Tutors work for the company full time, which does differentiate the service.

Skooli

Skooli has tutoring for elementary through college-age students. It's pay as you go, at 82 cents a minute, and tutors must have either a bachelor's degree or higher in the field they're teaching, a teaching license, or specialized certification in their field.

Smarthinking

Smarthinking from Pearson has 24/7 access to tutoring for students from middle school through graduate school and resources for professionals as well, including help with writing resumes and essays. An hour of tutoring is $45, four hours are $150. Smarthinking says over 90 percent of its tutors have a master's degree or PhD and on average have 12 years of experience working with students.

TutaPoint

TutaPoint has tutoring available in 50 subjects for elementary through high school students at $50 per hour. The site also has test prep available, including for students with learning differences. TutaPoint tutors are certified teachers, retired teachers, teaching assistants, professors at colleges and universities, and experts in their field.

Tutor.com

Tutor.com covers over 200 subject areas for students in kindergarten through college. Its tutors are available all day every day. In addition to regular courses, Tutor.com offers SAT prep for high school students, which is not surprising since the company acquired The Princeton Review years ago. There's an app for help on the go (iOS, Android), though it does not see frequent updates.

There are four levels of monthly plans for all tutoring: $39.99 for one hour per month; $79.99 for two hours per month; $114.99 for three hours per month; and 75 cents per minute if you pay as you go. An introductory session is free. There is no cost for Tutor.com's services for military families. Tutor.com tutors are either enrolled in or have graduated from an accredited university and are an expert in the subject they teach.

TutorMe

If you need help immediately, try TutorMe, which matches students in high school through college and beyond with available tutors ASAP. There is a wide and varied list of tutoring for professionals, whether they're in IT or fashion. Tutors have tutoring or teaching experience and must be experts in their field; each tutor's qualifications appear in their profile.

Wize

Wize is geared toward college students who need help in STEM classes and can be helpful for some high school students, too. There's test prep for the MCATs and LSATs, too. Pricing per tutor varies and access to the Wize course library is $19.99 per month or $119.98 per year.

Wyzant

Wyzant is a smart choice for students of any age, from kindergarteners to grad students. The wide range of subjects covered on Wyzant also makes it a good resource for job applicants looking to learn a skill or aspiring musicians thinking about picking up an instrument. Tutor qualifications vary by subject and each tutor has to pass a proficiency test from Wyzant. Tutors set their own hourly rates, and Wyzant charges a 9 percent service fee.