Establishing rapport with your tutee is very important. You can help create a good rapport by listening patiently and remaining open to what the tutee has to say. It is also important to know why the student has requested tutoring. Some students know exactly where they are having trouble. Some students point out general areas of difficulty.
Some students can only vaguely describe the source of their confusion.
To help these students, simply ask them where they are having problems. It could be that they fear the subject because of past failure. The students could also be lacking confidence in their ability to master the material, or they could be overwhelmed by the time requirements imposed on them for this particular class. The reason for the tutoring request is important because it will give you a focus to plan your future tutoring sessions. Another approach to finding out why the student is seeking assistance is to review the course materials with the student.