Writing Program | How to get the most out of tutoring

Meet Regularly

You and your tutor will set up a schedule of regular weekly appointments; most students find it helpful to meet at a consistent time. Your tutor will do his/her best to accomodate changes in your schedule and to set up extra appointments when you need them. In turn, if you are going to be more than 5 minutes late or miss the session, please let your tutor know as far in advance as possible.

Know Your Rights

You have a right to expect your tutor to keep all scheduled appointments, arrive on time, and conduct sessions professionally. You have a right to speak to one of the Writing Coordinators at any time if you have any concerns about the tutoring.

Come Prepared

Bring any relevant assignments, papers, or books to your tutoring sessions, and, most importantly, bring a sense of what you want to work on in the session.

Be Willing To Try New Things

Expect to participate actively in your sessions with your tutor--to take notes, construct outlines, revise paragraphs, try new sentence patterns, debate your ideas or just think out loud. Tutors know many different activities and techniques for developing your writing, but, in the final analysis, it is up to you to make the most of them.

Remeber That Improvement Takes Time

Writing is a skill that improves with time and practice. Each activity that you do, each conversation with your tutor will carry over into improvement on all your writing assignments. Be patient with yourself, and watch for unexpected breakthroughs!

Cooperate With Your Tutor

Tutors know about many approaches to writing and many resources on campus that enhance learning. If you are open to their suggestions and are willing to try new techniques, you will be surprised at what you can accomplish. However, the tutor is not a miracle worker. In the final analysis it is your effort and willingness to work that will contribute the most to your success. As one student wrote when evaluating our service:

"I expected to have the paper proofread or edited by some English scholar while I sat back; I was glad that I ended up going through the paper with the person who helped me. That way I learned something that I could use in my next writing assignment."