Preparing for a Tutorial Session

Events in life take some preparation, even something simple like a short trip to the sea wall to rest our eyes on the waters of the gulf. Before catching a wave, I survey the scene, check out the surf, and have my gear with me and in good condition. Before you come to the SWC for a thirty-minute tutorial, a bit of planning can make the time more useful for you than not.

Tip 1: It may sound like a no-brainer, but it is best to arrive early for your appointment, five or ten minutes, since being late may result in a standby taking your appointment time. If you cannot make it to the scheduled appointment, call and let us know so that someone else can use the appointment time.

Tip 2: Bring a copy of your assignment with you so that the tutor will know what your work involves. Relying on your memory - what you think possibly the instructor said – may not be the best method for getting the right advice from a tutor.

Tip 3: Mostly, though, think about what it is that you want to find out. When you come prepared with questions or concerns (and any notes or drafts or brainstorming that you’ve done) the session will go smoothly and be productive.

Tip 4: Your active participation during tutoring time is essential. Express yourself. Talk about your writing, what problems or successes you have had with it so far, what hopes or fears about the writing you have (or what technical/grammatical problems you need to solve). While a tutoring session is not exactly the right time to bare your soul or air opinions about the state of the universe, moods, emotions, and attitudes do have an effect on your writing. If you are upset, let the tutor know, especially if it is a problem that is keeping you from completing the assignment. Often, acknowledging an emotion and talking about it briefly can clear it up, like clouds moving away from the sun, so that the rest of the session can be focused on the work at hand.

Tip 5: If you have begun the paper, bring two typed copies of your draft, double spaced, for notes that you or the tutor may make. Your thoughts, ideas, and questions will keep the dialogue on the main reasons you have come to see a tutor. It is best to phrase your questions by asking “What if I write__________?”(And then come up with a possibility) instead of “What should I write?” The paper is yours, not the tutor’s; and whatever the tutor might suggest is not the answer you need. Discussing your ideas before starting your paper also works very well. Be aware that your own ideas are the ones that will work best for you when you do start writing. Talk with the tutor about your ideas, ways to structure the paper that you have considered, perhaps to see if your ideas are logical and will work to fulfill your assignment.

Tip 6: Finally, don’t forget to enjoy the half hour you have taken to talk about your writing. Keep your mind open to possibilities, and you will find the time well spent, maybe even as much fun as taking a walk along the shoreline to comb for treasure along the beach.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!