It's a Blog Takeover! Getting the Most Out of a Tutorial Session - Part 2

Wow, Roxy Readers! I am so happy to be on the other side of the crazy week we just had in Texas. I hope everyone is safe, warm, and ready to move forward. We are continuing our blog takeover with Rylie who has more great tips to share.

I look forward to seeing you next time the sun is up, the breeze is cool, and the waves roll into view.

Roxy

Hi, everyone!

Last time I was here, I gave a few pointers on how to get the most out of a tutorial session. Since then, I’ve wanted to chat with students about how to make the most out of each consultant’s feedback. A few days ago, I told Roxy, and she asked me to share my thoughts with her readers. Thanks for lending me your platform, Roxy!

One of the biggest misconceptions students might have is that the consultant points out everything that could use revision in an essay. In reality, consultants have an unofficial checklist that we go through while looking over a paper. The most important concern is the content, so that’s what we focus on first. After all, a well-written, grammatically correct paper over cats wouldn’t receive a 100 if the prompt is over ice cream, right?

Each tutor has a slightly different checklist and will notice different things, but very few will start with grammar if there are bigger issues to address. And when it does come time to edit grammar, the consultant will likely only point out and help you edit one or two errors, leaving the rest to you. That means that when you go through your paper, you should look to revise and edit not just what the consultant pointed out, but also what they did not comment on. Use their feedback to guide your search. And remember, if you struggle to locate or fix these errors, you can always ask a consultant for further help. The consultants are always glad to assist you.

Consultants limit the revisions they suggest per session in large part because they don’t want to overwhelm students. A few times, I’ve received so much feedback from peers on a paper that I freeze up. It’s hard to know where to begin when you have a long list of comments, after all. But when I looked closer, I found that many of the suggested changes were quick fixes.

Whether your suggested revisions are mostly quick fixes or more in-depth changes, you’ll need a way to minimize your anxiety. For instance, you might distance yourself from the critiques, as if they’re referring to someone else’s paper, so that you’re better able to digest them. One of my newly discovered tactics is to make a list of the comments, arranging them based on importance. I’ll also try to file similar remarks under a single bullet. That way, I have a manageable checklist to go through while revising. Not to mention, there’s a huge sense of accomplishment when I’m able to scratch off bullet points after I’ve addressed them.

Finally, remember that you should take breaks from revision, just as you should while writing. If you refuse to take a few minutes here and there to do something else, you might get overwhelmed, or you might wind up bleary-eyed, which could mean that you miss areas that need some revision.

Rylie

As always, I’ve enjoyed talking to you! I’m hopeful that this set of blogs will take some of the pressure off when it comes to tutorial sessions. I hope to “see” you again soon, but until then, happy writing, consulting, and revising!