Preparing for Writing Support Appointments

One-on-one writing support appointments are intended to offer students personalized assistance with their individual writing needs. However, it’s important to remember that only so much can be done in a single appointment. Expecting a full read-through of your 3,000 word essay might not be realistic within the appointment time. That  is why it is important to set clear goals and prepare for your appointment. Here are a few tips on how you can prepare for your Writing Support appointment and maximize your time with a tutor.

1. Bring your resources 

If you’re seeking help with a specific assignment, bring a copy of the syllabus and/or the assignment details to the appointment. In order for a writing tutor to properly assist you in your work and provide accurate advice they will need to understand the assignment requirements. 

2.  have a specific goal or problem for each session 

Whether you are seeking assistance with something broad like using proper grammar and syntax, or something particular like generating a thesis statement for your paper, it will help both you and your tutor if you can clearly communicate what you are hoping to achieve in the session. To that end, you might also want to consider bringing a specific set of questions that you have regarding your assignment. Presenting your tutor with specific goals and questions will allow them to maximize their ability to assist you. 

3. Give yourself time to implement feedback

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, be prepared to integrate tips and suggestions from your tutor on your own time! Your tutor will likely give you some suggestions for continuing the work on your own. It’s important to remember that writing support tutors cannot simply edit your work for you. Rather, their job is to offer guidance, feedback, and self-revision strategies that you can take forward and integrate into your current project and future academic writing.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, writing support is all about you, the student. And by taking just a few minutes to properly prepare for your appointment, you can help us to serve you better and give you the most efficient support possible.