How to Prepare for Different Types of Tutoring
The MU Writing Center has writing appointments for every University of Missouri student. Check their website to see each semester's schedule of times and places across campus for tutoring services. Sessions tend to go more smoothly if you come with specific questions or trouble spots. Can't put a finger on a thesis statement? Been asked for deeper analysis? Your tutor has been specially trained to steer you in the right direction. Students who arrive with assignment sheets may receive a complementary high five. Our writing tutors, however, are not proofreaders. While brief explanations of mechanics are not out of the question, our services are geared toward higher order concerns (HOC's) such as structure and argument.
Science: Instead of coming to your science tutoring sessions “blind,” come in with specific questions and areas where you are having issues. If there’s an occasion where you don’t have any specific questions use the session as an opportunity to review your course material. The best way to use the review time is to bring in review material or things you’ve recently worked on in your classes. Science, like math, typically has information that builds on previous information. So, if there’s anything you’re questioning, ASK about it!
Math: If you have questions that need to be addressed, focus on them. Once these questions have been cleared up, move on to other things you are questioning or concerned about in any way. If there is one thing that you get lost on in math, most things that follow in that specific class will become more difficult. This tells you that it is extremely important for you to keep up with the information and attend your help sessions (whether they be group or individual) from a very early point in the semester or at the very first sign of even the slightest confusion.
Other: Like the other types of tutoring, when you have a question or concern, bring it up! Our tutors are here to offer assistance to you in any way they can. They won’t know what you need help with unless you voice your concern, so that’s exactly what you should do!
How to Make the Most of Your Tutoring Experience
The Learning Center offers many kinds of tutoring help. Group sessions are available for everyone and there are also individual tutors for students who qualify. The tutoring provided by The Learning Center is aimed at helping students learn and truly understand their class material.
Attending tutoring sessions on a regular basis helps the information learned embed itself into your long-term memory. According to psychological research, you are actually able to learn the material when the lessons and information is spread out.
Learning is a process that can be controlled only by the person responsible for the knowledge. The Learning Center’s founder and former director, Bonnie Zelenak, says, “Students need to assume responsibility for their own learning and take the initiative to actually gain the knowledge. We provide the tutors to assist in that learning process.”
The goal of group tutoring sessions is to overview the course content. Because they are open sessions, it is incredibly helpful to go in knowing exactly what you need assistance with. Don’t just go to the open sessions hoping to be told what you need to know. Although these sessions are not individual one-on-one sessions, the tutors are still available to answer individual questions, so knowing what your questions are before you attend the session is the best way to make the most out of these sessions.
Not only is it important to know where you need assistance in the group sessions, but coming prepared to the individual sessions is also very important and helpful.
Our tutors are all familiar with the material they are tutoring because they have not only taken the class they are assisting you with, they did well in it. Because of their experience and knowledge in your specific course, they are some of the best resources the University can offer.