Academic Success Programs
Composition Tutoring

Some important things to keep in mind regarding composition tutoring:

• Don't wait until the last minute to see a tutor.  Maybe even stop by before you begin writing to get ideas and to make sure you are on the right track.
• Be sure to bring with you any notes or handouts you have about the assignment.
• This is NOT a proofreading service.  (You knew it was too good to be true.)  The goal is to help YOU to plan, edit, and revise your own work.
• Ideally, you will come in with an idea of what you would like help with.  That is, rather than saying, "Here's my paper," it would be better to say, "Could you help me look over this paper for organization and comma splices?"  Maybe even bring in previously marked papers.
• Don't expect a tutor to sit with you for an hour nonstop going over your paper.  Chances are the tutor will look over your paper, give you some suggestions and guidance, and then leave you alone for awhile to do the work on you own before checking back to see if you want additional help.
• No doubt, seeing a tutor will improve your writing, but seeing a tutor is no guarantee that you'll get the grade you want.  His or her job is NOT to ensure that you're handing in a perfect paper; it's to ensure that you leave with a better paper than you started with. 
• Also, seeing a tutor is not a substitute for your putting in the time and effort required to produce a piece of writing that does what you want it to do.