What Tutors Do

The Writing Center works collaboratively with undergraduate and graduate students to help them develop and craft their writing. Usually, tutors first help writers address larger issues, such as focus, organization, and development; then, tutors assist writers with sentence-level issues, such as grammar, punctuation, and diction.

Tutors can help writers:

  • Understand assignments
  • Generate ideas
  • Pre-write
  • Develop a focus
  • Organize and plan essays
  • Develop ideas
  • Revise drafts
  • Improve proofreading and editing skills

 

Bring your assignment, related materials, questions, research, and any writing you have already done.

Since Zoom allows for screen sharing, it is especially helpful to open related documents before you log onto online tutoring sessions. 

  • Be open-minded and ready to work when you arrive to the Writing Center or open your scheduled Zoom appointment.
  • Mark sections of your draft that you are especially unsure of and have questions for your tutor.
  • Ask your instructor for feedback on your writing or for more specific directions on the assignment before attending your session.

Scheduled one-on-one tutoring sessions usually last 50 minutes, though we offer 25-minute sessions for same-day tutoring and with graduate faculty coaches. You may schedule up to four sessions weekly.

  • Students may cancel their appointment until one hour before their scheduled appointment time.  Log into StanTutor to cancel.  
  • Students who do not cancel their appointments outside the hour before two consecutive sessions will be dropped from their standing tutoring appointment.
  • Students may cancel three times before being dropped from tutoring.
  • On a case-by-case basis, the Writing Center Director may reinstate a student after he/she has been dropped.

All appointments are scheduled through StanTutor

Online Appointment Policies

How often can I sign up for online tutoring?

There are two options in Fall and Spring terms: recurring weekly appointments where you meet at the same day and time weekly with the same tutor OR one-time appointments that you may make four times per week.

Can I sign-up for an online tutoring appointment in advance?

Yes, you can sign up for an appointment from 2 days to 10 days in advance.

What if I need to cancel an appointment?

You are able to cancel an online appointment up to one hour before the appointment start time. Please log back StanTutor to cancel your appointment.  Cancelling more than three appointments or failing to cancel two times will trigger a no-show and you will be dropped from further appointments.

Updated: August 13, 2023