Personal tutors render a valuable service to university students. A one-to-one meeting with your personal tutor can help to resolve any problems you are having in your course and it can also give you the opportunity to change classes, discuss your academic progress and so on. In order to get most out of meetings with your personal tutor, it is important to make sure that you are prepared for the meeting so that when you arrive you do not waste your personal tutor's time.
Questions
If you have a bad memory, you may want to jot down the questions you wish to ask your personal tutor before you arrive. That way, when your personal tutor asks you if you have any further questions, you will not draw a blank.
Changing Degree Pathway
When I first started university, I was studying for an equal honours BA degree in English and Sociology. But I soon realised I wanted to place more emphasis on English rather than Sociology. I was unsure of what to do. My personal tutor helped me overcome this problem by suggesting I opt to minor in Sociology and major in English, which meant I could concentrate more on the English portion of my degree. He told me what forms to fill in and helped me along so that for the remainder of my degree I could work on what I really enjoyed. So when I graduated, my degree certificate read BA (Hons) English with Sociology, rather than the word and. It was a small alteration, but it made a big difference to me.
Personal Problems
Personal tutors are not just on hand to help you to overcome an academic problem. They are also trained to help you deal with personal problems that come up. I felt comfortable talking to my personal tutor whenever I had any problems that I needed help with. A personal tutor should be able to put you at ease and not minimise your problem, but seek ways to help you overcome it. If they do not know how to resolve your problem, they can refer you to the campus counsellor or some other relevant department.
Remember that your personal tutor will not seek you out personally and ask you why you have not stopped by for a chat in 3 months. He or she will not know of any problems or issues you are having unless you make them known.
Questions
If you have a bad memory, you may want to jot down the questions you wish to ask your personal tutor before you arrive. That way, when your personal tutor asks you if you have any further questions, you will not draw a blank.
Changing Degree Pathway
When I first started university, I was studying for an equal honours BA degree in English and Sociology. But I soon realised I wanted to place more emphasis on English rather than Sociology. I was unsure of what to do. My personal tutor helped me overcome this problem by suggesting I opt to minor in Sociology and major in English, which meant I could concentrate more on the English portion of my degree. He told me what forms to fill in and helped me along so that for the remainder of my degree I could work on what I really enjoyed. So when I graduated, my degree certificate read BA (Hons) English with Sociology, rather than the word and. It was a small alteration, but it made a big difference to me.
Personal Problems
Personal tutors are not just on hand to help you to overcome an academic problem. They are also trained to help you deal with personal problems that come up. I felt comfortable talking to my personal tutor whenever I had any problems that I needed help with. A personal tutor should be able to put you at ease and not minimise your problem, but seek ways to help you overcome it. If they do not know how to resolve your problem, they can refer you to the campus counsellor or some other relevant department.
Remember that your personal tutor will not seek you out personally and ask you why you have not stopped by for a chat in 3 months. He or she will not know of any problems or issues you are having unless you make them known.
