Quick Tips

I’m not sure how qualified I am to be giving others advice when it comes to tutoring. I’m actually kind of looking forward to when Claire sits in and observes a session because I would really like that kind of feedback. I just am hoping that those who read this can gain whatever they need. For me, quick tips were very helpful to use in sessions. They were clear, cut, and dry tactics. So, I’m just going to give a list of a couple of things I do in sessions that I use on a regular basis. Okay so the more I have tutored, the more I have come up with certain strategies if you will for specific situations.

Incorporating Quotes:

Whenever I see a quote in a paper I check to make sure that after the quote there is a direct analysis of the quote and then a how that quote relates to the paper. When advising the student to do this, I explain that it adds depth to the conversation and reason for using that quote. Also, it shows the professor there was an analyzing process for why that quote was use and not just there to take up space on the page.

Wikipedia:

Advise the students to not use this as a source, but instead as a starting point to maybe find other sources. It is not considered an academic source, and I can basically guarantee their professors do not want to see Wikipedia as a source in the student’s paper.

Maintaining the Paper’s Theme:

I always suggest that the student identify the main point of each individual paragraph and make sure they can explain how it relates to the thesis. In a lot of cases, what they say can be a sentence in that paragraph…for clarity’s sake. In doing this, the thesis’s argument is maintained in the paper and in some cases an inappropriate paragraph will be more identifiable.

Where to find the thesis:

Check the conclusion. I actually find it funny that in the end of the paper their real point of the paper is in the conclusion. So, maybe look there real quick before getting to into the paper and see if the student’s point wraps up the real meaning intended. Actually, just today I had a student who came in with this exact problem. It happens more often than you would think; the thesis is unclear and the conclusion is a real reflection of the paper’s point.

These are particular tactics that I use on a regular basis and I find them to be particularly useful. I don’t know if the students next year, semester, or whenever actually look at this blog to use. I don’t think I did so…anyways. I hope these come in useful to someone. I really like how cut and dry they are for me to use.