This page is currently under development - so more information will be added shortly.

Personal Tutoring at Warwick - A Quick 3 Step Guide for Students

1. What is a Personal Tutor: Why do I have one?

All Undergraduates and Postgraduates on taught courses at Warwick have a Personal Tutor.
Becoming part of the learning community at Warwick, and making the most of your studies, brings lots of opportunities, new ways of working, and sometimes challenges, that your Personal Tutor can guide you on. Personal tutoring is one of the ways in which the University builds a learning community and supports your learning development.

Personal Tutors are academic staff whose key responsibilities in this role are to be an accessible and approachable departmental point of contact. They aim to provide responsive academic and routine wellbeing support and guidance that facilitates your learning development and experience.

Typical things you might want to discuss with your Personal Tutor include:

• Making the transition into the different stages of your studies, e.g. from school to university, or from Year 1 to Year 2, or from UG to PG study.
• Tips on how to feel part of your department, your knowledge discipline(s) and the wider university.
• How to develop your skills and abilities as an independent learner.
• Advice on any learning feedback you have recieved or about how to develop your academic performance.
• Advice on where to find out about development opportunities and other sources of support (including wellbeing) which you might need.
• Asking them to write references to support applications you are making for jobs or further study.

2. What is the scope of Personal Tutoring?

Meeting with your Personal Tutor and building a relationship with them is a good way of getting personalised and relevant guidance as your studies progress. Your department will tell you who your tutor is and provide information in induction or in your handbook about how departmental personal tutoring support is provided.

The primary focus of personal tutoring is on providing academic support. Tutors can discuss a variety of things such as general performance issues and feedback you have received, ideas you might have about study and employability skills you need to develop, queries you might have about the rules and regulations of the department and University, and questions about other sources of development and support that are available to you across the University.

If you have health or other significant issues that might affect your studies it is advisable to discuss these with your Personal Tutor.

Remember that your Personal Tutor:

• Is not an expert in health and wellbeing issues – Your GP or healthcare provider, or University Wellbeing Support Services (Disability Services, Mental Health, Counselling and Wellbeing) provide professional support for health issues or matters beyond basic academic welfare.
• Is not an expert in all subject areas. Module staff will answer any questions you have about module content or module assessment.
• Is not a careers advisor - although they may have careers experience that is relevant to you in some cases. Student Careers and Skills will assist you with all your careers and employability queries.

3. How can I get the most out of meetings with my Personal Tutor?

Here are our top tips:

• Make sure you meet your tutor as early in the academic year as possible and meet them every term.
• If your tutor does not contact you: you can email them to request an appointment.
• Be proactive and go prepared to your meetings. Work out what you want to discuss in advance by thinking about what you are looking to get out of each stage of your studies.
• Think about your skill set: which skills would you like to develop and what opportunities exist in the university to help you do this?
• Think about how your learning experience is developing - are you having any problems or difficulties with any modules, or your studies generally, that you want to discuss?
• Think about your employability - are there any issues you want to talk through with your tutor?
• Think about any other issues that link to or affect your studies which you might want to seek support on - e.g. accommodation issues or student finance.
• Departments may link personal tutoring to academic writing tuition or guidance. You can ask if your department does this so that you are able to engage with any valuable generic support on offer.
• The tutor meeting can also be a place for a conversation about your course and a way of letting your department know what works and what might need improving. For an even more effective way of doing this contact (or become a member of) the Staff Student Liaison Committee for your department. https://www.warwicksu.com/sslc/resources/handbook/typesofsslc/
• It might also be useful to let your Personal Tutor know about any extra-curricular activities you are involved in. This can be very useful information for your tutor in getting to know you a little better and something they can draw on later when writing references for you.
• Lastly, don't be afraid to ask any questions you have. Take a note of these into your meeting so that you don't forget.

NOTE

If you have any problems with personal tutoring or need more information, each department has one or more Senior Tutors. Senior Tutors are experienced Personal Tutors within each department, so any difficulties or questions you have can be raised with them in the first instance. Your department will be able to tell you who your Senior Tutor is. Senior Tutors are also supported by Faculty Senior Tutors who work within the Dean of Students Office. You can find out more about the Dean of Students Office on our website. Further details of Warwick Student Support and Development Opportunities can also be found on MyWarwick.

A bank of Frequently Asked Questions are in development and will be posted here shortly.