Do I need to make an appointment?
Yes. We are appointment-only. Appointments are set for one hour, but you can take up to 50 minutes within that hour. Please make an appointment using the red button on our homepage. You can make an appointment up to one minute before the start time of the appointment. For example, if you would like a noon appointment, you can sign up for one as late as 11:59am.
What does a tutorial look like?
- tutorials are up to 50 minutes in length
- tutorials can be on zoom or in person—it’s your choice
- your tutor will begin by asking you a few questions based on the form you completed so they can tailor the tutorial to what you need, and help you both stay on track and ensure a productive session
- the tutor will ask to see the assignment sheet
- the tutor will set an agenda for the tutorial
- you will work through the agenda together using googledocs, Word Online, or some other software—or you can just talk through what you have done so far
- the tutor will close by asking you if you want the professor to be notified that you had a tutorial
If you don’t proofread, what is it that you do?
We work to improve the overall structure and organization of your argument, your use of sources, and make you a better overall writer and communicator. We will also help you with grammar and punctuation problems when we notice a pattern of them; however, we do not simply “proofread” by fixing everything for you—if we did, you might not learn to find and correct these problems yourself.
What if I don’t have a thesis or have anything written at all?
We’ll help! We are excellent at helping you to brainstorm ideas and to form those ideas into a thesis and outline.
Isn’t the WORD Studio just for first-years?
No, all writers and speakers benefit from getting feedback from others. All scholars and professional authors—even your professors!—have had their work read and critiqued by many other people.
Can you help me with my PowerPoint or my oral presentation?
We can give you feedback on the content and delivery of your speeches, as well as on the content, organization, and layout of PowerPoint presentations.
Will I be able to get a tutor who has taken my class before?
Not necessarily the same class, though since our tutors come from a wide range of majors, you may be able to make an appointment with someone with background in the subject. Remember also that all SLU students take courses from a variety of disciplines, and that good writing and communication is similar in all subjects, so even a tutor who hasn’t taken a specific course can give you good feedback.
This paper is for a science class. Can you still help?
Yes! Please choose one of our “Science Writing Specialists” on our schedule (the red button linked to from our homepage). They are science majors themselves who understand the unique characteristics of assignments in those fields.
I don’t speak English as a first language. Do you have particular tutors to work with me?
Yes! Although all of our tutors are ready to work with you, we have several tutors who are ESL students themselves and are especially invested in ESL tutoring. Please select “ESL specialist” from our schedule (the red button linked to from our homepage) to work with one of these tutors.
Will my professor think I’m a bad student if I come here?
No, they appreciate the extra effort that you have put into your work. Some professors have admitted that when they are stuck between two grades for an assignment, evidence of a WORD visit has bumped the student to the higher grade.