Tutoring Appointments

The tutor let me take the lead and listened to my concerns about the paper. In addition, they gave me good tips about structuring sentences.

We provide in-person and online tutoring, which includes the following:

  • 45-minute one-on-one tutoring appointments;
  • two sessions per week (with additional weekly sessions being available for AEC and graduate-level students);
  • self-booking up to seven days ahead;
  • multilingual and graduate-level trained SJSU writing tutors.

Types of Writing

We are here to help with any type of writing--from your research paper to your biology lab report to your graduate thesis. We can also assist you with writing that's not being done for a course: resumes, cover letters, creative writing, personal statements for scholarships or graduate applications, etc. If you've written it (or want to write it), we are here for assistance. 

Focus Areas

  • Grammar (e.g., working with your writing on the sentence level)
  • Content (e.g., brainstorming/developing ideas/adding support)
  • Organization (e.g., ordering ideas/transitioning/linking concepts logically)
  • Formatting (e.g., using formatting styles such as APA/MLA/Chicago etc.)

Writing Stages

  • Planning/Pre-Writing
  • Drafting
  • Revising/Polishing

Appointment Format

Your tutor will begin by asking you some questions to set a brief agenda for the session. You will let the tutor know what you need assistance with (e.g., grammar, idea development, organization, APA formatting), and they will then focus on that area during the session. 

Tutoring is a collaborative process, so you will have a dialogue with the tutor throughout the session. You will read your writing aloud, and they will explain concepts about writing to help you improve. You will take notes, brainstorm, and make the suggested changes throughout the session. 

At the end of your time together, the tutor will recap what you covered and provide you with some concrete steps to move forward.

Appointment Preparation 

Come to your appointment prepared to learn and engage with your tutor. Our policies and procedures page provides full details.

For in-person tutoring appointments, bring either a hard copy of your work or your laptop, and ensure you have access to any other necessary materials (e.g., the assignment sheet).

For online tutoring appointments, be prepared to share your screen with the writing that you want to work on along with any other necessary materials (e.g., the assignment sheet). Your audio must be working during an online tutoring session.

Book an Appointment

If you already have a WCOnline account, schedule your appointment now.

If you are new to our services, we recommend you visit Appointment Help to learn how to

  • create an account with the Writing Center;
  • schedule a tutoring appointment;
  • join your tutoring appointment.

Also, read the Frequently Asked Questions for more information on topics such as extra appointments for AEC and graduate-level students.