tutoring

At the Learning Assistance Center, trained tutors and SFSU faculty assist you with assignments for courses across the disciplines, helping you develop the skills necessary to succeed in college. Tutoring is available for most subjects. Taking into account your needs and tutor availability, we will recommend scheduled weekly appointments, scheduled one-time appointments, or same-day tutoring.

To get ready to see a tutor, please come to the LAC during open hours. A staff member will sit down with you and find out what your needs are. You will fill out a brief intake form and discuss tutoring options at the LAC or through other campus services. This process takes about 10 minutes.

Scheduled weekly appointments are 50-minute sessions scheduled in advance which take place every week at the same time with the same tutor. This type of tutoring is best if you

are worried about failing
are taking a remedial class
want to develop your college skills, such as reading, writing, time management, test-taking or problem-solving
can commit to spending an hour a week for tutoring

Scheduled weekly appointments may be one-on-one or in small groups. You may have up to two scheduled appointments each week, one with a reading/ writing/ study skills tutor and one with a math/sciences/study skills tutor. In addition to your weekly appointments, you may come for same-day tutoring.

To make weekly tutoring sessions productive:

Come to all your tutoring sessions.
Bring your notes, textbooks, readers, course materials.
Come prepared: Try to do your homework before you meet with your tutor and prepare questions for him or her.
Be sure to always bring your essay assignment because the first thing your tutor will do is help you check whether your paper responds to the topic or not. LAC tutors need your essay assignment in order to work with you on a paper.

Groups give you a chance to work collaboratively on solving problems and learning with other students in your class. By working together, you solidify what you already know and learn new strategies to tackle what you need to work on.

Sometimes slots open up in the weekly schedule because of cancellations. These 50 minutes sessions can be booked ahead for one-time appointments. Please drop by the center in HSS 348 or call to find out when such appointments are available and to book a tutoring session ahead of time.

To make one-time tutoring sessions productive:

Come to your scheduled session on time.
Bring your notes, textbooks, readers, course materials.
Come prepared: Do as much of your homework as you can before you meet with your tutor and prepare questions for him or her.
Be sure to always bring your essay assignment because the first thing your tutor will do is help you check whether your paper responds to the topic or not. LAC tutors need your essay assignment in order to work with you on a paper.

Same-day tutoring is widely available. These 25 or 50 minute tutorial sessions are scheduled Monday to Friday each day starting at 9 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. Sessions start on the hour and the half-hour.

This type of tutoring is best if you

are doing well in general but get stuck on a specific problem or concept
have done well in previous classes
have a specific question to ask
need short-term support

Tutors are available throughout the day. Pick up a schedule of tutor availabilities and specialties outside HSS 348. Click here to download Everything you wanted to know about same day tutoring.

Give yourself enough time. Avoid coming for help at the last minute, especially when you want help on a paper or have a question that you need answered before a test.
Come prepared with specific questions about a reading, problem-set, or an essay draft.
Don't wait until the last minute. You can come when you receive an assignment and work with a tutor to brainstorm and get ideas down; you can come with a draft to get feedback on organization and development; you can come when you feel confused by a lecture.
If you want a tutor to read an essay, it's best to type it up.

Tutors don't give answers or do the proofreading for you. Rather, they help you solve problems or learn to edit on your own.

Students and tutors find sessions more useful and effective when they begin on time. Please don't be late for your weekly, one-time or same-day tutoring sessions. If there are students waiting, we may give your appointment to another student if you are more than five minutes late.

The LAC provides skills-based tutoring. This means that tutors help you develop specific skills and strategies during each tutoring session. They do this by asking you questions, helping you figure out what you know and need to work on. They teach you specific strategies to get your work done effectively, give you opportunities to practice the skills and strategies during tutoring sessions, and help you find ways to use them independently.

Tutors help you develop skills so you can effectively tackle the content and assignments you have problems with. Tutoring sessions at the LAC are very interactive. Tutors lead you in getting work done on paper and at the chalkboard.

assist you in assessing your tutoring needs, strengths and areas for improvement, and setting goals for the semester
determine, with you, appropriate goals for each tutoring session based on your needs
develop plans for academic improvement and specific skill development
ask you questions to help you learn and find answers by yourself
guide you in developing strategies for studying, writing, reading, and solving problems
at the end of each session, help you develop an Action Plan in which you figure out specific ways to continue or complete independently what you started in the session

LAC tutors, faculty and staff won't

assume they know the requirements of your course or assignment
predict a grade on a paper or homework assignment
do your work for you: write, edit, or proofread your papers or give you answers without asking you questions
re-teach the course material
take your paper home to give you feedback on it and mark it up

The LAC serves SFSU students: students fulfilling GE requirements, students needing reading, writing or study skills support; students struggling in certain major or graduate courses. If LAC tutoring doesn't fit your needs, we'll help you find support through another campus service.

The following is a sample of courses for which students have received tutoring at the LAC. If you need tutoring for a course that is not listed, contact the LAC to talk with a staff member.

Composition for Multilingual Students (CMS): 201, 202, 204, 208, 209, 212, 310, 410, 411

Classes fulfilling the Second Year Written English Requirement (214/310 in any department).

Classes fulfilling the Critical Thinking Requirement (for example, AAS 110, ENG 200, PSY 111).

Classes fulfilling the Quantitative Reasoning Requirement (for example, GEOG 203, PSY 171).

Classes involving written communication and/or research (for example, BUS 360, CFS 312, KIN 355, GEOG 412, etc.)

Click here for a complete listing of all SFSU tutoring services available for each subject or contact the LAC at 338-1993 or lac@sfsu.edu