Academic Advice
If you have questions regarding your academic studies, contact the appropriate advisor or coordinator for your program:
Undergraduate Students
- Applied Health Sciences advisors
- Arts advisors (including Computing and Financial Management)
- Engineering advisors (including Software Engineering)
- Environment advisors
- Mathematics advisors (including Computing and Financial Management; Software Engineering)
- Science advisors
Graduate Students
Tutoring
Free drop-in tutoring is available for a number of programs and courses, including Math, Computer Science, Accounting, and Engineering.
If you can’t find free drop-in tutoring to fit your needs, students can use the Tutor Connect tool by the Student Success Office to connect with current Waterloo student tutors.
Book an appointment with a Peer Success Coach to develop your study strategies, time management, note taking, reading skills, test preparation, etc.
Academic Integrity and Tutors/Tutoring
Whether you’re providing tutoring services or seeking help from a tutor, maintaining ethical practices is necessary for both parties to avoid academic misconduct. Here are some guidelines for setting boundaries for acceptable assistance:
- Prepare: Students should review their materials and come prepared with questions. Since tutoring is for personal study purposes, students can bring course notes, slides, and textbooks with them; however, it is important that course materials not be shared outside of tutoring, as this could be an intellectual property violation.
- Review: Together, look over the course syllabus and/or instructions to understand the instructor’s expectations.
- Clarify: Make clear that tutors can assist in strengthening students’ understanding of the subject matter by clarifying concepts. However, tutors cannot complete students’ assessments for them.
- Assess: After the tutoring session, recap can the student/I:
- articulate the concepts or central ideas related to the subject/assignment?
- define key terms or sophisticated vocabulary used?
- replicate the level of work under similar conditions?
Other Resources:
Tutoring: Issues to Consider (University of Toronto Mississauga)
Tutoring (Boise State University)
How to Avoid "Substantial Assistance" When Working with Tutors (University of Alberta)
Editing
If you need help with your writing and communication skills, consider booking an appointment with the Writing and Communication Centre.
If you are considering having your work edited, review the Guidelines for Ethical Editing of Undergraduate Student Texts or Graduate Student Texts on the Editors Canada website.