How to Prepare for Your Online Tutoring Session

To get the most from your online tutoring time you'll need to prepare in advance. 

1. Review prior knowledge. Read your notes from lecture and make a list of points of confusion to review with your tutor. Try doing your homework, if applicable. Create an outline or draft of your writing project or presentation. 
    
2. Gather course materials. Have at hand textbooks, notes, assignment guidelines, the syllabus, and study guides. For writing tutoring, make sure you have the assignment sheet, writing prompt, and any guidelines you may have been provided for the composition. Digital files are best, as you may be able to screen share them with your tutor, but print materials are also helpful. If you plan to discuss a writing project, have an electronic copy of your paper, cover letter, personal essay, poem, or presentation ready to upload for the tutor to read. 
    
3. Prepare specific questions. Think about the course material that you find confusing or challenging. Prepare specific questions for your tutor about what you don’t understand. It is less helpful to say to your tutor, “I don’t understand anything” than “These are the specific concepts or operations I don’t understand....” Choose a concept from the course lecture or reading that you want to focus on, select a specific homework problem you're struggling with, or choose a paragraph or page you want to improve in the paper you're writing.  
    
4. Test your technology. Be ready with a webcam and speakers or a headset. All online tutoring sessions will be held using the Zoom video conferencing software, which is free for all UA students.
   • To create your Zoom account, go to https://arizona.zoom.us, click the blue Sign in button, and sign in with your UA NetID and password.
   • You can make sure Zoom is set up correctly on your computer by joining a test meeting at https://zoom.us/test.
   • For more information, visit our help page on Getting Started with Zoom.
    
5. Choose a location. Prior to starting your session, plan ahead and choose a location that is quiet and allows you to hear and communicate with the tutor and concentrate on the session. Additionally, a location where silence is necessary, such as a library, may not be a good choice. Keep in mind that you must be able to both speak to the tutor (using your microphone) an clearly hear the tutor throughout your session.