Personal Tutoring

What personal tutoring is

A Personal Tutor is an academic member of staff from your department. They will meet you regularly (once per term) to support you achieve academic success and to have a positive learning experience at university.

You can talk to your tutor about your goals and aspirations, academic work, assessment and feedback, employability, personal issues impacting your studies, and experiences of university.

If you are a joint degree student, your tutor will be from your ‘home’ department.

There are separate department arrangements for personal tutoring for postgraduate taught and postgraduate research students.

You can contact your department if you have additional questions.

Personal tutoring at Goldsmiths is the academic element of a comprehensive system of student support.

Wider support for students is provided by our Student Support Services: Student Support, Wellbeing, Disability, Student Administration, Accommodation, and the Goldsmiths Students' Union.

Full information about personal tutoring at Goldsmiths is provided in our Personal Tutor Policy (PDF).

How your personal tutor can support you

Academic success

Your personal tutor can help you:

• Identify goals and aspirations, and plan how to get there
• Settle in at university
• Through the difficult moments that all students have, from your first essay to choosing your dissertation topic
• Keep you on track, especially if you have missed a few weeks of study or have some difficult personal issues
• Understand your programme and learning expectations
• Overcome your learning challenges

Learning choices

Your personal tutor can help you choose:

• Your modules and assessment
• Whether year abroad or placement would be good for you

They can also advise you on additional learning opportunities, from becoming a student rep to language learning.

Study support

Your Personal Tutor can signpost you to academic skills support.

They can help you understand your assessment feedback and provide you with guidance on how to improve your academic marks.

Wellbeing

Your personal tutor is someone who can listen to any wellbeing or personal concerns you are having that are impacting your studies.

They can signpost you to:

• Policies and processes (for example extenuating circumstances) that might help you during times of difficulty
• Support with your mental health and wellbeing
• Disability and assistive technology support
• Financial guidance and support
• Opportunities that might support your wellbeing including additional learning opportunities, volunteering, and services offered by the Multi-Faith Chaplaincy and Goldsmiths Students’ Union

Extracurricular opportunities

Your personal tutor can signpost you to opportunities to enhance your employability and student experience.

These include opportunities such as study abroad, student societies, volunteering and sport.

Employability and careers

Your personal tutor can:

• Help you understand the link between your study choices and future career
• Signpost you to opportunities to enhance your employability (for example The Gold Award)
• Provide you with references and feedback on application materials where requested
• Signpost and discuss opportunities that will enhance your employability such as study abroad, research opportunities
• Connect you with the Careers Service

Withdrawing or transferring

Your personal tutor can support you if you are considering interrupting or withdrawing from your studies.

Regulations, policies and processes

Your personal tutor can signpost you to university regulations, policies and processes.

They can help you understand and navigate the regulations in the Goldsmiths Academic Manual.

Returning from sickness or leave

Your personal tutor will meet with you to discuss your return to study if you have been unwell for an extended period-of-time.

Contact with your tutor

Your department will tell you who your tutor is before or during week 1 of your academic year.

You will be invited to attend three meetings a year, as a minimum, with Personal Tutor.

In some departments you will be invited to a meeting each week or every two weeks.

These meetings will take place in person or online.

You are expected to attend all personal tutor meetings.

Some departments deliver parts of the programme through personal tutor group meetings. These meetings are mandatory.

You can have contact with your Personal tutor at any time via email.

You can have additional time with your personal tutor in office hours.