Our peer tutors are university students trained to help writers develop their skills through feedback and engagement. CITL's writing services are not remedial or only for 'bad' writers—peer tutors are available to work with any student who wants to improve their writing, no matter their skill level and whether or not English is their first language.

Our tutors do not provide proofreading services. Instead, they are trained, objective second readers who can share strategies for confidently proofreading and editing your writing assignments.

How Can Peer Tutors Help?

Our individualized tutoring approach, provided by peer tutors who are Memorial students themselves, is not a proofreading service. Instead, peer tutors work with students to help them learn how to better proofread and edit their own academic writing. Through socratic questioning, these peer tutors help students at all stages of the writing process, from brainstorming to final revisions. The student is a vital part of the exchange and an active, engaged participant throughout the process.

Students who haven't started writing can get help with:

• Interpreting assignment prompts and understanding the instructor's expectations for an assignment.
• Brainstorming ideas.

When students come in with a draft, peer tutors first focus on these higher-order concerns (HOCs):

• Organization and structure.
• Thesis development and clarity.
• Argument development and transitions.
• Evidence and support.
• Audience awareness.
• Tone and style.

When the HOCs are addressed, tutors move on to lower-order concerns (LOCs) like grammar and punctuation.

This tutoring process is adjusted as necessary for students with English as an additional language.

Make an Appointment

We are finalizing the process to book peer tutors online. This page will be updated during the week of Sept. 8, 2025, with information on booking peer tutoring for the Fall 2025 semester.

Peer tutors can be booked for:

• In-person appointments.
• Online appointments.
• Document review.

One-on-one peer tutoring is valuable at any point in your semester and at any stage of your academic writing journey. There is no limit on the number of times each student can use our tutoring services. However, sessions are booked on a first-come, first-served basis—schedule yours as early as possible!

What You Need

• A scheduled appointment with a peer tutor.
• A mobile or desktop device to use for your online appointment.
• A way to take notes during the session.
• A second copy of your writing for your tutor.
• All printed documents, class materials, primary/secondary sources, assignment directions, professor comments and other materials relevant to the assignment.

Make the most of your time with your peer tutor! Here is how to get everything you can out of each session:

• Take notes during your session, and review and edit them soon afterwards.
• Ask questions! Your tutor is happy to answer them.
• Reduce distractions around you to help you stay engaged.
• Schedule a follow-up session if needed.
• Complete the feedback form.
• Shortly after your session, make a plan for how to revise your writing based on the input and your notes.