The key to a successful consultation relies on student preparation and a proactive student attitude. The more you know what you want to work on or what your concerns are, the better the peers at the SLC will be able to help you. 

If you are unsure what sort of help you are seeking, please use the question bank below to help you think about what you want to achieve during your SLC consultation. Please note that the question bank is not intended to limit the types of questions you may have.

Types of consultations

Questions to ask yourself:

• Do I have a specific writing piece or assignment I want to work on improving? See writing consultations.
• Are my concerns about my study habits or time management? See learning consultations.
• Do I want to strengthen my English conversation skills?  See speaking consultations.

Writing consultations

Planning & outlining

Q: Am I unsure about how to approach this assignment or begin the writing process?
A: This is a planning and outlining consultation.

Essay structure & flow

Q. Am I concerned with the overall cohesiveness and clarity of my assignment?
A. This is a Essay structure & flow consultation.

Argumentation & thesis statement

Q. Is my argument clearly defined and well-supported?
A. This is an argumentation and thesis statement consultation.

Sentence structure & clarity

Q. Do I want to focus on sentence-level clarity?
A. This is a sentence structure & clarity consultation.

Citation

Q. Am I unsure about when and how to reference (MLA, APA, Chicago)?
A. This is a citation consultation.

Grammar & punctuation

Q. Is grammar (punctuation and word-level clarity) my main concern?
A. This is a grammar & punctuation consultation.

Learning consultations

Time management

Q. Am I feeling overwhelmed and unable to complete my course work on time?
A. This is a time management consultation.

Classroom strategies

Q. Am I having trouble focusing or retaining information from lectures and taking useful notes in class?
A. This is a consultation strategies consultation.

Independent-study strategies

Q. Do I want to learn how to read, note-take, and summarize textbooks and articles effectively?
A. This is an independent-study strategies consultation.

Concentration strategies

Q. Do I want to focus better when I am studying?
A. This is a concentration strategies consultation.

Exam preparation

Q. Do I have an exam coming up that I am unsure about how to prepare for?
A. This is an exam preparation consultation.

Presentation strategies

Q. Do I want help preparing for an upcoming presentation?
A. This is a presentation strategies consultation.

Quantitative strategies

Q. Am I looking for information on how to succeed in quantitative courses?
A. This is a quantitative strategies consultation.

Speaking consultations

Speaking consultations can help you:

• Improve your pronunciation
• Expand your vocabulary
• Gain confidence
• Improve your fluency
• Learn effective presentation techniques
• Practice answering questions for a presentation
• Find answers to cultural questions.

Thanks to Lindsey Hebb and Michelle Scheier, Learning and Writing Peer Educators (2011-12), who initiated this information sheet.