Resources for Academic Support

If you encounter difficulty with course material, you should seek assistance as soon as possible. Discuss your difficulties with your instructor or with your residential college dean or director of studies to determine the best way to tackle the situation. There are a number of opportunities for help available to you.

Individual Peer Tutoring

Students may receive a maximum of 15 hours of individual tutoring per course, per term. Only students with serious difficulties understanding course material should seek tutoring; it will not help you improve an already solid grade. If you think you need a tutor, talk to your instructor or see your residential college dean or director of studies, who will assign you a tutor to contact. Students are charged for tutoring on a sliding scale.

Study Halls and Review Sessions

During fall and spring semesters, assistance in introductory-level mathematics, chemistry, physics, and economics is offered through the McGraw Study Hall @Frist, located in the study area on the 300-level of the Frist Campus Center (next to the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning). Qualified undergraduates serve as free, on-demand tutors, helping students think through assignments and gain general mastery of course material. The study halls are open Sunday through Wednesday evenings, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Course-specific review sessions are also offered in the Frist Campus Center, most often in physics, organic chemistry, mathematics, and (in the spring) Molecular Biology 214. Graduate students (often preceptors in the course in question) ordinarily lead the review sessions. The times and locations of the review sessions vary by semester; students should look for posters in their colleges, or contact their college dean or director of studies for scheduling information.

Certain courses (particularly those in math, science, and engineering) offer their own review sessions; students should inquire of the instructor as to whether there is a review session for the course.

B.S.E. Sophomore Study Halls

The School of Engineering and Applied Science and Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society, offer review sessions for several sophomore-level engineering courses. Information on these sessions is broadcast by e-mail to sophomore and freshman B.S.E. students and is also announced in class.

The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning

Located in 328 Frist Campus Center, the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning provides a variety of services for students to enhance their academic achievement at Princeton. Each term, the McGraw Center offers workshops on topics that help students transition as learners from novice to expert, from student to scholar. At McGraw, students learn how to: manage their time, remember and use what they read, manage reading loads, problem-solve successfully, take effective notes and create study tools, prepare for precepts and exams, overcome text anxiety and procrastination, and identify learning preferences. Throughout the semester, students can make appointments to work one-on-one with a McGraw consultant. For a schedule of workshops or to make an appointment, please consult www.princeton.edu/mcgraw or stop by Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Writing Center

The Writing Center offers student writers free, one-on-one tutoring sessions with experienced fellow writers trained to consult on writing projects in any discipline. Students are welcome to bring writing in any form—ideas, notes, or a first or final draft. Tutors can offer advice about the writing process, from getting started to revising, and they can work with their students on essential elements of academic writing, such as thesis, organization, use of sources, and clarity of ideas and sentences.

To make an appointment or to look up drop-in hours, students should visit the online scheduler at www.princeton.edu/writing.