PEER TUTORING
Peer tutors at the Writing Centre – not to be confused with the professional writing specialists in our professional tutoring program – are talented upper-year and graduate student volunteers who enjoy helping others become better writers. They provide a vital component of our program, extending the service the Centre offers to students in developing their writing skills and confidence.
Peer tutors are trained to work on-on-one with students taking first and second year courses, helping with clarifying the terms of the assignment, brainstorming, pre-writing and structuring, providing feedback, and directing students to the resources they need to produce good papers. For many students, this service is a life-saver. Sessions are always challenging, and no two are alike.
Peer tutors do not proofread. Instead, they teach proofreading and editing techniques and skills.
Sessions are Monday-Thursday, 6:30 - 8:30 pm. Appointments are 20 minutes in length.
If you want to strengthen and extend your own writing and editing skills, peer tutoring is a great way to do it. And if you intend to pursue an academic or teaching career, peer tutor experience looks great on your CV. To apply, email staff coordinator Maureen Garvie at writing@queensu.ca and request an application form.
My name is Melissa and I'm a peer tutor at the Queen’s Writing Centre.
Having used the Writing Centre myself, I know how helpful advice from both peer and professional tutors can be. I am a third year student at Queen’s, pursuing an English major with the hopes of becoming a teacher, so writing, essay composition, and giving advice on the two are definitely among my strengths and passions.
Working at the Writing Centre has broadened my knowledge of how to improve my own writing. The opportunity to look over many different kinds of writing styles for different programs has been extremely beneficial. This is my third year volunteering with the peer tutoring program, and I’m finding it as amazing as the first!
I'm Andrew and I'm a peer tutor at the Queen's Writing Centre. I’m studying English as a major and
philosophy as a minor, which 
both focus on developing prose at the highest level of clarity and critical thinking.
I started working in the Writing Centre last year because of my passion for writing and previous high school experience in peer support. The most exhilarating part of working here is the breadth of topics that students come in with. I highly recommend that first or second years use the service – it truly helps in developing writing skills!
