When you start university, you will be allocated a Personal Tutor: a member of academic staff from your programme who is devoted to helping support your personal and academic wellbeing during your time at St Mary's. If you are a joint honours student, you will be allocated two Personal Tutors, one from each subject area. Your Personal Tutor is in place as your first point of contact if you have any questions, personal concerns or academic worries. You will meet them several times during your time here for scheduled 'check-ins', but can also request additional meetings if required - your Personal Tutor is here to support you.
Personal Tutors' principal responsibilities include the following:
Student Support and Guidance
- To listen, get to know you, and to discuss any personal concerns that you may have and to advise you on the appropriate support services available to you within St Mary's (signposting)
Academic Development
- To oversee and support your academic progress throughout your time at St Mary's
- To advise on study skills (e.g. time management, exam preparation) if necessary
- To advise you about choosing optional modules and the possible impact of these choices on your degree award and/or career path
- To provide you with an opportunity to reflect upon your overall performance in your programme of study and readily recognise your own strengths and achievements, as well as areas for improvement
Professional and Career Development
- To assist you with reflection upon professional/career development
- To provide references for you when applying for jobs or further study (on request)
How often will you meet
In year 1 (level 3 or level 4) of your studies, you will have two pre-arranged meetings with your Personal Tutor(s) on a one-to-one basis. You will also be offered more opportunities to chat, meet one-to-one or in a group setting with your Personal Tutor throughout the year.
In year 2 (level 5), year 3 (level 6 and during level 7) of your studies, you will meet with your Personal Tutor at the beginning of the year on a one-to-one basis, and again halfway through the year, either one-to-one or in a group format. You will also be offered more opportunities to chat, meet individually or in a group setting throughout the year. This is the minimum number of meetings you will have with your tutor, but you can also book additional appointments if you need additional support or assistance.
The tutorials with your tutor at the beginning of Semester 1 and 2 are compulsory, so please ensure that you attend these sessions when invited.
If you wish to change your Personal Tutor at any point throughout your studies, you can contact the Programme Lead for your Programme.