Libraries: Tutoring: General Resources

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Here is some general information about how to approach any college assignment and advice to help you make the most out of your college experience. Remember, knowing the subject matter is only one part of being successful in college. You also need to learn how to balance study time with personal obligations, such as work and a family.

For information about avoiding plagiarism and how to paraphrase and summarize, go to the Avoiding Plagiarism and How to Cite subject tab.

Do you need more information about grammar or punctuation? Visit our Grammar and Punctuation tab!

The websites we post are to help you, the student. If you encounter a link that is no longer active (for example, some sites change their addresses), please, contact the Upwsing LibGuide's administrator directly so she can replace it: ioanna.panos@hccs.edu. To better serve you, be as precise as possible about the name of the link and where you found it. **To outside entities, no soliciting links or services from your business or organization. The purpose of our resource center is to help our students with their coursework. We do not help companies or organizations advertise their services.**

AcademicTips.org
"Welcome to academictips.org! This web site contains college study tips, tricks, skills and guides to help you manage your time, take better notes, study more effectively, improve memory, take tests, and handle the stresses of college life."

Resources (Handouts and Websites)

Common Words in Essay Directions
Understanding these words will help you write your essay accordingly. (An image from our Yammer page.)
"Little Red Riding Hood" Revisited
The story of Little Red Riding Hood is written in three ways so you can see the differences between unacceptable and acceptable styles of writing for college.
Brainstorming and Outlining Part 1
Part 1 primarily discusses brainstorming. "Brainstorming" means planning your essay or project by writing your initial thoughts and organizing them in the best way for your assignment.
Brainstorming and Outlining Part 2
Part 2 primarily deals with organizing your thoughts into an outline for your essay.
Time Management
To be a college student is certainly a demanding undertaking that requires dedication, hard work, and patience. To successfully juggle multiple classes, work, and family, you do not need to be a superhero. What you need is a set of time management skills that will help you organize your days so that you complete all that is required without exhausting yourself. We have compiled a list of important skills that could help you not simply plan tasks but also successfully complete them.
Understanding a Topic
What you write about is your topic. Why you write about a topic is your purpose. Sometimes, the words topic and writing assignment mean the same thing. Whatever you write, the topic and purpose “drive” your composition.
Writer's Block
The term writer’s block refers to the overwhelming feeling a student gets when he or she cannot think of anything to write about. The mind goes blank. Sometimes the feeling of anxiety causes the person to sweat or feel shaky. Absolutely nothing comes to mind. Luckily writer’s block can be overcome! The tutors at Ask Online are available to help you get started.

Color Coding Demo [YouTube] -- UNC Writing Center
"What do you do when you've got a jumble of ideas and aren't sure how to turn them into a paper?...Try color coding. This technique can help you find patterns and sort and arrange your ideas.
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/
© 2010-2018 The Writing Center at UNC Chapel Hill"
Effective Email Communication -- UNC Writing Center
"This handout [website] is intended to help students, faculty, and University professionals learn to use email more effectively. It can help you determine whether email is the best mode of communication in a particular situation and write messages that successfully convey your meaning to your intended audience."
Evaluating Internet Sources - CSM Library (College of San Mateo Library)
A tutorial about how to evaluate sources.
Group Writing -- UNC Writing Center
"Whether in the academic world or the business world, all of us are likely to participate in some form of group writing—an undergraduate group project for a class, a collaborative research paper or grant proposal, or a report produced by a business team. Writing in a group can have many benefits: multiple brains are better than one, both for generating ideas and for getting a job done. However, working in a group can sometimes be stressful because there are various opinions and writing styles to incorporate into one final product that pleases everyone. This handout [website] will offer an overview of the collaborative process, strategies for writing successfully together, and tips for avoiding common pitfalls. It will also include links to some other handouts that may be especially helpful as your group moves through the writing process.
Proofreading from Hard Copy
This site gives tips on proofreading a paper copy--not a copy on a computer screen--your writing, especially something more than a page long. When you focus on the paper and not the computer screen, you might be able to catch some errors that you would have normally overlooked on the computer.
What to Do After Reading (Excelsior Online Writing Lab)
"After reading, a successful reader will make time to engage and evaluate what they just read. This section [website] covers several strategies for what to do after reading, such as paraphrasing, summarizing, analyzing, and synthesizing. Click on one of the areas below [on the website] to learn more."
Writing Anxiety -- UNC Writing Center
"This handout [website] discusses the situational nature of writer’s block and other writing anxiety and suggests things you can try to feel more confident and optimistic about yourself as a writer."

These handouts explain who online tutors are, what we do and do not do with assignments, and tips for how to use our feedback to revise your work. Normally, we look at two drafts of your essay.

Check the note on the online tutoring sign-in page for an estimated turnaround time for essays. Note that times can be much longer during midterm and at the end of the semester. We tutor work in the order in which it was received, so make sure you submit your work in enough time for someone to review it and for you to revise it.

Getting the Most Out of Online Tutoring
This explains what tutors do and don't do and what you should do after having received a tutored essay.
Online Tutoring for All HCC Students
FREE * CONVENIENT * CONFIDENTIAL. Registration information, the subjects we tutor, and tips for a successful online tutoring session.
Why We Reject Papers and Other Submissions
We certainly hate to reject your work without reviewing it for you, but there are times when it is necessary; rejecting a submission is our last resort. In order to understand why we sometimes reject what you send us – and what you need to do before you submit it again - let’s look at a list of what we will probably reject.

Maybe your online tutor suggested also meeting with a face to face tutor. Maybe you think a session with someone in person will help you with your revisions. If so, this information can help you.

Find-A-Tutor -- Schedule a Face to Face Session
If you would like to meet with a tutor in person, click here to find the campus locations and times that fit your schedule. Because of COVID precautions, real-time tutoring is now available through Microsoft Teams. To schedule an appointment, please call 713-718-8184.
Note from HCC, "Information in this database may change depending on the needs of the individual departments. This site is based on what is given to us by the departments at the individual colleges. If you cannot find a scheduled tutor for your subject, please contact that department at your respective college."

Resources from Face to Face Tutoring
The Tutoring Center/Office of Success and Completion has compiled a list of internet resources to help you write and revise your essays.

Are you new to college life? Are you a dual credit student? These three documents are designed to help you be successful in college as a whole, both in and out of the classroom. Succeeding in college takes more than learning course content. You must also understand how to approach all aspects of your college experience and know what the school expects of you.

High School versus College Assignments
This handout helps you understand the differences between the kinds of assignments you receive in high school versus college, your professors' expectations, and some advice on completing these assignments.
High School versus College Expectations
This table is a quick reference for the differences between expectations in high school versus college.
High School vs College Accountability and Responsibilities
This handout gives advice on monitoring your progress in a course and discussing it with your professor in a timely manner. In college, you are responsible for your own actions and your own course performance. By law, professors cannot respond to correspondence about your performance from anyone except you.
Academic Integrity (with updated OWL Purdue links)
Houston Community College [HCC] has a Student Code of Conduct that must be adhered to by all students taking classes here. According to the HCC Student Handbook. Students are responsible for conducting themselves with honor and integrity in fulfilling course requirements. Penalties and/ or disciplinary proceedings may be initiated by instructors, department chairs, and/or instructional deans against a student accused of scholastic dishonesty.

Tutoring: General Resources

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