Support from your personal tutor

Your personal tutor is there to help you feel connected to your department, school or centre and is someone you can talk to if you have questions about your course or encounter any difficulties which affect your studies. Your personal tutor can also recommend other support services on campus that might be able to help.

Support your personal tutor can provide

Your personal tutor can:

  • answer your queries or direct you to the most appropriate source of advice
  • support you with any difficulties you may experience which affect your studies or recommend other University support services that can help
  • help you to make the most of opportunities available at the University
  • help you to understand your feedback from assignments and discuss your academic progress
  • provide guidance and advice about choosing modules
  • provide guidance on what you can do with your degree after graduating
  • provide a reference for you for further academic study or employment

Support your personal tutor can't provide

Your personal tutor can’t:

  • provide specialist advice regarding disability, funding, accommodation or immigration
  • provide ongoing emotional support, counselling or wellbeing/health advice

However your personal tutor can recommend other University support services that can help you.

Recording meetings on LEAP

During meetings with your personal tutor, they might make some notes on the Learner Activity Engagement Portal (LEAP). LEAP is available to all students and you can login via the LEAP webpage, or MyEssex. Through LEAP you can review the notes created from meetings with your personal tutor or other university staff, as well as reflect on your academic activities and overall engagement.

Changing your personal tutor

If you would like to discuss changing your personal tutor you will need to speak with the senior tutor in your department. If your personal tutor is also your senior tutor, you can speak with professional services staff within your department instead.

Obtaining a reference from your personal tutor

One of the advantages of developing a good relationship with your personal tutor during your studies is that they can provide you with a reference for future study or employment.

Two woman talking at a helpdesk
Need help?

For further help and advice please contact the Student Services Hub.