Student perspective

‘[He] always makes time for his students whether they require assistance with regards to syllabus material or pastoral care. He continually takes interest in how his students plan on building their careers and always makes sure that they stay on track towards their own personal goals. He manages to make his students feel at ease despite whatever may be troubling them.’

Many Imperial students value their tutor’s guidance when choosing optional components of their degree programmes, such as year two optional modules, final year projects, international study opportunities and summer placements. Departments generally have very clear processes in place to support these choices. It is helpful to schedule time to meet with your tutees, individually or in a group, prior to them making these choices. The aim of the meeting might be to:

  • Discuss how this choice fits into their personal and professional goals.
  • Discuss the educational value of the module, project choice, placement, attachment etc. What do they want to get out of it and how can this be maximised?
  • Clarify any misunderstandings, including those based on ‘myths’ from more senior peers.
  • Identify action that needs to be taken by the student.