Best Universities for Personal Tutor 2021

Personal tutors are the backbone of the Cambridge Collegiate system. Every College has a dedicated pastoral office with a range of staff there to look after students' needs. Whether it's academic or personal, tutors are there to support students through the highs and lows of Cambridge life. 

Students at the University of St Andrews have the opportunity to develop and optimise their study skills. Offered in both small group drop-in sessions and one-to-one tutoring, encouraging the best of every student remains a vital goal of St Andrews. The University’s Centre for Educational Enhancement and Development (CEED) offers dedicated skills and tutoring opportunities aimed to realise the potential of every student. In addition to this CEED offers Professional Skills Curriculums which aim at employability skills tutoring.

With a personal tutor who specialises in their subject area on hand to answer any queries, whether personal or academic, students at Keele feel supported to make their most of their time at university. Students tend to meet their tutors a minimum of three times a year to discuss their progress and how they’re getting on, and receive support for their academic performance, extra-curricular activities, and general wellbeing.

Each course at Harper Adams has a dedicated senior tutor to provide academic and personal support, who’ll be introduced right at the get-go in Freshers’ Week and easily contactable thereafter. Previous students have described the tutor support as “amazing” and a real encouragement throughout their course in StudentCrowd reviews. Senior tutors are available to meet as often as students need them, and can provide advice themselves or signpost to relevant services.

The University of Sheffield helps students realise their potential in-part through their dedicated tutorial system. Providing a first point of contact for every student, personal tutors meet with undergraduates frequently to help build working academic relationships, in the hope to help and inspire students wherever they can. At the University of Sheffield, third years are assigned new project supervisors who take on the role of a personal tutor, guiding, encouraging, and developing the ideas of students.

Studying at NUA will see students allocated to a personal tutor, meeting a minimum of 3 times a year. Personal tutor sessions are delivered through live-streaming, which allows for flexible learning opportunities. Tutors are experienced members of staff, offering academic guidance and “a great understanding of the industry”, say StudentCrowd reviewers. A study skills tutor is also available to students, giving them access to a dynamic learning experience, directing specific knowledge development and utilisation.

Personal working relationships between academic staff and students remain a key to a smooth and optimised university experience. At the University of Warwick this is realised. Tutors see students at the beginning of every term, inspiring skills and offering help and guidance where needed. Further to this, Warwick offer specialist tutors who work closely with students to resolve problems or questions with regards to specialist areas such as the ‘tutor for women’ and ‘overseas students tutor’.

Students at Imperial College London receive regular input and support from their personal tutor, usually meeting at least twice a term individually, but with the option to book in extra meetings as required. Personal tutors generally remain the same throughout degree courses, meaning tutors can really get to know students and provide helpful and bespoke academic and personal support and advice.

Academic tutors at the University of Liverpool offer multiple meetings in both personal and small group formats. In addition to this, tutors keep regular email contact with their students to maintain a more sustainable academic relationship. At Liverpool, student flexibility is built into the tutorial scheme, offering the student and academic tutor the chance to arrange mutually agreeable times for meetings. Here, development of academic communication skills is explored and encouraged, getting students actively involved in all practices of university life.

Personal tutors at King’s College are very involved in all aspects of student life. Students can take advantage of tutors’ open office hours to schedule regular meetings to check in about their academic progress and how they’re getting on at uni. Personal tutors work within students' departments or faculties so will be knowledgeable about their area of study, and able to signpost to specialist support if needed. Senior tutors are also on hand for additional guidance and advice, helping students to get the most out of their time at King’s.

Each student at Loughborough is allocated a personal tutor, who is usually a lecturer on their specific degree course who’s familiar with the requirements of the programme and can provide useful and relevant advice. Students meet with their tutor at least twice a year to discuss their assessment results and academic progress, and to be a point of contact for general enquiries and wellbeing. Personal tutors are interested in students’ journeys after graduation and will provide professional references for job applications.

With specialist personal and study skills tutors readily available to students at Robert Gordon University(RGU), direct learning opportunities are bursting at the seams. Students at RGU will have a dedicated personal tutor; meeting with them 3 times a year to engage in personal/academic issues and think critically towards the future. In addition to this, tutors offer engaging and friendly points of contact who reviewers comment are “always willing to help and expand knowledge”. Specific study skills tutors available to students help develop and enhance student learning.

Personal tutors at Newcastle University are very involved in students’ academic progress, and always available to discuss questions and concerns, or to celebrate achievements. Current and past students highly rate the support available to them from their tutors, and have credited them with providing academic help, language support, and being a motivator to achieve their best.

To back up their reputable teaching and learning excellences, the University of Plymouth provide a high standard of academic and personal tutoring. Particularly in the very first term, as students settle in, personal tutors are in regular contact with their students, making sure that all academic and pastoral issues are resolved and ensuring individual student value and recognition. Extensive personal tutoring documentation is supplied to staff members, rigorously equipping them to provide the highest quality of one-to-one tutoring.

Personal tutoring at the University of Portsmouth provides students with support and guidance throughout their studies. Undergraduates receive termly meetings, with the ability to request additional meetings if necessary. Based on extensive, experience-based principles, the personal tutoring scheme at Portsmouth helps build vital academic practice skills such as communication and thinking. Such skills development is encouraged as part of the ‘thinking to the future’ meetings students have with their personal tutors, equipping them for the next stages of their lives.

The University of Bristol recognises the challenges faced with transitioning into university life, more so than ever considering the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the university has adapted its tutorial scheme, offering more regular meetings throughout the first year, as well as “answering emails so quickly”, according to StudentCrowd reviews. Students will be offered support from their personal tutor through both one-to-one and small group meetings aimed to develop crucial academic skills and offer guidance towards the future.

At the University of York each college has dedicated college tutors who live on-site and provide individual guidance and advice. An academic tutor also provides students with course-specific guidance and skills. Trained postgraduate students are on hand to resolve any issues or direct students to specialist support. Whether it is an academic question, study skills support or a personal wellbeing issue, the University of York’s tutoring schemes are there to support and listen.

At Nottingham Trent University, students are allocated a personal tutor within their first week of term, giving them a familiar academic face to develop through university with. One-to-one meetings (held termly) provide a brilliant way for students at NTU to build a personal connection with teaching and research staff, and are designed to inspire a feeling of safety, as well as promoting research skills such as teamwork and communication. NTU tutors offer academic and personal advice and can be contacted whenever students feel it necessary.

In conjunction with their teaching excellence, the University of Exeter outdoes itself with its personal tutoring scheme. All students are assigned a personal tutor to meet with multiple times across the academic year when required. As students’ major point of support and guidance throughout their time at university, Exeter is committed to ensuring tutoring is high quality and relevant to each student.

The University of Bradford supports its students at every step of their journey, working hard to remove barriers to success and enable people to reach their true potential. Its Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) system is at the heart of this. Every student has a PAT who acts as their mentor and advocate, and works to support their development. They are generally the first person students speak to if they need help or advice, and can connect students to the University’s specialist teams if additional support is needed.