Academic Support Programs

Welcome to CLUE

CLUE tutoring is more than a resource you can access when you're struggling in a class; it's a welcoming, inclusive space for students to connect, ask questions about various subjects, prepare for exams, and have support on homework.

Get tutoring online or in-person, check out our calendar of live discussion sessions and exam reviews, learn about the subjects we cover, meet our tutors, and watch a video about in-person CLUE.

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In person Drop-in Tutoring

In person tutoring takes place in Mary Gates Hall commons from 7 pm- 11 pm. Husky cards are required for after hours (after 5pm) access to the building. 

 

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Virtual Drop-in Tutoring

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Virtual Drop-in tutoring is available during CLUE hours Sunday- Thursday from 7 pm- 11 pm. Please check back then. Once you enter the portal and a tutor is ready for you, they will call you and a Zoom link will be provided via a banner notification.

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Discussion Sessions & Exam Reviews

Discussion sessions take place either in person (MGH 2nd floor) or virtually. Virtual exam reviews are offered for on-sequence introductory courses in the following subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Math & Physics.

Hours, Updates & Cancellations

CLUE is open on Sundays- Thursdays 7 pm- 11 pm. Check the schedule below to see when subjects are available.

Community Standards

CLUE provides a space for all students to be included, challenged, and supported in their educational journey. We expect that tutors and students alike enter into this space with respect for one another and treat others with kindness.

Contact Us

Do you have questions? Suggestions on what we can do better? Email us at clue@uw.edu

Feedback

Email us at clue@uw.edu

Subjects

We can help with the following subjects and courses:

  • All biological-based subjects - BIOL department but also including courses in departments like NURS, GENOME, FISH, ENVIR, etc.

Biology Drop-in tutoring is offered this quarter virtually on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and in-person in Mary Gates Hall on Mondays. Tutoring is available from 7 pm- 11 pm. It is a one-on-one tutoring session between you and a tutor.

Meet the Biology Tutors

We can help with the following subjects and courses:

  • General Chemistry: CHEM 110, CHEM 120, CHEM 1X2 series (142, 152, 162), CHEM 1X5 series (145, 155, 165)
  • Organic Chemistry: CHEM 220, CHEM 22X series ( 223,224), CHEM 23X series ( 237, 238, 239), CHEM 24X series( 241, 242), CHEM 33X series (335, 336, 337) 
  • Biochemistry: BIOC 40X series (405, 406), BIOC 44X series (440,441,442), BIOC 45X series (450, 451)
  • Physical Chemistry: CHEM 45X Series ( 452,453)

Drop-in tutoring is offered during CLUE operating hours, 7 pm- 11 pm, Sunday-Thursday. It is a one-on-one tutoring session between you and a tutor. You are expected to bring your own questions and our tutors can help answer them. These sessions are typically 15-20 minutes long.

Exam reviews are offered for on-sequence introductory chemistry and organic chemistry courses each quarter For example, CHEM 237 is the on quarter course in the fall and CHEM 238 is the on quarter course in the winter. During the exam review session, tutors will present practice problems and detailed explanations for the answer. Sessions are typically 1.5 hours long.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s our approach to tutoring Chemistry?

You are expected to bring your own questions regarding your lecture material, course homework, exams, or practice problems. We will first ask you to explain your approach to the problem before we start helping you. This helps us to see what type of mistakes you have made and which concept you are missing. Then, we will ask leading questions and hopefully guide you to a satisfactory answer.

What can you expect tutors to do when they work with you?

  • We can explain/walk you through a hard concept that you have encountered in class. 
  • We can assist you to approach and solve a problem by giving helpful hints and resources.   
  • We make sure students understand the concept behind each problem and know how to apply them when encountering similar problems in the future. 

What should I bring to a tutoring session?

Questions. They can be problems that you have worked on but failed to obtain the correct answer or a hard concept from class that you do not understand.

If I want to come back later in the night, how do I do that?

If you have more questions, feel free to put yourself back on the queue before 10:45 p.m.!

Meet the Chemistry Tutors

Drop-in tutoring for CSE is offered virtually on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and in-person in Mary Gates Hall on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 7 pm- 11 pm. Check in at the front desk before seeing a tutor in MGH! It is a one-on-one tutoring session between you and a tutor. You are expected to bring your own questions and our tutors can help answer them. These sessions are typically 15-20 minutes long.

Meet the Computer Science Tutors

We can help with the following subjects and courses:

  • Precalculus: MATH 120
  • Calculus series: MATH 124, 125, 126
  • Differential Equations and Linear Algebra: MATH 207, and 208. 
  • MATH 209 to math major courses like 300 and 441
  • Non-Math courses, such as AMATH or QSCI
    • If your question is for an ECON course or STAT course, Math tutors are rarely able to assist. Please visit the approproate subject-specific tutor or study center.

Drop-in tutoring is offered during CLUE operating hours, 7 pm- 11 pm, Sunday-Thursday. It is a one-on-one tutoring session between you and a tutor. You are expected to bring your own questions and our tutors can help answer them. These sessions are typically 15-20 minutes long.

Exam reviews are offered for the introductory Calculus series (MATH 124, 125 & 126). During the exam review session, tutors will present practice problems and detailed explanations for the answer. Sessions are typically 1.5 hours long.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s our approach to tutoring Math?

We are here to help you understand what’s going on, not give you the answer. Coming to CLUE and expecting us to solve your problem for you is going to be a problem. We want to engage you with the question and get you to work through the problem so that you can answer it on your own afterwards.

What can you expect tutors to do when they work with you?

When a tutor gets to you, they will most likely ask what your question is, if you have attempted the problem, what the relevant material is, if you’ve covered concept xyz, or what your current understanding of the material is. We need to get a feel for where you’re at, before we can start going down our own path.

What should I bring to a tutoring session?

A question and/or an attempted problem along with a desire to learn. We want to help, we really do! But if you’re just not interested in learning what needs to be done and being with us on the steps we need to take, then that really hurts the vibe.

How long are tutoring sessions?

On paper, 15 minutes. Though they can tend to get a little longer if you ask a particular question that is rather nasty or there’s a concept that you’re really struggling with. If the night is really busy, we will be more strict to keeping to the 15 minutes and leave you to play around with what wisdom we dispense.

If I want to come back later in the night, how do I do that?

Just go back onto the clue queue online site and queue yourself back in, the same way you did so when you first queued up for CLUE tutoring. It does help if you say what your question is in the signup (saying “webassign 1.61” is not as helpful as “I need help with taking the derivative with trig functions”).

How do exam reviews work and what can I expect?

Exam reviews are offered for MATH 124, 125, and 126. These exam reviews are led by 2 tutors from the CLUE math team with problems that they think are worth going over. This doesn’t mean they will appear on a test, just that the problem is interesting in terms of the concepts that it goes over, and it’s those concepts that we would like for you to understand. We don't have access to anything that you're covering in your courses, and so we base the problems we go over on what we see when students come in for Drop-In tutoring and what we see on the Math Department’s Exam Archive.

Typically we hold 3 exam reviews per quarter. 1 for each midterm, and then 1 for the final. The midterm reviews last ~90 minutes, but our tutors are more than happy to stay and ask any burning questions you may have. An email is sent to any student in the relevant course regarding information about the exam review.

Meet the Math Tutors

We can help with the following subjects and courses:

  • PHYS 11X & 12X Introductory Series (114-116, 121-123), and the 200-series
  • PHYS 300+ & 400+ on occasion

Drop-in tutoring is offered during CLUE operating hours, 7 pm- 11 pm, Sunday-Thursday. It is a one-on-one tutoring session between you and a tutor. You are expected to bring your own questions and our tutors can help answer them. These sessions are typically 15-20 minutes long.

Exam reviews are for the on-sequence 11X/12X courses, typically two days before the exam takes place. During the exam review session, tutors will present practice problems and detailed explanations for the answer. Sessions are typically 1.5 hours long.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s our approach to tutoring Physics?

We try to equip our students with general problem-solving skills that are transferable to classes beyond physics. There is obviously an emphasis on physics coursework, but many of our approaches to physics underpin a broad range of problems in STEM.

What can you expect tutors to do when they work with you?

You can expect tutors to ask leading questions, give constructive feedback, and foster independent learning & growth mindsets.

What should I bring to a tutoring session?

Make sure to bring your questions ready to be asked, a functional calculator, and a distraction free state of mind!

How long are tutoring sessions?

On busy nights, we try to keep our sessions under half an hour, but if there aren’t many students in the queue, we tend to spend more time for each student.

If I want to come back later in the night, how do I do that?

Simple! Just get back into the physics queue before 10:45 p.m. (or earlier if the questions on hand are formidable) and someone should be able to see you.

Meet the Physics Tutors

CLUE Writing Center 3-2-1 Policy:

Our goal is to make appointments available to all writers and to nurture their independent learning. For this reason, we have a “3-2-1” policy for writing tutoring appointments:

Writers may have no more than 3 tutoring sessions to work on the same assignment. 

Writers may have no more than 2 drop-in tutoring sessions per day.

Writers may only work on 1 assignment per tutoring session.  After working with a tutor on an assignment, writers need to revise that assignment for 1 hour before returning to the queue to work on the same assignment.

At the CLUE Writing Center, we have one goal in mind: to help you become a better writer. To that end, we believe that writing is a process. Even the most talented writers cannot sit down in a vacuum and produce a polished text on the first try. Whether you need help talking through ideas, honing an outline you've been working on, evaluating a draft mid-composition, or looking through a final draft—we're confident we can help you write more efficiently and effectively.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of documents do you provide assistance with and what should I bring?

We will look at any piece of writing you bring in, including but is not limited to: papers, short response assignments, theses, cover letters, résumés, personal statements, scholarship applications, graduate school statements of purpose, memos, and lab reports.

To get the most out of your session, we suggest you bring the following:

  • If you are working on a draft, please bring a copy of your draft, either electronic (accessible by e-mail or flash drive) or on paper.
  • If your writing concern is related to a particular assignment, bring the assignment prompt.
  • If your writing concern is related to a specific scholarship or application, please bring the necessary prompts.
  • If you are writing a paper using other sources, you may consider bringing the readings; if not, bring notes, an outline, or even a list of questions to help focus the conference.
  • If you want to discuss feedback you have received from a teacher, bring a copy of the comments.

How do I sign up for a tutoring session?

We are a drop-in center, so it is first come, first served! Normally, sign-up begins around 6:45 p.m. (PST) virtually. Go to our main website, select Drop-in Tutoring, and Virtual tutoring to get in line for Writing (or any other area) . When you are next up and a tutor is ready to see you, you will get a notification on the main check-in page letting you know who is calling you and what their zoom link is. Go ahead and click that link and you'll be sent to that tutor's zoom room.

You will have between 5-7 minutes to respond to the tutor virtually calling you. If you do not show up in the tutor's zoom room after 5-7 minutes, or after being called twice, we will delete your name from the list. This is only fair to the other students waiting to access the Writing Center. If you would like to leave and come back, please ask the Front Desk Manager (a separate line to get into) for an estimate of your wait time—but keep in mind tutors cannot ever guarantee the length of your actual wait time.

What is a typical tutor session like?

At the CLUE Writing Center, our aim is always two-fold: to help you with your concerns about the paper at hand and to better familiarize you with universal writing strategies that will help you address similar concerns in future assignments. To achieve these goals, most sessions begin with a tutor asking you a series of questions regarding the assignment, your professor's expectations, and any specific concerns or areas of inquiry you would like to address during the session. In almost every instance, the tutor will ask to see the assignment prompt, so please bring it!

Once the tutor has a strong grasp of your writing assignment and your specific concerns/needs, the tutor will typically spend 20-30 minutes reading (or having you read) all or part of the draft that you have both agreed to focus on. During this time, the tutor may make some instructive notes in the margins (please note that s/he won't "fix" grammar, punctuation, and style) that s/he will then discuss with you. This discussion will frequently involve asking you more questions about your ideas and/or getting you to talk through problems arising in the draft. The tutor will model example solutions for some of the concerns you are working to address as well as explain relevant conventions affecting his/her suggestions. If you have not yet written anything, the tutor will help you brainstorm and organize your ideas.

At the end of each session, you can expect to spend time developing a plan for further writing and revision. You can also expect to take copious notes and/or outline if necessary.

Each session typically lasts 45 minutes, but can be a little shorter or longer depending on your needs. Sessions cannot exceed one hour in length in order to be respectful toward other students.

Meet the Writing Center Tutors

CLUE Frequently Asked Questions

CLUE uses our Queue platform along with Zoom to facilitate online tutoring. You must be logged in with your UW NetID and password to access CLUE.

  1. When CLUE is open, log into CLUE using the Queue virtual check-in system and you will be placed in a queue. 
  2. In the queue, you will be prompted to let us know what class you would like support with, if you want to see a particular tutor, and if you would like to opt-in for text message notifications. 
  3. Then you will see an estimated wait time to meet with a tutor. You will also be able to see what place you are in line. 
  4. When a tutor is ready to meet you, you will get a pop-up notification with a Zoom link. Access that link within five minutes of receiving it and you will be seen by a tutor.
  5. If you accidentally click out of the link, simply check your Notifications page to see the pop-up again.
  6. Please be sure that the name you use in Zoom is the name you enter in the queue check-in. This will help your tutor know they are meeting with the right student.
  7. If you have questions or concerns email us at clue@uw.edu.

If you want to attend in person, just bring your Husky Card and the assignment you are working on! Mary Gates Hall requires Husky Card for access after 5pm.

A personal computer or tablet with internet access and sound is necessary to access virtual CLUE.

  • If you do not have access to a laptop/tablet, please go to UW's Student Technology Loan Program website to request technology. Supplies are limited. 
  • Make sure you have the most current version of Zoom downloaded on your device. Once you log into your Zoom account, please go to zoom.us/download to download the latest version. If you have any issues with Zoom, you can get support from UWIT.

If you have any questions about accessing CLUE, please email us at clue@uw.edu.

Meet Our Tutors

Harini, Writing, she/her

Harini, Writing, she/her

Sophomore, Microbiology

I've taken

ENGL 131, CHID 206, HSTAS/JSIS 317, currently taking ENGL 202

Ask me about

I love reading, listening to podcasts, learning new instruments, sudoku, crocheting, and rewatching classic sitcoms!

Notable academic failure

Recently, I've had a difficult time figuring out the right career for myself. I have a lot of interests, and it's been super difficult trying to narrow down only one or two to dedicate my life to, especially since I don't know whether I'll be happy in the future with the paths I choose. Figuring out what to minor or potentially even double-major in has been a very tricky process, but one great piece of advice I've received from my friends and family is to just allow life to happen! College is a time for exploration and discovery, whether it be learning more about who you are as a person or trying out new passions, hobbies, or career fields. Though it's still stressful for me to accept that I can't know exactly where I'll end up in the future, allowing myself to focus on my interests in the present has been a lot more gratifying than falling into a spiral of anxiety. I hope that by giving myself the space to make mistakes and explore this year, I'll have a better idea of where I want to go in the future!

Ian, Chemistry, he/him

Ian, Chemistry, he/him

PhD Student, Bioengineering (Undergrad: Biochemistry major, Math minor)

I've taken

Courses in Biochemistry, Biology, and Chemistry

Ask me about

Photography, Cooking, Biking, Reading

Notable academic failure

Starting graduate school in a new city at the peak of the pandemic, I struggled initially navigating through that period of isolation after I was abruptly displaced from the community of mentors and peers that I built over years in undergrad. Even the small setbacks felt difficult to overcome, since I couldn't turn to anyone for support easily. As I met more people and invested more time in activities outside of my program, I gradually found a stronger sense of belonging and a resiliency to tackle failures that often occur during research.

Henry, Physics, he/him

Henry, Physics, he/him

Graduate Student, Materials Science and Engineering

Notable academic failure

In my senior year of undergrad I had several challenges outside of school and made it very difficult to work on the senior research project needed to graduate. With the help and understanding of my advisor, however, I was able to turn it around and have my report submitted in time to allow me to continue on into my graduate studies.

Tyler, Math, he/him

Tyler, Math, he/him

Senior, Math & Computer Science

I've taken

MATH 207, 208, 209, 300, 318, 327, 394, 395, 402-404, 424, 462 (461 is in the works)

Ask me about

I like playing games with friends and reading, but I'm open to new things (especially if it's with people I know).

Notable academic failure

MATH 424 was, by far, the hardest class I've ever taken. It was the type of hard that makes a class feel like enduring a storm instead of actually learning. To put things in context, the majority of the class got somewhere 0%-25% on the midterm - that's not a happy place to be. While I'm proud to have persevered and earned a good grade, it's the type of grade that says "I did better better than average on a few tests" more so than "I really learned the material well". What I've learned from MATH 424 is this: the grade you get in a class and what you actually get out of a class are not the same (for better or worse). As much as GPA's matter, they're not everything and they're not worth sacrificing everything for (e.g., your mental health) because academic success is more than just a number. I now see grades as both a gauge and a reward: they provide feedback to guide growth, but don't fully capture what is learned along the journey. While it is admirable to aim high, perfection is often unhealthy; learning to appreciate "imperfect success" as "success with room to improve" is an invaluable skill, especially when it comes to learning. I strive to help students develop a similar resilient mindset, focusing on understanding while pursuing excellence.

Selena, Physics, she/her

Selena, Physics, she/her

Senior, Electrical Engineering

Ask me about

Cooking, drawing, bouldering, snowboarding

Notable academic failure

I really struggled with staying motivated when all classes were remote during the pandemic, and I felt that the new virtual classrooms stunted my ability to learn. After I got used to those, in person classes returned and I had to adjust again. Having experienced both silent breakout rooms and noisy lecture halls, I now can say that each academic setting has its pros and cons.

Hayley, Writing, she/her

Hayley, Writing, she/her

Junior, Linguistics, Data Science, Music

I've taken

ENGL 289, ENGL 298, LING 461, LING 462, LING 203, COM 200, SOC 225, SOC 360

Ask me about

I love listening to music, making Spotify playlists, memorizing lyrics, and obsessing over film scores and soundtracks! I also enjoy spending time outdoors, building legos, singing, doing puzzles, going to concerts, being around kids, taking pictures, analyzing movies, and hanging out with friends. I'm looking forward to meeting new people this year!

Notable academic failure

In high school and coming into college, I struggled with narrowing down my chosen career path, being interested in and involved with both humanities/social science and STEM related fields, courses, extracurriculars, etc. It was difficult to confine myself to one area of study and commit to a binary that could not encapsulate everything I wanted to do. This made it harder to focus on one specific aspect to pursue. However, college is the best time to expand and explore, as well as take advantage of all of the outlets and opportunities we have available, and so with the help of campus resources, I have been able to embrace the dichotomy and manage taking all the classes I want to. The versatility of my various programs allows me to feel like I am tackling more subjects pertinent to me without spreading myself too thin to still maintain a good balance with the rest of college life!

Leana, CLUE Student Assistant, she/her

Leana, CLUE Student Assistant, she/her

Senior, Psychology

Ask me about

I love baking, learning to crochet, and spending time with friends!

Notable academic failure

Deciding my major and career path

Anderson, Math, he/him

Anderson, Math, he/him

Senior, Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering, Math

I've taken

MATH 318, 334/5/6, 394, 407, 409, 441, 464

Ask me about

anything sci-fi/fantasy, piano, cello, random Wikipedia dives

Notable academic failure

I struggle a lot with balancing my courses with extracurriculars, which usually results in me being super scrambled at the end of most quarters. This is still something that I need to work on generally; but learning to prioritize what was important to me and accepting the sacrifice of the other activities is something that has helped me a lot.