Academic Writing and Philosophy Tutor

Ben M.

Hello! I graduated magna cum laude from Colgate University with a bachelor’s degree and a double major in Philosophy and Psychology. I have 3+ years of experience as a one-on-one tutor at Colgate’s Writing and Speaking Center, where I helped college students with writing and speaking assignments in many disciplines, including English, sociology, history, chemistry, psychology, philosophy, and more.

My tutoring style is patient, collaborative, and practical. In a typical session, I start by making sure we understand the assignment prompt and the student’s goals. From there, I can help with brainstorming, outlining, thesis development, argument structure, paragraph organization, sentence clarity, revision, and final polishing. I want students to leave each session not only with stronger work, but also with a clearer sense of how to approach similar assignments in the future.

I especially enjoy tutoring philosophy because it is a unique kind of writing that students are often expected to do without being directly taught how. Students are told to “make an argument” or “engage with the text,” but it is not always clear what that should look like on the page. I help students break down difficult readings, identify key claims, develop focused arguments, respond to objections, and write with more precision and confidence.

I also have experience working with ESL students and students from many different linguistic and academic backgrounds. Whether we are starting from a blank page, working through a rough draft, preparing a presentation, or polishing a nearly finished assignment, I try to make tutoring feel low-pressure, respectful, and useful. My goal is to meet students where they are and help them feel more confident in their own writing and thinking.