The Writing Center Might Be Your Best Friend

This semester I started a new position as a consultant in the Writing Center on campus. As a student who utilized the Writing Center myself, I appreciate getting to work on the other side of its services. Every one of our consultants is focused on improving as individual tutors and as a team to promote good writing skills across campus.

Good writing is not just for English majors. Consultants come from all different majors and are trained to help no matter the field of study. Being able to write successfully is important no matter your major or career goals. The Writing Center exists to help students with any projects. Most traditional is papers and essays, but we can help you with presentations, lab reports, or any other kind of writing you have.

We’re here to help at any stage of the writing process. If you’ve been given an assignment and have no idea where to start, you can come in and get help with brainstorming topic ideas. Or maybe you have an idea but aren’t sure what direction you want to take it. A consultant can help you with prewriting tools such as an outline to figure out what details you want to include. If you have a first draft ready, one of us can help you read through it for concise paragraphs and organization. The word “flow” is vague, but we can help you discover if your paper can be easily read and understood. And if your final draft is ready to submit, you can bring that in for a final read-through or grammar check. Basically, any questions you have or skills you feel you lack, a consultant is waiting at the center to help you build your confidence in writing.

Sometimes it might feel intimidating to set up an appointment, but I can guarantee that all of our consultants are friendly faces who are happy to help. Our new scheduling system in Accudemia allows for a more streamlined appointment schedule. Find out who is available at what times and book a session that best supports the level of help you need. We offer face-to-face appointments, sessions over Zoom, and asynchronous editing. If you have any trouble online, there’s always someone in the center during hours who can set up an appointment with you. Dropping in to our location in the library is also an option if there is a consultant available.

We‘re big believers in confidentiality, too. Writing can be a vulnerable experience if you’re not comfortable sharing your work. Appointments in the Writing Center are held with respect to your privacy and your work is shared just between you and your consultant. Reports on attendance can be sent to professors upon request, but otherwise an appointment is solely your business.

If you’re struggling with writing or just want a fresh set of eyes to read your work, I highly recommend the Writing Center. It is something I’ve used often as a student and appreciate as a consultant. It’s a service completely free for students that exists to promote your academic success. Take advantage of peer support for any class this semester!