Frequently Asked Questions
What should I bring?
In an ideal world, you would bring two hard copies of your paper and a copy of your assignment for the class, as well as your syllabus and any feedback you may have already gotten from the professor.
What happens during a session?
Your writing consultant will talk with you a bit about the assignment, then ask you to read the paper aloud to him or her. You'll stop after each significant chunk of the paper and talk about possible changes.
I already feel confident in my writing. I did great at writing in high school, so why should I go to the writing center?
There are major differences between college-level writing and high school writing. The professor's expectations, the style of your langauge, the types of assignments, all change dramatically. Even the brightest students are surprised by the challenge of college writing.
I feel confident in my writing because I have done well in my writing-intensive course so far. Why should I come to the writing center? I don't need help to get good grades on papers.
Truly smart writers know that all writers, even the best ones, thrive on feedback, revision, and constant improvement. Just because you're doing well with your writing doesn't mean you just stop learning about it, right? (Isn't learning why you came to college?) Besides, you need to prep for grad school writing.
I need help checking my MLA/APA citations and references. Can you help me?
In short, no, we don't do a "citation check." If you want help, we're happy to help you try and navigate the manuals and give basic advice, but your citations are, ultimately, your responsibility.
I just need someone to proofread/edit my paper and I'll be all set. Can you help me?
While proofreading and editing are important, we have found that the biggest issues students struggle with are "thesis-driven issues" like introductions, structure, focus, clear topic and transitional sentences, including synthesis and analysis as opposed to summary, etc., so these are the issues we focus on. We won't proof your paper or help you re-write sentences, but we'll guide you through your writing process. Of course, if we see glaring errors, we'll point them out.
What grade do you think I'll get on this paper?
This is a loaded question. We don't answer it.