Writing Center 101 from a Writing Center Tutor
Writing centers have one primary goal: to make students better writers. This article will show what the writing center can do and help you prepare for your appointment.
By Britney Cox — March 30, 2023
Can you even go to the writing center if you do not have your paper written yet? Absolutely! Writing center tutors are trained to help you brainstorm some potential ideas. Once your tutor has helped you generate a list of topics you can write about, your tutor can help you narrow down what you want to write about. Sometimes, students come in with a list of ideas already. Many students struggle with knowing what to focus on. Your tutor can help you navigate your ideas and concerns pertaining to your proposed topics. Once your lesson ends, you should better understand how to focus on what you will write about!
Let's say that you have already started writing your paper, but you have hit a wall. Maybe you feel like you have said everything you can and still cannot hit the required page count. Perhaps you feel like what you have down on your paper so far is not good enough. This is the perfect time to see the writing center. Your tutor can help you review what you have already written. They can suggest areas of development, which often helps with your word or page count. They can tell you if your ideas flow well into one another or if you need to reorganize your paper. Even your tutor has had issues with the abovementioned scenarios, so there is no need to feel embarrassed to see someone who can help you with your writing.
The writing center can help with other things that are not necessarily related to writing a paper. Tutors can help you read through your assignment sheets. By doing this, tutors can see exactly what your professor asks from you in your paper. This clarity will help you stay on track while writing and potentially get you a better grade according to your professor's rubric. Make sure to bring a copy of your assignment sheet and rubric and your paper (or lack thereof) to your appointment. This way, the tutor can focus their feedback on what the professor asks for within the assignment.
Although it may seem obvious, the writing center can help with grammar concerns. Tutors will not necessarily go line by line with you to check for grammar and spelling (because many services do this for you, like spell check or Grammarly). Still, tutors can work with you if an issue arises in your writing or if you are having trouble with a certain concept. Your tutor might walk you through various exercises pertaining to a specific grammatical concept.
The writing center's goal is this: to make you the best writer you can be. Numerous studies show that students consistently attend the writing center to improve their grades with some writing component. This is why a tutor might work you on specific concepts rather than just your paper alone (though they can just work on a singular paper too). Writing center tutors are trained to help with your specific writing needs and common general errors that occur within academic writing. You should never be ashamed to get help from a writing center tutor or any tutor at all. We have all been in your shoes and would love to give you advice that saves you from making the same mistakes that we have fallen victim to.
Britney Cox
Britney Cox is a writer from Huntington, WV. She has two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Literary Studies and Creative Writing. She is currently working on her Masters in English, and she plans to pursue her doctorate eventually in hopes of becoming a professor (though her longtime dream is to work in the entertainment industry). Her passions include reading, writing, theatre, and listening to Taylor Swift.
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