Writing Center
Peer Tutoring
What We Do
Overview
Students of all writing abilities come to us to develop writing skills such as...
- breaking down an assignment- evaluating whether a piece of writing meets the requirements of an assignment
- long term planning of the writing process in the beginning stages
- brainstorming ideas for a topic
- developing a thesis
- narrowing a topic and arriving at a more defined thesis
- staying focused on a thesis throughout a paper
- structuring a paper as a whole
- structuring paragraphs effectively
- developing ideas sufficiently with evidence, details, and examples
- using sources appropriately—quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing
- knowing when/where citation is necessary
- using citation styles correctly
- learning how to use style guides for documentation
- improving flow of sentences and paragraphs
- spotting & eliminating problematic patterns of errors in grammar and mechanics*
(*over time! Students who need help with grammar and mechanics are recommended to come to the Writing Center on a regular basis for a consistent and ordered approach towards developing these skills)
Here are some common "myths" about what we do, corrected:
Myth: The Writing Center is geared primarily towards students who struggle with writing.
Fact: All levels of writers, graduate and undergraduate, come to the Writing Center. More practiced writers can develop their writing styles and techniques, get valuable peer feedback, and further develop their scholarship. Less practiced writers can learn fundamental techniques and principles to gain more confidence in their writing.
Myth: You should only bring papers for your English class to the Writing Center.
Fact: Our tutors are students in a wide range of disciplines. They are all here to work with you on your writing skills, regardless of discipline. It is not necessary for your tutor to have the same "major" as you.
Myth: A tutor will see you only if your assignment is complete.
Fact: Tutors are trained to help with all stages of writing. You do not need to bring a final product—sometimes it is actually better to come at an earlier stage.
Myth: A tutor will write your paper for you.
Fact: Your paper will always be your own, which means that you—and not the tutor—must make the changes and revisions discussed in the session. Again, our priority is that you grow as a writer and understand why revision is necessary and how to do it.
Myth: The Writing Center is here to guarantee that you will get an A on your paper.
Fact: The goal of the Writing Center is to help you develop your writing skills. Although our focus for each session might be an individual writing piece, our main concern is your writing in general. We are not a proofreading service.