What the Writing Center Can Do for You
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The Writing Center is located in the Hurley Convergence Center Room 430 and offers assistance on all types of writing projects: reports, papers, cover letters and resumes, and research projects. The Writing Center can also help you prepare for in-class essay exams and for standardized tests that include essays such as the Praxis I writing exam.
The Writing Center can help you . . .
- Brainstorm a paper topic
- Fine-tune a paper topic
- Review a paper in progress
- Understand and learn to detect grammar problems
- Eliminate punctuation errors
- Prepare to revise
- Learn to proofread
- Review documentation guidelines
What To Expect From a Consultation:
Although a student may seek help with any writing task , such an application essay or a take-home exam (with the instructor’s permission), he or she usually wants advice on writing an assigned paper. The student should always bring a printed copy of the paper.
- The consultant typically begins by reviewing the assignment sheet and asking what concerns the student has about the paper.
- The consultant sometimes skims a draft quickly to get a sense of overall organization.
- The consultant may work on only one section or try to cover the entire draft.
- The consultant asks questions rather than gives answers, leading the student to discover what is wrong and what to do to correct the problem.
- Sessions normally last from 30 to 50 minutes.
At the end of the session, the consultant writes a report giving a summary of what was discussed during the session. The report is not an evaluation of the paper or the student. A copy of the report is sent to the instructor for whom the student is writing the paper.
When bringing in a paper for review, be sure to bring in a copy of the assignment sheet as well.