Who goes to the Writing Center?
The Writing Center is not just for struggling writers. Many students, especially good writers, go to the Center because they know it's useful to talk about what they're writing and to get feedback. Even the best writers find it helpful to have a second pair of eyes look over their paper for a fresh perspective. In fact, almost all of the Writing Center tutors go to each other for this kind of advice. Clearly, the Writing Center is helpful for any type of student.

What happens at a tutorial?
We will start by asking you some questions, such as the parameters of the assignment and your goals for the session. Then, we will ask you to read aloud either only part of your paper or all of it, and you will talk about your writing concerns. If you are not comfortable reading aloud, we will read it aloud for you. The tutors will then give suggestions about different strategies that you can use. We will also offer personal help with planning, revising, and any other aspect of your writing. We will not mark your paper with red ink. We are here to help you formulate ideas; not tell you that your ideas are wrong. We don't write papers for you, but do help you write better papers yourself.

What is the purpose of reading aloud?
This technique may seem a bit strange to you at first, but it really helps to get you more effectively involved in the revision process. When you read out loud rather than reading silently to yourself, you are more able to pick out your own grammatical and mechanical errors and also hear your words and meanings as if you're part of a more "detached" or neutral member of your audience. In other words, if you can see your paper in a fresher light, you will be able to revise more effectively.

How are the tutors trained?
Tutors are graduate and undergraduate students, and we are not all English majors. After being selected as a tutor, we are trained in a three-credit, semester-long course called - Tutoring Writing (ENG 397/600). In this class, we learn about different theories of tutoring and how they apply to the Writing Center setting. We also learn about best practices in Writing Center work, and do some writing ourselves.

Do I have to bring writing for an English class?
No, we will tutor writing from any kind of class. The fact that we may be unfamiliar with the content of the paper does not mean that we can't help. Things like unity, organization, development, grammar, and evidence are much the same in all fields of study.

Do I need to make an appointment?
No, walk-ins are welcome. However, there is not always an available tutor, so it is best to make an appointment. You can make an appointment by signing up on the door of Lawrence 214 or calling (610) 430-5664.

When is the best time to come?
It is best not to bring in your paper the day that it is due. We can only do so much with that time constraint. The best time to bring in your paper is a few days before it is due. That way, if you decide that you need another appointment, you still have time to make one.

How long will the session last?
Each session is limited to 25 minutes. If there are no other appointments, we will sometimes work for a little longer to finish up a paper or a section of it. After that, we've found that students need a break to try to apply some of the strategies we've discussed. We think it works better to focus in on the most important issues in the paper first, rather than trying to do everything in one long session. After a 25-minute session, we will ask the student to work on what was discussed and continue the paper at a later session. If you have a longer paper, bring in shorter sections, or maybe just pick a few trouble spots you'd like to focus on in the paper. If you need another session, you can always make another appointment after you work on what was discussed during the first session.