Most colleges have writing centers (sometimes called writing labs) staffed with instructors or experienced students, usually called writing tutors. Some campuses have more general learning labs or academic support centers.
Many centers require advance appointments, which you can make over the phone or on the center’s Web site.
Writing center tutors can assist you at various stages of the writing process. The tutors are typically trained to help in the following areas:
generating ideas for a writing assignment
suggesting ways to revise a draft
identifying areas of a draft that need clarification
pointing out places in a draft where more development is needed
diagnosing repetitive mistakes in a paper
It is important to remember that writing center tutors provide guidance, not proofreading services. They are there to help you to grow as a writer—to understand assignments, to learn how to analyze your own writing. They are not there just to “fix” your mistakes.
The more prepared you are for your visit and the more willing you are to discuss your problems, the more productive your time with the tutor will be. Before you visit the writing center, think about specific problems you are having with your assignment:
Maybe you don’t know what the assignment is asking you to do.
Maybe you have a lot of sources but you don’t know how to organize them.
Maybe you’re stuck on one paragraph.
Make a list of specific problems and try to organize them into several questions you can ask the tutor.
Bring materials related to your assignment to show the tutor as background: the assignment itself, an outline if you’ve done one, notes, drafts, and source materials. Be prepared to discuss your problems actively—to ask the tutor questions and to respond to questions the tutor asks you.
Tips for using reviewers’ comments
Preparing for a writing center visit
How the writing center can help your writing
Related topics:
Professor’s office hours
Useful Web sites