The Writing Center has been available for students for more than 20 years, and aims to help students improve their writing skills for years to come. There are, however, some common misconceptions about the Writing Center and what it does.
The Writing Center is not just for those who consider themselves poor writers. It provides a way for a knowledgeable tutor to look over a student’s writing, ask questions about it, and improve upon it. The problem is that the good writers take advantage of the services provided, but mediocre writers do not go because they think they do not need the help. The center provides more than remedial help to those who need it, granting instruction and insights to students who already have a better understanding of writing in order to become even better writers.
“Most of the tutors who work there use the Writing Center,” Associate Professor of English Justin Jackson said. “Good students take advantage of it. Good students who don’t have a sense of pride that would keep them away from it. They go there because they think ‘Wow, for free, someone will read my paper and give me feedback and ask me questions.’”
The Writing Center is not just for freshman. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors are welcome to use the services provided. The tutoring process encourages students to think critically of their own work and improve no matter where they are in their college career.
“I have really good students who have gone on to grad school, they would take their honor’s thesis over there, and ask them to read portions of it because, the point is, if it can make sense to a Writing Center tutor, then it’s going to make sense to someone who is knowledgeable in the field as well,” Jackson said.
Another misconception is that the Writing Center will not help students with grammar. The tutors explain the logic behind the rules of grammar, however, rather than simply editing and improving style. This allows students to have a better understanding of what to do next time and even later in life.
“Over there, we use the old cliché motto, ‘Give a man a fish, he eats for a day; teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime.’ It’s the same thing with writing. We can’t do things for students or it’s just not helping them.”
The Writing Center is not just for what students have written. Tutors can also help with discussing ideas and topics before anything has been written or any research has been done. Students can utilize the tutors for developing and organizing their thoughts into a paper as a way to get started.
“So many people think that they cannot come to the Writing Center until they have a draft; It’s just not true,” Lecturer in Business and Writing Center employee Christina Maier said.
Signing up for a meeting with a tutor can help prevent procrastinating by encouraging students to take the proverbial plunge and start thinking about their papers.
“It can be a great way of jumpstarting your process,” Maier said. “Even signing up for an appointment and bringing in that prompt can be a way of moving forward.”
Perhaps students think the writing center will not help much.
“The tutors just have a lot more experience with these kinds of prompts and essays that everybody’s bringing in. They’re in a good position to get quickly an idea for what you’re trying to say and help you see how you can say it better,” junior and center tutor Paul Keenan said.
