Below is the information we suggest you review so you know how a Writing Lab session typically operates. We’re glad you found us and want the session to be as helpful to you as possible!
Who We Are
Writing Lab faculty are English professors who choose to work in the Writing Lab to help students. We help with personal, academic, and professional writing. Depending upon student need, Writing Lab sessions are typically 15-20 minutes long. We operate as a “drop-in” service, so there is no need to make an appointment.
What We Do
We help with any step of the writing process. Sometimes, when we don’t have answers, we can help you write down specific questions to take back to your instructor for clarification. We can assist you in the following ways:
- understanding an assignment better
- brainstorming for ideas
- creating thesis statements
- developing ideas with great examples
- organizing information with clear paragraphs and transitions
- documenting any outside sources
- working with documents such as résumés, business letters, memoranda, scholarship applications, college essays, visuals
A Note about Proofreading
Being able to proofread your work effectively IS an important skill, and we are happy to provide proofreading tips and strategies. However, Writing Lab faculty do not proofread entire documents for students. We are teachers, not editors. We will gladly go over a couple of pages and point out what we are seeing in terms of editing, but we won’t proofread a document start to finish.
What You Can Do to Prepare
To be best prepared for a Writing Lab session, we recommend the following:
1. Have any materials you need with you: Gather your assignment sheets or notes your instructor gave you, your textbook, your rough draft, any outside research you might be using. Having all your materials accessible will help streamline our session.
2. Have a specific idea about what you want to accomplish: A typical session is about 15-20 minutes, so have a list of specific goals and questions. Here are some sample comments that your Writing Lab faculty member will find useful:
- “I do not understand the writing assignment. Would you explain what this phrase on page 1 means?”
- “I really do not know where to start. Can you help me brainstorm ideas for this paper?”
- “I need help writing a strong thesis for this paper.”
- “I would like help in finding where I can expand. I need 3-4 pages, but I only have 2 and have run out of things to say.”
- “I’m really worried about the way I am using sources. Can you tell me if I am using quotations correctly and citing my sources? I am especially concerned about the sources used on page 2.”
3. Ask questions: Our goal is to help you accomplish your goals, so consider a session to be a conversation about your work. We need your ideas as much as you need ours. We aren’t offended by questions; we welcome them. Your questions help us do our jobs better.
4. Be prepared for more than one session: Sometimes, due to other students needing assistance, we simply cannot get to everything on your “to-do” list in one session. Think about your most critical issues and ask about those first. Be prepared to come to a later session for those writing issues we may not have been able to get to.
