Q: Where do I find
the Writing Center?
A: We’re located in the downstairs corner of the Seibert
Humanities Building, Room 103, next to the Forrer Language
Building. Our phone number is 864-8861.
Q: Do I need an
appointment?
A: No appointments are necessary to work with a Writing Consultant
during the Writing Center’s regular hours. You can, however, make
an appointment to work with a Consultant outside of those hours by
calling the Writing Center during open hours and arranging a
mutually convenient time with a Consultant.
Q: How much does the Writing Center
charge?
Nothing! The Writing Center services are free to Eckerd College
students.
Q: What should I bring with me to a
session in the Writing Center?
A: Bring the paper assignment, all the work you’ve done on the
paper so far, specific questions about the paper, and an open
mind.
Q: At what point in writing a paper
should I come to the Writing Center?
A: Don’t wait until the night before the paper is due! Writing and
revision take time, and we can’t help you much if you don’t give
yourself time to work on the paper after your consultation. The
earlier you come to the Writing Center, the more a Writing
Consultant can help you.
Q: I know the Writing Center can help
me with a rough draft, but what if I’m having trouble getting a
draft written?
A: You can begin working with a Writing Consultant the day you get
a paper assignment. We can talk over topic choices with you; we can
help you brainstorm and organize ideas; we can help you put
together a rough draft. Of course, once you have a rough draft, we
can help you revise it.
Q: Will my teacher know I worked with
a Writing Consultant?
A: Yes, we send a consultant report to your professor indicating
briefly what you and the Consultant worked on during the
session.
Q: Will a Writing Consultant correct
my paper for me?
A: No. Because we want you to learn how to improve your own
writing, Writing Consultants will not correct your paper, nor will
they write any part of your paper for you. Consultants will respond
to problem areas and offer suggestions to help you improve your
writing. A Consultant will help you develop your ideas, organize a
paper, improve your writing style, and address recurring
errors.
Q: Can I drop off/fax/email a paper
for you to look over?
A: No. We require students who want assistance from the Writing
Center to bring their papers in with them and to work one-on-one
with a Consultant. We believe that you get the most benefit out of
this sort of collaboration. Our goal is for students to develop
their writing skills in ways that help them on future papers, and
that sort of development is fostered by working with a Consultant,
not by having a Consultant revise your paper without your
input.
Q: Why won’t Writing Consultants
proofread my writing?
A: Proofreading is simply looking through a paper to find and
correct careless errors, and that’s something writers need to learn
to do for themselves. Instead of just proofreading, Consultants are
trained to help writers improve their papers. We focus on more
substantial writing concerns like thesis clarity, organization of
ideas, and development of ideas. We will, of course, work with
writers on specific grammatical problems.
Q: Can I come to the Writing Center
just to use the computers?
A: Yes. The computers in the Writing Center are available for your
use any time that the Center is open. Keep in mind, though, that
the Writing Center computers are Macs, not PCs.
Q: Can I do my timed writing for
the Writing Portfolio in the Writing Center?
A: Yes. We will give you general essay questions to respond to. A
Consultant will oversee your timed writing by hand in a blue book
or on computer. We do require that you show us a photo ID before
doing a timed writing.
Q: Do I need to attach the yellow
Consultant Report from the Writing Center to my Writing
Portfolio?
A: No, that report is for your records.
