Since the Writing Centers opened their doors over 20 years ago, over 25,000 undergraduate and graduate
students have taken advantage of their resources. Here's what some of them have to say about their experiences at the Writing
Centers:
An undergraduate student:
"It makes my life easier. I've become more aware of what I am doing when
writing. Consultants have helped me come up with ideas and organize them. The consultants don't write for us--they just help
us."
A graduate student:
"For the graduate students, the Writing Centers can be a place to find an immediate
audience to test the effectiveness of a writing attempt: does it say what I want it to say? And does the reader 'get' what
I wanted to say from what's on the page?"
A writing consultant:
"My fellow consultant asked me questions about certain claims
Then we got
into a discussion of the actual topic, which helped me formulate a stronger conclusion than the one I had originally."
What are the benefits of using the writing centers?
- They give you an opportunity to discuss your assignments with another reader/writer
and recieve immediate feedback on your ideas.
- They provide assistance with resumes, cover letters, application forms and other
types of academic and professional writing projects.
- They're free!
What can I expect from sessions at the Writing Centers?
- Consultants who will give me suggestions and feedback on my writing project;
- Consultants who will help me with my proofreading skills (but will not do the
proofreading for me);
- Consultants who will offer me an informed opinion on my thesis (but will not
"fix" the thesis for me; and
- consultants who will offer multiple options for approaching and improving drafts
(but cannot promise "good grades").
What will be expected of me during sessions at the Writing Centers?
- to talk and write during most of the session (consultants will not write my paper
or make my decisions for me); and
- to be prepared:
- to arrive with a written list of specific questions if I have them about concerns
or specific areas of an assignment or draft;
- to bring necessary texts to refer to and my assignment description/course syllabus;
and
- to be ready to talk.
Where do I begin?
Call or stop by either of the DePaul Writing Centers to schedule and appointment--for
one meeting or for the whole term. Appointments are made for 30 or 50 minutes; you can decide how much time you will need.
Here are some helpful tips:
- Always bring in your assignment sheet/description.
- If you are getting startred, we can help you with prewriting exercises
and by talking through your ideas to get started, invent, narrow, and support your thesis.
- If you have already written a draft, bring in your draft and we will help
you with organization, thesis development, style, and other areas of concern to you.
- If you are rewriting a paper for class, bring in your paper with comments
from your professor, and ideas of how you wish to redo it and we will help you develop the revised paper.
Computer Assisted Tutoring
For many writers, computers have become the tools of choice for composing, revising, and editing. Overcoming writer's block,
invention, developing a thesis statement, and organizing a rough draft are just a few of the many writing tasks that are now
perfomed on the computer.
At the Writing Centers, tutors trained in computer-based tutorials are stnding
by to work with you and your writing project on-screen.
If you are interested in a computer-based tutorial, call and let us know these
things:
- that you would like to schedule a computer-based tutorial;
- the day and time you'd like to come;
- confirm that your document is in Microsoft Word and that you will provide your
own 3.5" diskette.
And Remeber...
- whether the session is paper-based or computer-based is your choice. However,
we will always work on paper too. Try both, and discover which you prefer. Any questions? Call or stop by either of the DePaul
Writing Centers.
