Five ideas on working with the Writing Center

What’s up, Cards!

Yesterday, our team of amazing Writing Consultants went live on the schedule. Now that you’re all settling into the semester, here’s five thoughts on how you can work with the Writing Center and get ahead!

1. There’s no substitute for a good chat.

Here’s a secret: everyone finds some part of writing to be a struggle—getting started, turning readings into content, meeting page lengths, final editing—you name it. Working alongside a friendly face in a non-judgmental environment can make all the difference.

Here’s why: Talking with someone about your ideas activates your brain differently, it commits more information to memory and fosters deep learning, and conversation can break writer’s block and increase both problem-solving and creativity. That’s why many of the most successful writers on campus—undergraduates at all levels, faculty, and graduate students—come to the Writing Center regularly.

Book an appointment today or stop by and see us in Ekstrom Library (Room 132)!

2. Write in our space any time we’re open!

Even if you aren’t looking for one-on-one help, there’s something about being in a shared space where people are getting their work done and having a good time doing it. Our updated space features a number of places to write, and the great part is: if you hit a snag, you can always shift into an appointment!

Get out of your dorm room, away from distractions, and into a space where people are getting writing done. Take that short time between classes and use it productively.

3. Taking an online course and feeling a little disconnected? We’ve got you.

We have an online writing center where you can video chat with a person about an existing draft, what’s going on in your course, the writing you need to get done, or the readings that you would like to make sense of. When those discussion boards (which we can help you to write!) and course materials aren’t quite giving you what you need, we can help!

4. Don’t wait until it’s too late

One of the biggest reasons writers struggle is because they wait until the last minute to start writing and underestimate the task. Many students have let their fear of writing or belief that things will just be fine undo weeks of hard work. Don’t do that.

Booking appointments days or even weeks before your due date is a great way to create accountability and ensure your hard work gets noticed.

Take a look at your syllabus now, and if there’s a long or complex writing assignment at midterms, finals, or whenever, let us help! Our consultants are great at coaching writers through longer or more complex assignments across multiple appointments.

If you’re having trouble focusing or finding motivation to write, a writing center session is great for locking in and getting work done.  

If you struggle with getting started or working on bigger projects, we have a writing group called Procrastinators Unite! that meets in our office on Thursday evenings from 5-7pm.  

5. Build us into your success story

We’re here for you every step of the way. Writing challenges change from high school to college, from Cardinal Core courses to work in your major, and from college writing to workplace writing.

Through different subjects, different lengths, different levels of complexity, we help you make the jump from declaring a major to becoming a professional who writes confidently one semester at a time.