Comments from the Drew community about the Writing Center

What First Year Students Have Said about The Writing Center:

• I felt that the Writing Center was very effective in helping me with my grammar and organization, as well as re-arranging my sentences so that they are more coherent. Both my English 1 and First Year Seminar professors noticed the improvement.

• The Writing Center was very beneficial to me in giving my essay the voice I wanted.

• In response to the question "Why did you come to the Writing Center?" . . .I am not able to see many of the mistakes I make in my writing. Now, I need the Writing Center, if I want to continue to do well in my classes.

• A letter to a consultant--

  You were my tutor at the Writing Center a couple weeks and, because of your help, I got an A on my research paper. I also wanted to let you know that my professor complimented me on how I simplified one long dragging paragraph into a sentence that fitted perfectly into another paragraph...I couldn't help thinking about how we specifically worked on that part together. I think you deserve part of her compliment.

  -- Simne Ng

What Other Students Have Said about the about the Benefits of the Writing Center:

• I got ideas as to where I could go with my draft.

• My tutor was great encouragement. By getting me to talk, she helped me see my errors and see how I could structure my paragraph alone.

• I can see a large difference between papers that I bring here and ones I neglect.

• The tutor helped me develop my writing skills, not just correct my paper. That gave me confidence in my writing.

What consultants and former consultants say about the Writing Center:

One specific tutoring session was good for many reasons. I found it easy to be supportive of the student and the work that she had done; she used that support to help her use to their full potential the very good points about her writing. Also, we BOTH really wanted to make the paper better. In other words, it wasn't an issue of this student coming to me, shoving the paper at me and saying, "Make it better!" Instead, she really wanted to learn how to make her ideas intelligible to others.

We as tutors are not only here to tighten up writing, but also to be supportive of each student who comes to us. We are here to open a space within which they are challenged to create and within which they can feel comfortable in their endeavors. Every once in awhile, the student might not need help with punctuation or organization of writing, but with understanding that he or she is at Drew for a reason--because he or she is talented in one way or another. It is important to identify such talents and to help the student exploit them.

Shane Owens

My goal of each session is twofold: I want my student to have learned something about writing, and I also want her to leave the session feeling satisfied that her own agenda has been met with regards to developing the best paper possible. I always try to support the student in her writing when I think she has made a good point or written something well.

Hillary Parssinen

As I consult, I try to hear what the student's ideas and needs are and develop those rather than impose my own train of thought. While I believe I have a good sense of writing skills and my own personal style, I also feel that I am open to other forms of expression and encourage them--actually welcome them and learn from them as well. . .

My goal for each session is to direct the students to their own solutions and ideas--not to do the work for them--but to be there as a guide. I prefer to ask questions rather than to give definitive answers. When I begin a session, I typically engage the student in conversation and inquire about the specific assignment. I ask if the student has any preliminary thoughts, ideas, questions, or target areas that I as consultant should keep in mind as we read this paper or think about starting the assignment. Then I ask the student to read the paper out loud, if it is a manageable length, either as a whole or by paragraph or section. After reading through a paper, I always try to offer positive comments, first to give the student a sense of his/her own strengths. . . . I often work on the big issues first (organization, intro paragraph, thesis, transitions) with smaller, grammatical issues either at the end or scattered within the conversation, unless that is the central concern. As the session comes to a close, I try to provide a summary of what we worked on for emphasis, if there is time. And I also ask if the student has any further or unresolved questions or areas, and if they feel positive about the suggestions and the task at hand.

Liana Piehler

Each tutoring situation involves a different level of involvement and guidance from me, so that the emphasis of the session may vary from listening, asking questions, providing guidance, or a mixture of all these modes. However, in each case, my main goal is not to revise a specific paper, but to improve the writer. I try to ask questions to clarify points in the paper, ensure that the student is active in the session and enable him to fully develop his ideas. My so-called "authority" is derived from my having written papers myself, my experiences as a writer, instead of any formal training.

Shital Shah