Header 1Student Frequently Asked Questions Post 1 View Faculty FAQ Why should I visit the Writing Center? It's always a good idea to have another set of eyes to review your paper. The Writing Center is a low-pressure environment, where a peer tutor can show you writing strategies or offer feedback and ideas that help you make progress. What appointment formats do you offer? The Writing Center has a wide range of available appointments times—weekdays, weekends, evenings, by appointment and drop-in hours; we also tutor live online and via email. We recommend you try the various formats before making up your mind which one you like best. How do I schedule, cancel, and review appointment notes? Video: How to Schedule an Appointment in Starfish Video: How to Cancel an Appointment in Starfish Video: How to Access Meeting Notes in Starfish Who can use the Writing Center? Any College Credit Plus, undergraduate, or graduate student at the University of Findlay, as well as our faculty. Who are the Writing Center tutors? Undergraduate Writing Center tutors are sophomores, juniors, or seniors from a variety of majors at the university. They are well-trained, having taken a three-credit training course. They have excelled in core English classes with a “B" or higher and have been recommended highly by their professors. Support for graduate-level students is provided by two graduate students in the Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Writing Program, and who have a special focus on tutoring students in advanced degree programs. You can view their profiles in Starfish to learn more about them. We encourage you to find what works best for you! You can schedule with a tutor you have worked with previously or work with someone new. What happens after a session? After the session, Writing Center tutors add notes in Starfish that give you a summary of the main topics covered in the appointment as well as a to-do list for further revising. Tutors will also offer a quick check of topics covered using this list: Planning • Analyzing a primary source • Analyzing a scholarly source • Brainstorming • Creating a research question • Developing a thesis • Synthesizing scholarly sources • Taking notes while reading and researching • Understanding the assignment sheet and/or rubric Drafting • Connecting claims and evidence • Creating transitions • Outlining • Refining a thesis • Using effective summaries, paraphrases, and quotations • Writing and revising topic sentences Revising • Clarifying and expanding the thesis • Expanding and adding ideas • Reorganizing draft • Revising a draft based on feedback Citing • Using AMA style citation and formatting • Using APA style citation and formatting • Using MLA style citation and formatting Editing & Proofreading • Identifying grammar and usage errors • Using style and tone that matches the assignment Who can see those notes in Starfish? First and most importantly, you can review them. The notes can help you refresh your memory about the session and encourage you to keep working on your project. Other people in your My Success Network, such as the instructor of the course, Writing Center tutors, and your academic advisor can see the notes, too. When you review your notes in Starfish, you’ll see a list of all the people who can see those notes, including your instructor and academic advisor. Will my instructor know I have used the Writing Center? Instructors can review the notes from your session in Starfish whenever they wish. I am a non-native English speaker; can the Writing Center help me? Yes! We offer help when writing is the primary issue for your project: brainstorming, drafting, writing, citing, revising, and so on. If you would like conversation practice, American culture familiarization, grammar explanations, or individualized homework help attention, we recommend visiting the English Language Learner (ELL) Support Center. They are located in Frost Science Center, Room 306, and no appointment is needed. I would like tutoring in other areas, like chemistry equations and other academic content. The Academic Support Center, located in Old Main 45, offers content area tutoring. Students can also use Starfish to make content-area appointments at the ASC HERE. Can a Writing Center tutor help me with my job market materials? Yes, tutors can help you draft and revise cover letters and similar projects. Additionally, we strongly encourage students to also visit the Center for Career & Professional Development, since they have field-specific writing advice along with many additional resources. Can a Writing Center tutor help me find and use sources for my research project? Yes, tutors can give you tips for finding sources, reading attentively, and formulating your own ideas based on the existing research; we also strongly encourage students to make appointments with research librarians for excellent how-to help. I’d like to send my project to a copyeditor to help finalize it. Can the Writing Center recommend one or provide copyediting services? Tutors at the Writing Center have a job and approach different from copyeditors. Writing Center tutors focus on helping you improve your writing skills. That may mean, for example, extended advice on analyzing and synthesizing sources, tips to stay motivated, or links to citation style guides. If you want to hire a copyeditor, we recommend starting by reading this article, which includes information about finding, hiring, and working with them.
