Office of Academic Success: How Writing Center Tutoring Works

Walk In or Make an Appointment

Peer writing consultants are trained to help writers at any stage of the writing process. They meet with students on a walk-in (first-come, first-serve) basis. Sessions with peer consultants typically are 20-30 minutes long.

A professional writing consultant also is available to work with students by appointment. Sessions with the professional consultant typically are 30 minutes long. If students are working on a longer piece of writing (5-10 pages), a session may be as long as one hour. 

Come Prepared

Writing consultants typically open a session by asking questions to contextualize your paper:

• Do you have written instructions?
• Have you gotten any feedback from other readers?
• When do you plan on submitting your paper?
• What concerns do you have?

Your Session

You and your writing consultant will set goals for your session.

Your consultant will not tell you what to write, but he or she will help you determine whether the meaning of what you wrote is what you intended. Where your paper falls short, he or she can show you strategies that will help you revise it.