Emmanuel College

images/

Academic Resource Center

Writing Center

The Writing Center


Location:

Writing Center appointments are held in ARC rooms 06 and 04R in the Cardinal Cushing Library.

Hours:

By appointment.

Staff:

Professional writing specialists as well as peer tutors provide support for the writing process, from the initial topic choice to the final draft.

Why might I need a writing specialist?

  • Do you need help brainstorming ideas and methods for your upcoming paper?
  • Do you clearly understand your writing assignment?
  • Do you need help with your thesis statement?
  • Is your argument clear?
  • Does your paper support your argument?
  • Do your points follow each other clearly?
  • Are your paragraphs coherent?
  • Do you need help with revising?
  • Do you need help combining and rearranging sentences?
  • How good is your conclusion?
  • Are your quotations and citations correct?

If you answered, "I don't know!" to any of these questions, you may need an appointment with a writing specialist.

Getting the most from your appointment.

Set your agenda:

  • Review the assignment.
  • Make a list of what your paper needs in order to fulfill the requirements.
  • Read your draft and your teacher's comments, preferably more than once.
  • Look over any comments your instructor wrote on your last paper.
  • Highlight sections of your draft that you would like to work on.
  • Write down your questions and ideas for revisions.

Decide which one or two issues you want to concentrate on:

  • Choosing a topic?
  • Developing a thesis?
  • Organization?
  • Sentence structure?
  • Word choice?
  • Punctuation?
  • Introductions and conclusions?

Bring with you:

  • The assignment sheet.
  • The work you've done toward a draft, typed, spell checked, proofread, and printed out.
  • Your professor's comments and suggestions.
  • Useful materials. For instance, if you are writing an essay on a play by Shakespeare, bring along a copy of the play and any secondary materials you might be using.

During the appointment:

  • Participate in the dialogue. Ask questions to clarify points.
  • Make corrections directly on your paper.
  • Be open to suggestions. Be ready to revise or reformulate your ideas or approach.
  • Make another appointment.

Helpful Resources