» The Writing Center

Writing Center

CHAPMAN NOTICE: As all Chapman classes have moved online effective March 12, 2020, Writing Center tutors will be unavailable for undergraduate tutoring either in person or digitally for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester. Updates will be posted as they become available.</>

Beginning Thursday, March 12, 2020, Graduate Writing Assistants (GWAs) will be working remotely for the rest of the Spring 2020 semester. They are available Monday through Friday via digital tutoring (walk-in hours have been suspended for Spring 2020 semester). Please visit the Graduate Writing Assistants webpage (in the left-hand menu) for more information about digital tutoring.


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Preparing for a Visit

When possible, make an appointment well in advance of your paper's due date. This will give you plenty of time to revise your paper in response to your session with the tutor. You may also choose to come to the center before you have your first draft.

Bring:

  • A copy of your course syllabus
  • A copy of your assignment
  • A copy of your paper draft (if applicable)

Most sessions are similarly structured. You will probably spend time in your session:

  • Setting your own goals. If possible, determine your goals before your visit. Do you want help with your thesis statement? Are you concerned about run-on sentence? Do you want to brainstorm ideas? Are particular parts of your paper not working? The more specific your request for help, the more focused and productive your Writing Center session will be. 
  • Describing the assignment and your professor's expectations. This is why it's always a good idea to bring the assignment sheet and the course syllabus! Remember, your tutor cannot attend every class from every professor on campus; your preparation will help the tutor ascertain what the professor may be looking for in your paper.
  • Explaining to your tutor what you intend to communicate in your paper. The tutor will ask questions to help clarify your thoughts and determine the best way to express them. 
  • Listening to the tutor's comments and suggestion about your paper. The tutor will provide feedback on what seems successful in your paper and what might benefit from more work.
  • Writing notes on your draft. Although the tutors will offer suggestions and feedback, it is up to you to decide which comments to use and which to ignore. Tutors may take some notes with their questions and suggestions, but you will do the majority of the writing.
  • Editing and correcting errors on your draft. Again, you will do this with the help of the tutor, who will notice patterns of error and teach you the necessary tools to correct them.