Appointments are usually 30 to 45 minutes. Bring your questions and a draft if you have one. Your writing consultant will want to read the specific assignment so be sure to bring that with you as well. The consultant will then ask you what you’d like help with. After reading the paper together, the two of you will begin discussing it. The writing consultant will respond as a critical reader to what you’ve written, pointing out sections that work well and places with problems. You’ll learn strategies to improve those areas that need strengthening.
Writing consultants focus on the big concerns first. For example, they’ll check to make sure you’re following the assignment guidelines, that your thesis is clear and that your paper is developed logically. After that, they can help you with concerns about style, grammar, word choice, etc.