Any course, any paper, any time is our motto here at the Writing Studio. It means that you can come in to the Writing Studio with any kind of paper (from an essay to a resume) from any course (from English to Business to Biology) at any stage of the writing process (from brainstorming to final draft). While you can come in with any paper from any course at any time, coming by without any preparation might not be the best way for you to use the Writing Studio. Here are some tips for making the most of your Writing Studio appointment.
1. Do your research on your consultant.
One of the most valuable tools on our website is this one:
https://www.cui.edu/studentlife/writing-studio/2018-2019-staff
It’s a list of all the consultants who work at the writing studio and information about them. This information can help you figure out which consultant is best for you when you’re booking an appointment. Have a history paper? Well, according to this page, Denise is our resident history major, which means that she might be especially helpful to you. Worried about that paper for Dr. Armstrong? Carmel has had several classes with him and may have a better idea of what he is looking for. Anyone on our staff can help you with any paper, but do yourself a favor and book an appointment with someone who you know can be the most helpful for you.
2. Come prepared!
While we can certainly help you at any stage of the writing process, there are some ways you can prepare to ensure that the session is as useful and efficient as possible:
- Bring the assignment prompt so that we both know your paper is on the right track and includes all the required elements.
- If you’re writing about a book or other text, bring that in along with any notes you might have about it.
- Come in with specific questions or concerns you want addressed. We love when students come in and say, “I want help developing my transitions” because then we know exactly how to help you.
3. Don’t come too late in the game.
Here at the Writing Studio, we can help redirect your paper if it’s not about what it’s supposed to be about. If you don’t have a thesis statement, we can help you with that too. If you wrote a paper about balance scales from the Czech republic, but you were actually supposed to write about checks and balances, we can help you with that. But you won’t be able to make many of these major changes if you come to the Writing Studio the same day your paper is due. Book your appointments early enough that you have plenty of time to revise your work before you have to turn it in.
The above aren’t strict rules that we’ll kick your out of your session for breaking. If you want to come to a random consultant with a paper you have due in a few hours, go for it; a little help is better than none. But if you want to get the most out of your time, follow these tips. You’ll thank yourself later (and your professor might thank you too).