What to Expect at Your Consultation

We want to work with you on any of your writing projects. At your consultation, you can expect to have a meaningful conversation about your writing that will lead to a stronger paper, poem, lab report, cover letter, or whatever else you bring to us! To make sure you have the best possible experience, it’s helpful if you do a little self-evaluation before you come to your appointment. Listed below are some ways to prepare to make sure you get the most out of your time at the Writing Center.

Preparation

Do some thinking about the prompt.

Do you understand all of the requirements? Do you feel like you’re meeting them, or that you can meet them? Where are you worried that you might be falling short of the prompt? Whatever stage of the writing process you’re in, it’s important to understand the work you’ve done in relation to the prompt.

Talk to your professor if you need to.

If you have questions about the assignment, it’s a great idea to talk to your professor before you come to your appointment with us. It’s good to know as much as you can about your professor’s expectations so that we can help you meet them.

Read through your paper before you come in.

Try to assess the strengths and weakness in your draft and think about what aspects of your writing you want to improve. If you have specific ideas about what you’d like to work on with the Writing Center, you’ll get the most out of your consultation. If you’re still in the brainstorming process, think about what aspects of the project you’re struggling with. Thesis development? Finding evidence? It’s good to reflect on this before your appointment.

Bring your source material with you.

It’s helpful if you have the books and/or articles that you cite in your paper when you come to your consultation. If there are questions about the sources and how they’re working in your paper, it’s best if we have the whole source to work with during your appointment.

Bring a hard copy of your paper.

It’s easiest to look over a paper together when you have a hard copy. Both you and your consultant can write on it to take notes, and often it helps you to see your words printed out during the revision process.

You can come to us with any level of preparation, but taking these steps before your appointment creates the best chance for a great consultation. Good luck with your writing, and we hope to see you soon.

Make an appointment using the Writing Center online scheduler!