General Information and FAQ's
Writing Center Information and FAQs
General Information
The Writing Center at Indiana University Southeast is staffed by knowledgeable consultants (most of whom are fellow students) who are trained specifically to talk about writing and help you to write more effectively. Many of the consultants are English majors, but many are also familiar with writing in other content areas.
The Writing Center is designed to help you with every stage in the writing process, including
- Understanding the assignment
- Determining a topic
- Brainstorming/prewriting/formulating ideas
- Writing a thesis
- Composition
- Formatting/documentation
- MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.
- Revision
If you can identify which part of the process you are struggling with, it will help us to give you the help and support that you need. If you just want another pair of eyes to look over your work, or just chat about writing in general, we’re here for that too!
You are welcome to come by The Writing Center at any point in the writing process. Visit our Contact Us webpage for our locations and hours.
Our goal at the writing center is to help develop better writers, not perfect papers. Please check out the FAQ below if you have any questions about how to use The Writing Center. If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to stop by at any time. We hope to see you soon!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Will The Writing Center proofread my paper?
The goal of The Writing Center is to help you to become a better writer. We will help you improve your grasp on the rules of grammar and apply those rules in your work, in both a general sense and on a case-by-case basis with a particular paper. However, do not expect us to go through your paper with a red pen and fix your mistakes for you. We want to teach you to proofread your own papers.
Can The Writing Center help with my personal writing (not for a class at IU Southeast)?
Absolutely! Although we work with a lot of academic writing in The Writing Center, we encourage you to bring in any literary or personal writing that you’re working on as well (whether it’s for a class or not). Our consultants are passionate about and experienced with all kinds of writing, and would be very happy to help you.
Do I need to schedule an appointment for a consultation at The Writing Center?
No, just come in any time during our regular operating hours and someone will be there to help you!
How long does a consultation at The Writing Center usually take?
Typically, a consultation will last about 30 minutes. However, if you have a longer paper or have a lot of questions, you can certainly come in for more than one consultation.
I came to The Writing Center once and didn't really like the consultant I worked with. Can I work with someone else next time?
Each of our consultants work hard to be helpful and encouraging with every student, but there are times when two personalities or learning styles just don’t match up. If you have a difficult experience, please don’t hesitate to try again with another consultant; you may encounter completely different results! Also, please feel free to talk to Leigh Anne Meyer, the Writing Center Director, about any concerns that you may have.
I don't think I can come to The Writing Center in person. Can I email my paper and get feedback that way?
We do have an email consultation service, and we recently introduced a LiveChat feature with our website. You can also schedule an online consultation via myWCONLINE appointment option. These are resources that you can take advantage if your schedule or other factors prevent you from coming to The Writing Center in person. However, most of the time we can offer more help and guidance if we speak to you in person. We can offer general comments on an emailed paper, and can answer any specific questions you include in your email, but please keep in mind that the consultation process works better when we can have a dialogue about your work.
I'm not sure what kinds of questions to ask about my paper, I just know that I need help. Can The Writing Center still help me?
Of course! You are welcome to come in at any time and talk to us about your work, even if you don’t have anything written down yet. We can help to direct you with any weak spots that we find.
What do I need to bring to my consultation?
Please bring a copy of your assignment, and any work that you have done thus far. If you haven’t gotten anything down on paper yet, that’s okay! Feel free to bring notes, outlines, thoughts, ideas, or anything else that may be relevant, whether it’s on paper or not. You may also want to bring a notebook or some scratch paper and a writing utensil.
Does a consultation cost anything?
No, the services that The Writing Center provides are completely free to all IU Southeast students.
Will The Writing Center help me find sources for my paper?
We can help point you in the right direction, but for more specific or in-depth help your best bet is to ask one of the research librarians at the Library’s research desk. They are specifically trained to help you utilize all of the Library’s wonderful resources for research.
