Writing is something nearly every student has had to do during their college career. Although it’s challenging at times, the writing center wants to make sure every student has the opportunity to improve their writing skills.
Located in the Center for Academic Achievement in Sherrod Library, the writing center offers students help with many aspects of writing.
“Here at the writing center, we teach students how to write papers and research effectively,” said Haley Manis, a tutor at the center. “We tutor students on how to write papers, how to write in certain formats and how to use their study skills wisely.”
The writing center provides many resources for students such as books and computers as well as alternative options to in-person tutoring sessions. By simply making an appointment and logging on to the site, students are connected with a tutor online who is ready to help.
“We have online tutoring in case students can’t make it to campus,” Manis said. “Once they log on, there’s a red line that says ‘start online consultation’ that brings up another window. The tutor gets on the same page, and they start chatting with each other through that window. They can upload their paper to the program, and they can look at it with each other.”
Despite the online tutoring sessions being a virtual interaction, the tutor can communicate with and critique the student the same way they would in person.
“You can grade in real time,” Manis said. “If I make a mark on their paper, they can see it on the other end. It’s very active, and they can see what you’re doing the whole time.”
According to Manis, when some students come to college, they sometimes struggle with certain techniques in writing that they might not have learned in earlier education.
“The formatting is a learning process,” Manis said. “High schools don’t always teach that. Most of the time it’s carry over from something they haven’t learned that well like grammar and sentence structure.”
Manis enjoys seeing the success of students that have come to the writing center for help. She has personally witnessed how their services have positively affected students’ grades.
“I’ve had students come back and tell me they’ve made an A on a paper that they’ve come in to get help with,” Manis said. “If they work at it with us, they usually end up improving.”
With all it has to offer, Manis encourages all students to come by if they need assistance. She wants people to know that there is no shame in asking for help.
“Sometimes students don’t come in because they’re afraid it looks bad to come get tutoring, but everybody needs help sometimes,” she said.
For more information about the tutoring center or to schedule an appointment, visit https://www.etsu.edu/uged/cfaa/learning/individualtutoring.php
