This fall, the Writing Center reopened for in-person tutoring for the first time since the pandemic began. Tutors are available for virtual or in-person sessions, and can help with all your writing needs. I sat down with the Student Coordinator, Lily Burke (senior, anthropology, English literature, and Spanish), to talk about her experience with the Writing Center.
Where is the Writing Center located, and what services are provided there?
The Writing Center is located on the Buller end of Nethery Hall, Room 134. We help you with writing! Whether you just want a fresh pair of eyes to look over your work, or need some intense redirection and encouragement, we provide many different services, including help with essays, lab reports, research papers, resumes, graduate or med school applications and personal statements, or any kind of academic or personal writing projects you’re working on. We help with all parts of the writing process, from helping you understand assignment specifications, brainstorm ideas and structure, find sources and learn to navigate the library’s resources, to helping you write outlines, revise for clarity and development of your ideas, and learn to edit grammar, spelling, and citation format. Something that I’m very excited about this year is that several of our tutors are multilingual. If you speak Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, or Korean, we have tutors who can help you in that language!
What are the hours and how can someone make an appointment?
We have in-person tutoring service available from 4-9 pm, Monday through Thursday. Virtual tutoring hours extend a little earlier during the week, and there is some limited availability on Sunday. You can make an appointment at this link: Book Your Appointment with The Andrews University Writing Center - Educational Institution, where you can choose a tutor that fits your needs and schedule. We often have tutors available for walk-in appointments, but it’s best to schedule ahead if possible. Services are free to Andrews students! You can also keep up with us on our instagram @andrewswrites.
What drew you to work in the Writing Center?
Over this past summer, I was considering switching my English literature major to English education. I’m still considering that. In order to learn more about English education and see if that field would be a good fit, I thought it would be a good idea to work for the Writing Center and get some experience teaching and tutoring writing, so I reached out to Dr. Ivan Davis, the director, and applied for the job. I have loved editing writing for years, as this is my third year working as the copy editor for the Student Movement, so I thought it would be a good fit to turn to tutoring writing.
For anyone who is interested in working there, what does the hiring process look like?
About half the tutors are students in the Teaching and Tutoring Writing class, since we need to get experience coaching writing as part of that class. The other half have already taken that class, as taking that class is a prerequisite for working in the Writing Center. We have our undergraduate tutors for this year but, as budgets allow, we are interested in getting some graduate students to work in the Writing Center. If you are interested in getting into working in the Writing Center in future years, talk with Dr. Ivan Davis (ivan@andrews.edu) and he can work with you to see if that would be a good fit.
How important is it to improve writing skills within and outside of a school context?
Writing is one of those things that so many people think they just aren’t good at, and therefore try their best to avoid. However, let me encourage you, writing is a skill that can be improved, and you can even learn to enjoy it! I don’t particularly like some parts of the writing process myself. It can be tedious to do a bunch of research for only a few points, and it’s easy to find yourself getting stuck on what point to make next or how to connect ideas. However, I have found that sitting down with someone else and talking the problem out can usually encourage me and get me right back on track! Being in university, we have access to amazing resources, like a free Writing Center, tutoring services, and world-class library, and this is the time to take advantage of those opportunities. I hope to see you in the Writing Center soon!
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.