Whether you are an avid writer or a math person who feels like they can't get a word on the page, the Writing Center (WC) is here for your support. In my interview with Writing Center tutor Konstantina, we discuss the ways that this AUS campus resource may be your new best friend during your first semester. Opening week 3, keep your eye out for more details!
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Erica: Welcome to FYE Chats, an AUS podcast. I’m your host, Erica Payne. University is a BIG transition that can be a little overwhelming. We invite you to listen in on candid conversations with the AUS community because we want to see you THRIVE as you begin your First Year Experience.
On this week’s show, we’ve invited a Writing Center student representative to learn more about what it looks like to utilize this important service on campus. Konstantina is…. a senior majoring in English Literature and a tutor for our free campus Writing Center.
Erica: Konstantina, it is so great to have you here today! Thanks for joining us on the show.
Guest: (Quick Response) Thank you for having me.
Erica: Hopefully most students remember a little bit about the Writing Center from orientation, but would you give us a brief summary of what services the Center provides?
Guest: Sure. The Writing Center is open to all students who want help with their writing at any stage of the writing process, from brainstorming to drafting to organizing ideas and proofreading. Students who visit the Center can have a one-on-one session with a tutor and discuss their assignment, their professor’s comments, or seek assistance with citation methods and research. They can also visit as part of a group working on a project to either brainstorm or look over their presentation with us. In other words, they can bring in any assignment that involves writing.
Erica: That’s great! No matter what your major, every first-year student takes writing classes and many other courses require research papers and essays. When should first-year students consider making an appointment with a writing tutor?
Guest: I always advise students to not wait until the week their paper is due to make an appointment. The earlier they start thinking about their assignment the better, and I usually tell first-year students to visit the center just to familiarize themselves with the place and with everything we do before they are given any assignment. Knowing that there are some people to help you in case you need them makes it easier to seek their help sooner. I deeply appreciate chatting to students about their writing in a course and listening to their fears and concerns. Many even come aware of their weaknesses and make appointments with us to work on them before they get an assignment.
Erica: That’s a great suggestion- before things get busy, familiarizing themselves with the service could be helpful. The appointment system is fairly simple and can be accessed online. I’ll include the link in this episode’s show notes.
Even though it is a free service, there are limited appointments and consequences for missing an appointment. How do you suggest a student prepare to make the most out of that time?
Guest: There are days when every single session is booked weeks in advance, especially during midterm periods when most essays are also due. Therefore, I suggest that students start planning early if they would like to book an appointment with us and do their best to keep it, because they might not be able to find another appointment due to high demand. If they know they won’t be able to make it to the appointment, however, it is better to cancel than miss it, because 2 no-show appointments will eventually prevent them from booking further sessions. If they make early reservations, however, and prepare for their session by having questions ready and some ideas jotted down they can make the most out of their appointment and avoid the craze of desperately looking for one.
Erica: Early reservations and ready with questions. Sound like a good plan.
Some students may opt to meet with their professor to review their paper during office hours. What are some of the benefits of also meeting with a writing center tutor?
Guest: Meeting with your professor is highly advised, because they can better direct you with what specifically applies to your paper. Students find it easier to approach Writing Center tutors sometimes because they are their peers and have been in a similar position as fellow students. That familiarity helps them approach Writing Center Tutors with more confidence than they would their professors and the Center can be a great aid to those unconfident about their writing, because they feel more comfortable turning to us for help, and find it easier to ask any questions they want.
Erica: Yes. You certainly shouldn’t be nervous to meet with a tutor! On the other hand, the Writing Center isn’t a one stop, fix all. What are some instances when you do not need to visit the Writing Center?
Guest: Visiting the Writing Center is not mandatory and you don’t have to visit every time you have an assignment. Even if we do help with proofreading, much of it can be done by the students themselves. My suggestion is that they read their papers out loud a couple times before they decide to come to us for proofreading, because a closer look at their own work will help them spot their own mistakes. I tell students to visit if they have a question, if they are unsure about something, when something isn’t clear or if they would like an audience for their paper, but there are times when students are highly capable of solving these issues on their own.
Erica: Here are a few quicker questions that students might have[may include these in other answers]
Maximum of 3 per week.
Yes, but tutors don’t have the same shifts throughout the week and are not named on the schedule, so if you want to book a session with a specific tutor because they have helped you in the past or because they have knowledge on the subject, you would need to ask them for their timings.
Yes, they can bring any type of writing they want.
Guest:
Erica: It sounds like you really love your job. If a first-year is interested in becoming a writing tutor, how do they go about that?
Guest: Yes, I do enjoy my job very much and as soon as I became aware of the Writing Center’s existence on campus I knew I would love to work there. If any other first-years are equally interested in working at the Writing Center all they have to do is finish their Writing courses (101, 102) as well as be registered for either ENG 203 or 204 and at the same time they can register for a course called “Peer Tutoring in Writing” which prepares students for their work as Writing Center tutors.
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Before we close the show, I’d like to end with a few questions that we ask all of our guests:
First, What is your favorite part of the AUS campus?
Guest: I cannot choose between the LAN building and the LIB 024, the Writing Center’s location where I used to spend most of my time.
Host: Do you have an embarrassing moment while working at AUS?
Guest: I’d say it is an embarrassing moment but still one of the best at the Center. I remember one time I had pulled an all-nighter, was late for classes and starving but still went to the session- I must have been quite a sight, but the tutee was just as sleep deprived as me. We spent the entire session talking and de-stressing one another which was well needed at the time, and I am thankful that the Writing Center is a place for that too.
Host: Lastly, what is one piece of advice you’d like to share with our first-years listening, as they continue their first semester in a remote setting?
Guest: Embrace the change, try as many things as possible and benefit from the opportunities distance learning has to offer.
Host: [gratitude] Thank you so much for taking the time to join us on the show today!
Guest: (casual response) It was a pleasure.
Closing:
Host: I hope you enjoyed hearing from [ Konstantina ] today.
We’ll link the resources mentioned to our show notes. If you found this information helpful, we would love for you to hear your feedback! Leave us a review on Apple podcasts or post a comment on the @ausfye instagram page.
Thanks so much for listening to the show. See you next time, on FYE Chats!