What Happens During a Consultation?

In a half-hour session, you will meet with a consultant to talk together about any aspects of your writing assignment that you request.

We typically focus first on content and organization, attending to grammar and style later in the session, as time permits. We take this approach because flawless grammar and documentation format will go only so far unless a writer has something substantial to say (content) and a clear structure in which to say it (organization).

Our trained consultants can assist you at any point in your writing process. We will be happy to help you:

Plan and research your assignment:

• review assignment sheets and generate ideas;
• decide which library databases to use in your research;
• evaluate sources for relevance and credibility;
• organize ideas, notes and sources.

• draft introductions, literature reviews, thesis statements, supporting evidence, methods, opposing viewpoints, results and conclusions;
• present your ideas for strongest rhetorical effect (e.g., to persuade your audience, to argue or prove your point, to present your findings);
• integrate quotations from external sources into your writing using APA, Chicago, MLA or another documentation style.

• revise initial drafts;
• use the Purdue OWL website, The Wadsworth Handbook, or a more advanced style manual to review in-text citation and references lists in APA, Chicago, MLA or another documentation format;
• edit final drafts. (Here, at this point in the process, we focus on grammar.)

I Need You to Proofread My Paper. Why Won’t You Do That?
Editors proofread papers; consultants help teach you how to proofread papers yourself.

Learning how to read carefully for grammar and style will help you write clearer class papers and more effective scholarship applications, résumés and cover letters. When you ask us to “proofread,” then we work with you to help identify and revise patterns of error. By recognizing errors in your work – rather than having those errors fixed by someone else – you will become a more effective writer in class and in the workplace.

Should I Bring Anything to My Consultation?
Bring your laptop and assignment sheet, so that you and your consultant can discuss your professor’s expectations. After you visit the center, your professor will receive a note summarizing the work completed during your session.