ARC Writing Consultation Services
If you'd like to improve your writing skills, the Academic Resource Center's writing consultants are here to help.
- How can writing consultants assist me?
- Will a consultant edit or proofread my paper?
- What usually happens during a writing consultation?
- Do I need an appointment? How do I make one?
Consultants are available to meet you
- on-campus
- via phone (see instructions or requesting a phone consultation)
How can writing consultants assist me?
Writing consultants at UB embrace a philosophy of teaching that encourages you to learn more about writing so that you will improve as a writer. Good writing involves practice and skill. It begins with clear thinking and requires that you become a good editor of your own work. If our consultants make corrections for you, you will not develop and improve your writing. Our consultants will discuss your paper with you and respond to your ideas. They will provide you with comments, help you find errors and weaknesses, and illustrate ways to strengthen your work and make corrections.
Unless you tell us otherwise, UB writing consultants will generally attend to content and organization before grammar, punctuation, and style. Although all are important to writing excellence, time may not allow tackling more than one or two problems; therefore, we encourage you to tell us what's most important to you. Our menu of services may help you identify areas you wish to address. Or, you may wish to use this worksheet to identify the feature of your writing that most concerns you. Feel free to bring this with you to your appointment.
Will a consultant edit or proofread my paper?
Many students use the words "edit" and "proofread" in a broad sense, meaning "to review and evaluate." If this is what you mean, then the answer is yes. The consultants will evaluate your writing, help you decide what changes you want to make, and illustrate ways to make corrections. However, if you are using "edit" and "proofread" to mean "fixing errors in punctuation and usage," then the answer is no.
What usually happens during a writing conference?
Writing consultants can provide you with feedback on several aspects of your writing.
Writing consultants can help you at any point in the writing process, from brainstorming ideas, through organizing your thoughts or paragraphs, to revising drafts-in-progress. Our menu of services suggests a variety of specific ways in which a consultant may assist you. If you submit a full draft or completed paper, our consultants can advise you on any questions from our Checklist of General Writing Criteria. Since the consultant's time is usually limited to an hour or less per appointment, think about which of these questions are most important to you and let your consultant know. Alternatively, you may wish to print and use this worksheet to identify of your concern.
Do I need an appointment? How do I make one?
To help you meet your deadline, we recommend that you call at least two days in advance, especially at mid-term or semester's end when many papers are due, to maximize your chances of getting an appointment. However, consultants may be able to help you with less notice and can sometimes accommodate drop-ins. Stop by AC 116, e-mail the ARC, or call 410.837.5383 to find out.
You can reserve a consultant's time before you've finished your paper.
If you cannot keep or no longer need the appointment, you must cancel at least 4 hours in advance. If you fail to give us sufficient notice twice during a semester, you will be unable to reserve further tutoring time.