I love my job as a tutor at Cal U’s Writing Center. From the amazing friends I work with, my caring and kind boss, to the feeling of getting to help someone, working at the Writing Center is the greatest. Cal U’s Writing Center offers multiple services to all students, faculty, and staff. Our services are more than just editing papers—we can help with citations, writing resumes, grant applications, job applications, creating a thesis statement, brainstorming ideas, organizing your paper, and so much more. As tutors, we take our time and services seriously; this means we will work hard to help you as much as possible. Visiting us will definitely be worth your time.
Still, there are a few common questions that all Cal U tutors can attest to being asked:
“Can I use your stapler?”
Yes! You absolutely can come in and use our stapler. In fact, we appreciate you coming in, even if only for a quick chat while you staple your paper. You get to see the entire Writing Center space, including how our tables are set for appointments and our fun, English-inspired décor. We enjoy helping all students, so our stapler is always available (by always, I mean 9am-6pm Mondays through Thursdays and 9am-3pm on Fridays). This is the most common question for tutors at Cal U’s Writing Center. You can expect to see one of our welcoming faces at our front counter. We will assist you to find the stapler and help if you have questions.
“Can someone quickly look at my paper/Can someone proofread my paper?”
Or different questions to that extent, but you get the point. For starters, our appointments last roughly fifty minutes; for example, an appointment would start at 1pm and go until about 1:50pm, similar to the time of a typical MWF class. This is done so tutors can write client report forms and to give the client and the tutor time to get to where they need to be after the appointment (such as time to get to class). It can be difficult for both the tutor and the client if a student comes in at 1:35pm and needs a tutor to quickly help with a paper. It is even worse when a student comes in with a paper due the same day, sometimes even within a few hours of the appointment. We like giving suggestions and working with clients so that when the clients leave the Writing Center, they have ideas of what to correct or add to their paper. We want to help our clients to the full extent, so we prefer when someone comes in for an appointment on the hour. The entire fifty minutes gives us time to talk with the client and aid them in whatever they need. So, while we fully accept helping a client at any time, taking the time to make a full-length appointment is more beneficial.
“Do I have to make an account/Do I need to make an appointment?”
We need all clients to make accounts for numerous reasons. After each appointment, we fill out client report forms saying what we worked on during the session. Furthermore, clients can choose the option of sending a report to their professor, validating that the student had an appointment at the Writing Center. This could be because the professor referred the student to us, offers it for extra credit, or even because a professor requires students to visit the Writing Center. We also need to see what students, faculty, and staff are in our database.
As for making an appointment, it is easier to have one versus just walking in. While we do accept walk-ins, we cannot guarantee that a tutor will be available during that time slot. To be sure that you will be worked with, I suggest making an appointment beforehand. You can also walk-in and we will help you set up an account with us as well as make an appointment. Once you have an account, you can log-in and make appointments yourself, too.
One of the best services we offer is online appointments. If you schedule an online appointment, you can attach your paper to your appointment and we will work on it during the allotted time—just like if you were coming in person. It does not matter what classes you need help in, what major you are, or what grade you are (i.e. freshman up to senior), we are willing to help you at Cal U’s Writing Center!
Don’t forget to visit us at www.calu.mywconline.com or in Noss Hall 110. You can also find us on Facebook or email us at writingctr@calu.edu!