The Format of a Writing Conference
When you schedule a conference at the Writing Center, you will meet in person with a writing consultant, and together, the both of you will read through the document and, if possible, the professor’s assignment sheet. The consultant will ask questions as well as provide feedback with constructive ideas to make the resulting essay stronger. The consultant is not there to make you feel like you are a poor writer, but rather, a writer who can be successful with the right tools and know-how.

Your tutoring session will take place within a 20-minute time period. During this time, you and the consultant will create a plan for your paper; this may entail scheduling an additional appointment at a later time. If your paper is due the next day, then you will be working with a more expedient writing process in mind.

The consultant session always takes place in the Writing Center, whether it is at a study table, in a conference room, or at a computer. Please prepare ahead by finding out as much as you possibly can about your assignment. The process is much easier if there is a clear sense of the professor’s expectations for the assignment.