As spring break’s bliss wears off, many Shippensburg University students are waking up from a coma and realizing how much school work they have piling up.
One resource that often gets forgotten here on campus is the Writing Studio, which is a part of the Learning Center. It is located behind Starbucks in the Ezra Lehman Memorial Library. The Writing Studio has 22 tutors who provide assistance for papers across all subjects. Each tutor specializes in either Modern Language Association (MLA) or American Psychological Association (APA) and has knowledge of other citation styles.
Students do not need to have a completed draft before they come to their appointment. The Writing Studio assists students in every stage of the writing process, from brainstorming and organizing to revising and editing.
“Sometimes we get so close to our own writing that we don’t recognize the mistakes we are making and the Writing Studio is a safe place to come and have someone look over your paper,” tutor and senior human communications major Deah Atherton said.
The overall goal of each session is not to deliver an “A” paper to the student, but rather to help the student improve his or her writing skills and style. Writing tutors do not just edit a paper for the student, but help guide the student in the right direction through conversation and collaboration.
In order to become a tutor, students must be at least a sophomore and have a 3.0 GPA. New tutors go through extensive training at the beginning of the semester and all writing tutors have monthly workshops on topics such as APA style and how to work with diverse populations.
“My experience of being a writing tutor has completely changed my thoughts about tutors. I always thought writing tutors were meant for people who had really bad writing, but I have realized that it is for everyone,” tutor and senior human resource management major Julie Stump said.
The Writing Studio is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 5-9 p.m. To schedule an appointment, call 717-477-1420 or stop by the receptionist desk in the library.
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