For some college students, writing papers can be a challenge, especially for those returning to the classroom after time away from college. At Columbia Southern University, our writing specialists are here to help you navigate those challenges so that you feel confident turning in assignments.
Meet Erica Thornton. She has been a writing specialist with CSU for more than nine years and holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in instructional design and technology. We asked Erica to explain what resources and tips the CSU Writing Center offers students on their academic journeys.
1.What’s the most common writing challenge you see, and how do you help students work through it? We work with lots of students who either haven’t written academically before or haven’t done so in a long time. When these students go into their course and see all the elements of a prompt that they have to discuss for multiple pages, not to mention all the research they’ll need to do, they’re understandably overwhelmed. More than grammar, APA or writing style, I think that approaching these kinds of assignments for the first time is one of the biggest challenges CSU students experience.
Making an outline that simplifies the prompt is a fantastic way to get started on any assignment because it helps to clearly identify the goals and break the prompt into smaller, more manageable tasks. For many students, I find that if I isolate one part of a prompt and ask them what they think about it, they’ll already have a good idea of how to address it. Just take things one step at a time; it’s easier to build out the rest of the essay if you start with a solid foundation.
2. How do you help students who don’t see themselves as “good writers” build confidence? Just like everyone has something good about their personality, everyone has something good about their writing, too! Someone who struggles with comma placement might have a really engaging writing style overall. Maybe someone has trouble with writing transitions, but they can craft incredibly compelling arguments. Whenever I have a student who’s getting down on themselves about their writing, I make sure to look for those sorts of strengths in their work and point them out. Comma placement, transitional sentences and APA format are all things you can learn with enough practice (not to mention things your local writing center specialist can help with!).
I think it’s important for students to remember that every writer, brand-new or experienced, brings something special and valuable to their work that comes from their own unique view of the world. Embrace that! We can figure out the technical stuff together!
3. How is your support different from a professor or academic advisor? We can help students take a close look at their grammar, writing style, organization and APA formatting. We can also assist with some limited assignment-style coaching for common assignment types, like journals or article critiques. We cannot assist with the actual content of the courses, as we are not subject matter experts; students with questions about their course content should contact their instructor for clarification. Our goal is to teach useful skills and writing techniques that students will be able to apply to anything they write, both during their time at CSU and beyond.
4. What would you say to a student who is hesitant to ask for writing help? First, I understand! I struggled with mathematics to an almost comical degree during my undergraduate studies. Even though I desperately needed help, I always assumed that it would feel completely humiliating to walk into my school’s tutoring center, so I just struggled on my own. A huge part of what I love about my work now is that I get to help students avoid having the kind of experience that I did.
I can promise with absolute certainty that you won’t be judged. We know exactly how hard it can be to ask for help, and we’re going to meet you where you are. Everyone in the Math and Writing centers wants to see you achieve your goals, so we strive to make the learning process as approachable as we can. Each of our specialists is friendly and extremely knowledgeable, so even if it’s just a quick question through email, please get in touch with us if you feel we can help. You’re going to be treated with patience and respect here.
5. How do students schedule time with you, and what does a typical session look like? Students can contact the Writing Center team anytime during business hours via email at teamsucceed@columbiasouthern.edu or by phone at 877-875-0533 to ask questions or talk through issues they may be having as they work on their assignments.
For more in-depth paper reviews, students should submit a Writing Center Request Form with their completed draft attached as a file. We focus on two to three skills per paper and give helpful advice on how to improve those areas going forward. Once a review is complete, we email it back to the student along with any resources that may be helpful. Students can also indicate whether they’d like to receive a call to review their feedback together with their specialist. Even if they don’t check that box, we always send along our contact information so they can give us a call if needed! Review requests are returned within two business days.
The Writing Center also offers hour-long live sessions to work through things together while screensharing. Live sessions are especially good for technical assistance with APA formatting or working through a paper’s organization. Students can request a live session by emailing teamsucceed@columbiasouthern.edu. Just be aware that we need 24 hours’ notice to schedule a session. They’re a great option for more hands-on help!
Disclaimer: These testimonials may not reflect the experience of all CSU students.
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