Located on the first floor of the Gateway Building is an oasis of essay calm, it might not have palm trees or exotic fruits but it does offer help for weary writers. I met up with Leanne Maguire, one of the centre’s student helpers, and a literature-studying classmate of mine, to find out more.
How did you get involved with the Writing Centre?
I got involved through the desire to do some voluntary work in my final year. I emailed Julian to see if I could volunteer, and he asked me to come in for a ‘chat’. Needless to say that I was surprised to discover that this chat was actually an interview, that the students had to apply and were consequently selected, and that it was a paid job!
Some people might be reluctant to seek help?
Just because you need a bit of extra help with an assignment, in no way means that you are incapable. If having a few extra tutorials allows you to perfect your in-text referencing, or improve on your research skills for instance, then it will only be reflected in the end result, which surely is to achieve the best degree you possibly can.
How does it work?
You can either visit The Writing Centre, phone or email to make an appointment. You can make 1 appointment per week and the appointment slot is 60mins, of which you can use as much or as little of that time as is needed. Follow up appointments are generally made with the same tutor- particularly if about the same piece of work (for example, ideas to draft stage etc).
Do you enjoy the job?
I really enjoy the job. It has allowed an insight into a teaching of sorts, of which I never thought I would be interested in for a long-term career. But surprisingly I actually think that the experience has confirmed that I want to have a career in education in some capacity. The best bit of the job is knowing that you have really helped someone, however big or small the problem was, and that they feel confident in their own ability to produce the piece of work they thought they initially couldn’t.
Has it helped your writing?
It has made a noticeable difference to my own work. I employ the techniques I learned on the training sessions and have a much more structured and organised approach to essay writing. The feedback that The Writing Centre receives suggests that the majority of students find the sessions beneficial, and this confirms the validity of having something like The Writing Centre in universities for students.
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