Frequently Asked Questions
- Can graduate students use the Writing Studio?
- Why would a graduate student come to the Writing Studio?
- Who is going to help me?
- How often can I make an appointment?
- Can I bring dissertation or thesis work?
- Do I have to have a finished paper?
- What do I need to bring?
- Can I email my paper?
- Does my appointment have to be related to a class?
- Does the Writing Studio help all graduate students, or only students from certain disciplines?
Can graduate students use the Writing Studio?
Yes.
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Why would a graduate student come to the Writing Studio?
We can work with graduate students on any writing-related project: seminar papers, grant proposals, presentations, job letters, articles for publication, theses, and dissertations—just to name a few.
We work with graduate students to improve and strengthen written work at all levels. Whether you think your writing needs help or not, we provide a crucial resource for the development and execution of academic work. After all, ideas develop via interaction within a larger academic community. The Writing Studio provides the opportunity to communicate with other scholars in an interdisciplinary setting, and to hone your communication skills. Our job is to listen to, reflect with, and provide feedback for graduate students in a more immediate manner than professors, and even fellow colleagues, are often able to achieve. We also offer creative and imaginative ways to get your thoughts on the page and to express them clearly.
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Who is going to help me?
Writing consultants may be graduates or undergraduates from any number of disciplines, meaning that you may work with a consultant at a different level of study from yourself, and with people inside or outside your own discipline. Each has its benefits—keep in mind that it may be especially beneficial to have to explain your ideas or your research to a trained consultant who is unfamiliar with your topic.
All writing consultants are trained to be attentive generalist readers, capable of responding to varieties of projects across the disciplines. They offer graduate students the opportunity to consider the responses of academic or other audiences for whom they write.
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How often can I make an appointment?
Graduate students can schedule either one 50-minute appointment per week or one extended (double) appointment every other week. You can also attend up to two additional appointments per week on a walk-in basis, if there is an appointment available.
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Can I bring dissertation or thesis work?
Yes—we even provide extended sessions for just this purpose.
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Do I have to have a finished paper?
No. In fact, you don’t have to have anything written at all; you just need a project, some ideas, and a willingness to converse.
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What do I need to bring?
Bring any relevant materials (your notes, a draft if you have one [even if it’s messy], etc.) to your session.
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Can I email my paper?
Only for extended appointments that have been scheduled in advance. For regular sessions, bring a copy of whatever writing you want to look at, or print it here at the Writing Studio using VUPrint.
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Does my appointment have to be related to a class?
Nope. We can help you at any stage of your graduate work and with any sort of project, including conference papers and presentations, grant applications, or job market materials.
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Does the Writing Studio help all graduate students, or only students from certain disciplines?
The Writing Studio helps all graduate students whose studies involve writing and writing-related projects.
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