Visiting the Writing Center@Rockford College
15 Scarborough Hall

What to bring to your session

Please bring whatever work or notes you have so far on your project. In addition, if you are working on a paper for a class, bring the assignment sheet.   You may wish to ask your instructor to e-mail the assignment along with any helpful comments about specific expectations.   Finally, give some thought to what you would like to accomplish in your session.   Be prepared to share your goals with your tutors.  

If you would prefer to work on a computer, feel free to bring your work on a CD or diskette or to e-mail a copy in advance of your session to writingcenter@rockford.edu.

Of course, you may bring your laptop!

What to expect from your session

You and a peer writing tutor will discuss the writing project and determine your goals for the session. The two of you will work together to achieve those goals. The peer tutor can show you how to brainstorm, focus, revise, develop, proofread, and otherwise strengthen your writing.  

Before your session ends, the peer tutor will ask if you would like us to send a copy of the session summary to your instructor.  

Most sessions last about 30 to 45 minutes.

We suggest you make an appointment as early in the writing process as possible.   This way, you will be better equipped to manage completing your project in a timely, less stressful manner.   Also, you will be able to schedule additional appointments as your project progresses.

Setting up ongoing appointments

If you would like to schedule regular, ongoing appointments with a specific tutor, please make those arrangements with that peer tutor. If you have no preference about whom to work with, send us your request, and we will schedule you accordingly.  

You can schedule ongoing appointments up to four weeks in advance.   But please don't be a no-show or you'll lose the appointments.

The Fine Print 

We do not provide remedial or proofreading services.

Peer tutors will not help with take-home exams unless the instructor gives us permission in writing on the exam or in the syllabus.

The printer in the writing center is solely for the use of peer writing tutors.

Online Writing Resources

The companion Web site of The Bedford Handbook , the handbook used in English 101 and 102, includes writing, grammar, and research exercises, sample papers, and guides for usage and documentation.

The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University is a reliable, comprehensive source for writers at all levels and from all disciplines and majors.

The Web site of Colman Library has great reference pages that link to several especially useful sites for researched writing. These sites are listed under 'Style & Writing Guides' .

Dave's ESL Café provides a good online base for writers of English as a second language (ESL).

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