Student FAQs

Where are you located?

We are on the first floor of the Mary and John Gray Library. Pass through the elevator bank and veer to your right.

Do I need to make an appointment?

You don't have to make appointments, as the Writing Center does take walk-in sessions. However, to be guaranteed a spot, please schedule an appointment. Walk-in appointments may have to wait to be seen.

Is there a fee for a tutoring session?

The Writing Center is free to all Lamar University and LIT students.

Do I need to bring anything?

Please come prepared with the following materials:

  • Your assignment sheet
  • Any text or sources you are working with
  • A physical or digitally attached copy of your draft (you can attach files when you book)

How long will a session take?

We offer sessions that last 30 minutes or one hour.

  • Thirty-minute sessions are ideal if you need assistance understanding an assignment or need targeted help on one or two aspects of an assignment.
  • One-hour sessions are typically for more involved assignments or if you are seeking help with grammar questions. Online sessions are only offered for one hour.

Do you offer online sessions?

Online sessions are available through Blackboard Collaborate Ultra and are conducted much like an in-person session. Please check out our Services page for more information.

Can I drop off my paper for editing?

No. The Writing Center is not an editing service. Our service focuses on improving your writing skills and practices through learning sessions that help you recognize and correct your own errors. 

Can I get assistance over the phone?

To improve the quality of the dialogue between the writer and consultant, we ask that you come in for a session or schedule an online appointment.

Can you tell me if my paper is good?

Many writers just want to know if the paper (or the thesis, style, etc.) is any good. We understand this concern, so our approach is to help you evaluate your own work. If you want to know, for example, whether your conclusion is good, we may brainstorm what good conclusions are supposed to do. Learning how to evaluate your own writing is an extremely valuable tool that will help you every time you write. However, we cannot predict the grade you will make on the paper. First and most important, doing so would undermine the authority of your instructor. Second, your instructor's evaluation of your paper may be based on class-specific factors that do not present themselves in the work that you bring to us.