By Erin Catherall
So your professor tells your class he wants MLA formatting for your paper, and all that is running through your head is “huh? MLA? Citation formatting? What?” Well it is time for you to check-out UBC’s Writing Centre. This amazing resource will help you build the necessary skills to become a stronger writer.
The UBC Writing Centre is a resource available to all undergraduate students. This centre provides one-on-one tutoring for students wishing to develop their thesis statements, grammar, essay formatting, and overall writing skills. In addition, this service provides assistance for English as a Second Language (ESL) students currently studying for their Language Proficiency Index (LPI) exams.
Eager to find out more, CASS decided to drop in for some essay writing help. Armed with only a half-written essay, I was kindly introduced to tutor Paloma Pacheco, and was invited in. We began by discussing topics students commonly require help with.
“We get everything from students who are working on outlines, those not knowing how to begin, to students who come in with papers that have already been marked or even in-class essays where professors make students see tutors for help with grammar, structuring, and writing” said Paloma.
Paloma points out however, that the tutorial clinic does not proofread or edit students’ work. The purpose of the Writing Centre is to help students improve their writing skills so that they can have the confidence to edit and proofread their own work.
Recounting my own struggles with writing my paper, Paloma advised me to start by jotting my ideas down on a piece of paper. This technique not only helps students visually see what they are trying to argue, but it also helps them with essay outlining and general structuring. It is also helpful to have a friend look over your paper prior to submission. An objective perspective might provide insight into an idea a student may otherwise not have considered. This could allow for a more well-rounded and convincing argument in a paper.
“If students are having problems with really long paragraphs, we usually try to work with them in terms of organizing their ideas. It is good to have an objective perspective to get some feedback. We recommend students having a friend look over their papers before they come here, that way they have a better idea of what needs to be worked on” said Paloma.
As Paloma continued to help me with my assignment, she said that one of the most common issues students have with writing is citations and paraphrasing. It is very important that students know that paraphrasing a text and directly quoting a text both require a citation. It easy for students to make the mistake of only citing a quote, but not citing a paraphrased sentence. The Writing Centre offers many valuable handouts for students that provide information on the various citation formats—MLA, Chicago, APA etc. In addition, the centre also offers exercises for students studying for the LPI exam.
“A lot of students come here to get help for studying for the LPI exam. We have exercises for students that might not necessarily have a paper. We have a LPI study book, handouts on sentence structuring, as well as some really good examples of essays—level 4 and level 5. It is sometimes helpful to point out what the differences are” said Paloma.
I was very impressed overall by the help I received at the UBC Writing Centre. Not only did I feel a little more confident about my paper but I also learned many valuable skills I will continue to use in writing my next essay. For all those students currently working on or thinking about their final term papers, I strongly advise signing up for a tutorial session. This 50 minute one-on-one session could make all the difference and help you get that dream grade you have been waiting for!
For more information on the UBC Writing Centre checkout: http://www.writingcentre.ubc.ca/
