FAQ

Who goes to the Writing Studio?

Anyone from the Georgia State University community is welcome to the Writing Studio. Many writers, both experienced and inexperienced, find it useful to talk about what they’re writing and get feedback. The dialogue process between writers and tutors helps writers clarify, focus, and organize their ideas.

But isn’t the Writing Studio just for English classes?

The Writing Studio isn’t just for English classes—students from any class at GSU can come to the Writing Studio! We can work with you on research papers, speech outlines, response essays, lab reports, creative writing, proposals, personal essays, resumes, application essays, and more! In the past year, we’ve worked with students across various disciplines and levels of writing!

How do I schedule an appointment?

Go to the Writing Studio Homepage (or go directly to https://gsu.mywconline.net/) and follow the directions there.

 

What do I bring? 

It is preferable that you bring your assignment sheet if you have one. Many professors provide students with an assignment sheet or prompt. Talking with someone else about your assignment sheet can help you figure out what’s expected on an assignment and can help you devise a plan for completing it. Bring a draft (hardcopy or digital) if you have one. If not, bring ideas. Most important, bring a positive attitude about working with another reader on your writing. 

What if the Writing Studio is completely booked?

If you are having trouble finding an open appointment because we’re all booked up, consider coming by the Studio for a walk-in appointment. If a scheduled student is 5-minutes late to their appointment time, they will be marked as a “no-show.” You can ask the desk clerk to add your name to the newly opened timeslot and have an appointment.  

Will my professor know I visited the Writing Studio?

To protect your rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (aka FERPA), we do not discuss your appointment with anyone outside of the Writing Studio. Your professor cannot ask for notification or confirmation of your visit with us. If you have questions or concerns about this issue, please contact our administrators at writing@gsu.edu

How often can I come? How long is my appointment?

Undergraduate appointments are 25 minutes, and Graduate appointments are 55 minutes. You can sign up for one session a day, Monday-Friday. You can also try to drop in for appointments, but priority will be given to writers with appointments. Any student who is five-minutes late will lose their appointment slot, which may then be assigned to a walk-in.

What if I need to cancel my appointment?

That’s fine. However, we ask that you cancel your appointment ahead of time so that another writer can use that appointment spot. To cancel your appointment, log-in at https://gsu.mywconline.net, click on your appointment (it will be a gold/orange box) and click on “cancel appointment” at the bottom. If you do not show up for your appointment and do not cancel ahead of time, you will be marked as a “no-show.” If you accrue three no-shows, you will lose your appointment privileges for the rest of the year. We take no-shows very seriously, so please remember to cancel your appointment ahead of time!

Can I just drop my paper off so someone can correct my mistakes?

No! The idea of the Writing Studio is that you work with another person to improve your writing. We will not write or edit a piece of text for you. Our tutors will discuss your writing with you, show you some proofreading techniques, and work through the writing process with you.

Do the tutors give grades? Will I get a better grade in my course if I go to the Writing Studio?

Writing Studio tutors do not give grades nor do they influence your professors in the grading process. Most students do find that their paper grades improve over time by coming to the Studio, but we don’t promise nor guarantee better grades. Students earn their grades and students remain the writers of their papers.