About the Writing Center @ CAPS

Working on an essay? Having trouble getting started on a term paper? Need to write up an application for a job, a UNM college, or graduate school? Having trouble with essay exams?

These are all great reasons to come see a writing tutor at CAPS. Our services aren't linked to any one area of writing, but rather provide support for all of the ways in which you, as a UNM student, use writing as a tool.

Tutoring in the Writing Center @ CAPS can take any of a number of different forms, depending on what will be most useful for you, and can be geared towards any stage in the writing process- from coming up with ideas, to putting the final touches on a piece of writing. For students who are struggling with how to respond to a particular essay prompt, it can be very helpful to talk though their thoughts with a tutor, who can help students to formulate their ideas and think of possible approaches to the assignment. Tutors can also help students to work between drafts, diagnosing problem areas and indicating the direction toward the next stage in the revision process.

What you can expect in a session

The goal of all tutors in the Writing Center is to provide tutees with tools that will enable them to more effectively work independently. In appointments, tutors will generally try to steer discussion towards 'deeper' issues (e.g., organization, thesis, argumentation), focusing on 'surface' issues (spelling, grammar, etc.) only after these have been addressed.

It's easy to think of a writing tutor as a proofreader, but students should bear in mind that the goal of tutors at CAPS is to send students away with skills that they'll be able to use in future collegiate and professional writing.

This being the case, tutors won't proofread papers for students. They are, however, more than happy to help students to identify patterns in the types of errors that they are making, to work on specific grammatical issues, and to coach students in the use of tools that will enable them to become better editors and proofreaders.

When you come in

The more we know about what you're working on, the more we can help.

When you come in to your appointment, bring everything you have related to the piece of writing that you're working on. If you have a prompt, bring it with you, and also bring anything you've done so far- drafts, outlines, or just notes and ideas you've jotted down.

Note: We also provide writing resources for graduate students.