The center is located inVan Wylen Library, to the right of the research help desk. We offer one-on-one settings with our writing assistants (on either a drop-in or appointment basis); we also offer seminars and workshops throughout the year, and we point you to additional resources to help with your writing. Our staff collaborates with Van Wylen Library research librarians to provide assistance and instruction across the entire research and writing process. Stop by anytime during open hours, ormake an appointment.

What happens during an appointment

The pencil is in your hand! During appointments, our friendly writing assistants (WAs) will work alongside you throughout the writing process.

• Together you and the WA identify your writing goals, for this paper and beyond
• The WA reads your paper, either aloud or silently — your choice!
• You and the WA have a conversation about the paper, addressing your questions and concerns
• The WA writes up notes from the appointment and can let your professor know you came in
• You can make another appointment for this paper and others

We’re not all English Majors

Our writing assistants are Hope College students studying subjects across the disciplines: sciences, social sciences, and arts and humanities. If you’d like, you can specifically request a writing assistant who is experienced in your major or minor courses! And even if you’re an English Major yourself, you can still come into the writing center. We work with students at all levels of writing. In fact, our writing assistants bring their own papers in for help from their fellow WAs!

Visit us during any stage of the writing process

We work with you throughout the entire process of writing your paper. We help with:

• Understanding the assignment
• Generating ideas
• Generating a thesis statement
• Outlining your paper
• Writing your first draft
• Revising your work
• Finalizing the paper for submission

We can help with your reflective essay, book review, research paper, application essay, lab report, grant proposal, analysis, personal statement and more!