Motivated to succeed on a paper or research project? Whether you’re feeling completely lost or just stuck on how to best organize your thoughts, the Writing Center provides free assistance to students from all disciplines with one-on-one tutoring on a walk-in basis. English faculty will walk you carefully through the mechanics of writing, provide training in grammar, punctuation and usage, offer feedback on your work, and help you understand errors on graded papers.
Writing Center Services
At the Writing Center, we want you to get a higher grade on the assignment you've brought to us. More importantly, we want you to improve your writing and learn the concepts that will enable you to get higher grades on all your subsequent assignments. The Writing Center is a beneficial resource for every student. Learn more about how our writing consultants can help you.
What Writing Consultants Will Do
- Read some of your work and indicate problems in unity, coherence, grammar, punctuation and mechanics
- Teach you how to repair errors
- Guide you through the process of developing a thesis statement
- Share proofreading strategies that you can employ on your own
- Help you assess if you have documented your research-based paper correctly (APA or MLA style)
- Raise questions regarding conformity with assignments
What Writing Consultants Will Not Do
- Proofread or edit your paper for you
- Make any marks or corrections on your paper
- Approve, grade or evaluate your work
- Certify that your paper is free of plagiarism
Help with Transfer Essays and Personal Statements
The Writing Center is happy to assist with transfer essays and other personal statements for admissions, scholarships, awards and contests. Members of the public, as well as students enrolled at AACC, are welcome to use our Zoom on Demand and in-person services. Begin the process of writing an effective transfer essay or personal statement by watching this instructional video.
When to Come
As often as you wish, but at least one full day before an assignment is due (so you have time to make the suggested revisions)
What to Bring
Know the items and information you will need in order to have a successful visit.
- Your assignment sheet
- A typed, double-spaced draft of your paper (if you are at that stage of the writing process)
- A pen or pencil for making corrections on your draft
- Specific questions
- Your seven-digit student ID
- Your instructor's name
- Your course number
What to Expect
- A 30-minute individual session with a writing consultant focusing on the area(s) that you identify including thesis/topic sentences, style, organization, grammar/punctuation and documentation. (During peak times you might need to wait for the next available writing consultant.)
- The writing consultant will go through some of your paper with you, focusing on the area(s) that you indicated on the intake form (thesis/topic sentences, style, organization, grammar/punctuation, documentation or other).
- Online follow-up activities for skill development can be assigned, if applicable and desired.
Writing Resources
The AACC Writing Center is proud to offer tutorials on key Composition topics: Prewriting and Outlining, Introductions and Conclusions, Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences, and Transitions. These tutorials can be accessed through the Virtual Writing Center.
Frequently Asked Questions
For additional help related to the AACC Writing Center (virtual or otherwise), see our Frequently Asked Questions.
Other Online Resources
Skill Development
The Grammar Bytes site offers interactive exercises, handouts, videos and tips.
Our Mission
We strive to provide our students with welcoming environments that offer opportunities for you to improve your writing skills, ask questions and raise your grade on future writing assignments.
AACC's Writing Centers will:
- Provide you with customized one-on-one tutoring with faculty in multiple formats to accommodate you.
- Teach concepts rather than edit essays so that you can obtain transferable skills rather than just earning a higher grade on a specific paper.
- Provide assistance to current, former, and prospective students; faculty and staff; and our community at large.
- Assist with written assignments in college courses, skill development, resumés, cover letters, essays for admission or scholarships and personal writing.
- Assist in all disciplines, both credit and non-credit courses.
- Promote engagement, retention and completion by forming relationships with students and serving as a bridge to other services.
