Student Success Center
It’s the time of year when students binge on coffee and spend every waking moment in the Library, hoping to cram a semester’s worth of studying into a single evening. This special time of year is also known as Final Exam Week, and it’s the time for students to get all the help they can on that last paper. Who better to ask for help than the AWC Writing Center?
The Writing Center is located on the northeast corner of the Yuma campus. Together with the Math Center, the two make up AWC’s Student Success Center, headed by Vanessa Natsewa
Natseway has served as Coordinator for the Student Success Center for 13 years, and she confided that certain issues always come up around Finals Week.
“Students will come in an hour before their paper is due and expect a quick fix,” Natseway says, adding that students will often expect tutors to do their homework for them.
“We get that on almost a daily basis,” she laughs, recounting one occasion when “a student had to watch these videos for a course, and wanted the tutor to sit and watch the videos with her.”
So what do the tutors do if students come in at the last minute? Natseway says they won’t be turned away, but there is a limit to what can be accomplished. She says that under those circumstances students shouldn’t expect to have their assignment done as well as they might like.
Natseway went on to explain that the Writing Center strives to help students become better writers by assisting them with the writing process rather than editing a finished paper. She says that a common misconception is that the Center provides proofreading services.
“We’re here to help the writer, not fix the writing,” she says. “Writing is about the process, not the product.”
While the Center might not be able to edit papers, students can still receive help with outlining a paper or formulating a thesis. They don’t have to worry about being ridiculed, either, Natseway assures.
“My favorite thing [about the center] is that it’s a judgment-free zone,” she says. “We’re here to help.”
The Writing Center offers tutoring in most courses outside of English. Other topics include theatre history, ASL, music appreciation, biology and many more. In addition, the center offers tutoring in person as well as via email and even online chats.
“Not many people know this, but we also have tutors at our San Luis and Somerton centers,” Natseway says.
During the academic year, the Writing Center also offers workshops in plagiarism, citation and more. These workshops are free and open to all AWC students and faculty.
While the Writing Center’s hours are not affected by final exams, students can still make appointments with tutors throughout the week. Priority is given to pre-scheduled appointments over walk-ins. With finals fast approaching, Natseway says the time to schedule an appointment is now.
Photo by Pam Black
