Zend Lakdavala tutors Student Iman Roshan at the writing center
By Fabiola Marzano
Take advantage of programs offered at the College of Southern Nevada at no additional cost. One program in particular is the writing center. This is a place students can go to perfect their writing skills.
The writing center offers tutoring assistance for students to work on: understanding assignment prompts, perfecting the writing process, building skills in academic research, learning how to format papers, and other helpful tools.
According to last year’s writing center survey, taken at the Henderson campus, hundreds of students visited the lab seeking assistance to improve their grades and become better writers. Nearly 40 percent sought help with grammar, 32 percent with thesis development, 27 percent with punctuation and 44 percent sought help with APA and MLA formatting styles.
“The writing center offers a place where knowledgeable and trained writing assistants work one-on-one with the students. What really helps is to have that one person available who knows what your teacher is looking for, who knows the requirements for your assignments, and can help meet your needs and offer guidance,” said Robyn Rohde, writing center manager.
Students find the time they spent at the lab fruitful.
Ollie Swenson, CSN student, said, “The first time I went there they helped me put everything together and because of that I got an A on my paper!” Students like Swenson work on: thesis generation, grammar and mechanics, and structure. “I want to go back; they break it down in the simplest terms. They help you a lot,” Swenson said.
The center helped me with my papers, especially with my coherency, said Louis Phang, who is now a writing assistant. “They’ve given me some input, some feedback, and even some suggestions, which really helped me a lot.”
The writing center started a new program by hiring specialists who help in various fields including: philosophy, nursing, chemistry, criminal justice, literature, among others.
Additionally, the writing center is improving its abilities to serve students who are English second-language learners. Rohde works with the ESL department to strategize ways to help students who struggle with the language.
The center also helps with scholarships, resumes, cover letters, and college applications.
“We help with anything that keeps you in school and that transitions you out of school,” Rohde said.
Students should take advantage of the services at the writing center. The writing center has three locations: Charleston, Cheyenne, and Henderson campuses. Open hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For additional information go to http://www.csn.edu/pages/1688.asp.
Coyote Student News at the College of Southern Nevada 