Meet tutor, Elisabeth Hawkins, and get to know more about the Writing Center.
Her Campus: Hi Elizabeth! Thank you for meeting with us!
Elisabeth Hawkins: No problem! I’m happy to be here.
HC: So tell us, does a Writing Center tutor need to be from a certain major?
EH: No, not at all! While I happen to be an English literature major, there are many other writing center tutors with many different backgrounds including economics, Spanish and psychology.
HC: Are you involved in any other clubs on campus?
EH: I am not a member of any club necessarily, but I am a member of the Women’s Lacrosse team here at DePauw.
HC: How do you balance your work and study time?
EH: I tend to write down everything I have due within a week in a planner, everything from practice, work and homework, but I also think it is important to have some free time. I like to look ahead and see which night I can take off.
HC: How do you revise your personal essays? Do you go to the Writing Center and have others help you, or do you revise it by yourself?
EH: I think the Writing Center is an awesome resource, and I try to use it as much as possible. I do revise my own papers as well, but I think having a peer look over your work is very beneficial.
HC: What do you think of your job as a writing tutor? Do you think students should go to the Writing Center for help?
EH: I love working at the Writing Center, and I think many of the other tutors feel the same way. Because of this, each tutor is dedicated to helping any student who desires to better their writing. I think students can really benefit from not only the tutor’s passion and commitment, but also their experience. Each tutor was initially recommended by a professor, was then interviewed, hired and had to then take a half credit course, making these students a group of extraordinary tutors and writers, or at least, I like to think so.
HC: Have you ever met students that you don’t know how to help?
EH: There have been instances where either the subject matter of a paper, or perhaps a certain topic has been out of my comfort zone; however, those are usually the papers I become the most invested in. The student ends up teaching me more than I was able to help them, which is part of the fun of being a tutor, but I also think it really helps the student. Sometimes teaching someone else a subject that is hard to grasp can give you a better understanding of the topic.
HC: If there is a problem that you can’t figure out, or you are not sure about it, what do you do?
EH: I think there are times when I have become stumped when writing a paper, and in those moments I walk away from the essay or text (for a little while). Sometimes I go to the gym, and I will suddenly become inspired and figure out what I want to say or write in a paper. Other times it is more difficult, and I talk to a friend or another student who is in the same class or even meet with the professor to talk about ideas. Sometimes talking about ideas with others can really help you figure out where or why you got stuck.
HC: Could you give us some advice for writing, maybe what you suggest to students who come to the Writing Center?
EH: Everyone goes about writing in different ways: some like to word vomit, some like to make sure every sentence is perfect as they go along, others have to write their paper in order and some like to save the introduction for last. Even though students tackle writing differently, I think it is important for all students to give themselves time when writing papers, which is easier said than done. A week before it is due, check out the prompt and think about what you might want to write. Think about whether or not you want to make an appointment at the Writing Center, and make a reasonable goal of when your paper can be complete. Then, always, go back and reread your paper before you turn it in!
HC: Thank you so much!