History Writing Resource Center

Scheduling a Consultation

Consultations are scheduled on the hour, rather than the half-hour, and last up to fifty minutes. Please call or for details and to set up an appointment.

CONSULTATION POLICIES

* We DO NOT make initial appointments for papers due on the same day as the appointment. If you have already worked on the paper with a consultant, you may make a return appointment to go over your final revisions on the day the paper is due. HWRC consultations are about improving the student as a writer, not editing individual papers. We have found that students who come in at the last minute for a quick proof of their work tend to take time away from students serious about improving their writing over the long run.

* Generally, we will limit the number of consultations on any single assignment to three (3) per student. History Writing Center consultants may waive this restriction if they deem it necessary on an individual basis. This policy is designed to insure that as many students as possible who need help will have access to the Center.

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR CONSULTATION

*Plan ahead. Schedule an appointment as soon as you can after you receive the assignment. Don’t count on finding an available consultant whenever you walk in.

*Bring the assignment you're working on or a sample of your writing. Come with any relevant materials you have—assignment sheet from the faculty, notes, rough draft, an outline, visual aids, books, etc.

*Take an active role in your consultation. Before you come, think over particular writing problems you encounter, and let the consultant know what concerns you most.

*Try our Writing Process Exercise before your consultation.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM THE HWRC

*Individual help with your writing difficulties—writer's block, research methods, organization, revision strategies, proper format, the passive voice, thesis statements, etc.

*Assistance at any stage of writing, from generating ideas to polishing the final product, and with any type of history writing project, from book reviews to research papers to theses.

*A compatible, competent consultant. All of the center's consultants are advanced history graduate students who are very familiar with all of the types of history papers assigned in the department. If you feel you could work better with another consultant, simply ask us to reassign you.

WHAT YOU SHOULD NOT EXPECT FROM THE HWRC

*An editing service where you sit back and relax while we do the writing for you. We want to help you work independently.

*A perfect paper. One session is rarely enough time to address every writing problem or issue. The real goal of a consultation is to help you become a better writer, a process which happens gradually.

EXCELLENCE IN WRITING IS HARD WORK, BUT IT IS CRUCIAL TO YOUR SUCCESS AT WILLIAM & MARY AND IN THE FUTURE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.