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What are drop-in hours at AWRL?
Drop-in hours are for faculty members concerned with their academic writing skills at any stage. Faculty can either contact ee.tu|relhu#relhU refinneJ to pre-set a topic and appointment during these hours or simply show up. Drop-in hours may be in the form of one-on-one tutorials, group writing meetings, or workshop-like seminars. The topics covered during drop-in hours will be determined by those faculty attending and coordinated with their writing needs and interests. No appointment is necessary for drop-in hours.
Why might I visit AWRL?
Writers might visit AWRL for drop-in hours, the virtual lab, or workshops
- to consult with a trained writing instructor
- to focus on particular areas or aspects of a piece of writing that the author has highlighted
- to concentrate on issues that surface in writing, ranging from larger, rhetorical concerns—organization, evidence and support for particular argumentation, syntheses of ideas—to more local grammatical concerns
- to read others' writing critically and offer feedback
- to talk about your writing and discuss ideas and strategies for writing
- to analyze published writing and become aware of successful/unsuccessful writing techniques
- to ask specific questions about troubling aspects of writing in a foreign language
- to become aware of resources available for academic writers
- to learn new strategies for becoming more effective autonomous writers in English
- to gain insight into your own work
- to network with other academic faculty writing or working in English
See AWRL policies for more details.
Who can drop in?
Teaching faculty at the University of Tartu interested in working on academic writing skills.
Who will consult me about my writing?
The instructor and AWRL tutor is an experienced language teacher and native speaker who has training in the teaching of academic writing; however, participants in AWRL will also consult with other writing lab participants about writing.
Where is the AWRL and when is it open?
Näituse 2-113, Tuesdays, 12-2 p.m.
I am not able to come every week. Is this a problem?
AWRL is not a writing course. It is rather a place to approach academic writing concerns as they arise in your work. Understood in this way, the writing lab is a form of faculty support meant to assist participants in understanding academic writing in English and increasing the number of strategies you have to be successful autonomous writers. This means you can drop-in for 30 minutes once in November and come again from once in March. The only exception to this flexible schedule might be pre-arranged workshops happening during the AWRL drop-in hours (you can check the workshop schedule).
My schedule does not allow me to come during the open hours. What can I do?
Contact ee.tu|relhu#rotcurtsni eht directly to make an appointment or take advantage of virtual lab hours.
I have only a quick question or a small concern. Should I come to AWRL drop-in hours?
Sure. Drop-in hours can be used for larger concerns and on-going work or to satisfy smaller questions. You may remember that the virtual lab is also available for your academic writing questions and concerns.
How can I prepare for drop-in hours?
The AWRL wants to help you with your writing—but you can assist in providing some thoughtful direction for your time in the lab. Here are some things you might consider before you come to AWRL:
- What are your goals? Think about what kind of help you really want from a tutor. Do you, for example, want to develop ideas, look at other texts, or ask questions about grammar? If you set a rough agenda of items you would like to cover during your visit, you can be sure to get the most out of the AWRL.
- What can you bring to the drop-in session? Bring along the call for papers, guidelines, and any work you’ve done so far. Even if you don’t have any material yet, bring your questions and concerns.
- Does your draft satisfy your writing assignment or project? You might list some characteristics your paper should have in order to fulfill the purposes of your writing task. You may also consider how your draft meets the expectations of your readership.
- Which sections of your draft do you find problematic and would like to concentrate on? Highlight sections of your paper. Write down your questions. They can be very helpful. If you can pinpoint specific sections or sentences in your draft, you won't have to wait for the instructor to find them. Both the instructor and faculty participant can use their time more efficiently and effectively so that more areas can be covered.
- What comments and suggestions have been made on other papers that you've written or submitted for publication? You can significantly cut down your writing and revising workload and can use the AWRL more efficiently by reviewing past comments and thinking critically about the current writing project. If you’ve received unclear or confusing commentary, bring the comments to drop-in hours to discuss with the instructor.
