February 3, 2017
鶹ý provides students with a lot of different opportunities, one which is employment. Students have working with WARC have the chance to grow professionally and gain work experience before they enter the post-graduation workforce. Daria Chebakova, a junior in Journalism and Mass Communications and a student tutor with WARC, shares her experience:
“As a writing tutor at WARC, I help students who have difficulties with their writing, primarily students from FYS classes. Spring 2016, I took a course called “Composition Theory and Pedagogy,” in which I learned how to help people write more effectively. I applied to be a WARC writing tutor soon thereafter, and in September I began tutoring. Because most of the students I tutor come from FYS classes, I have continued to read FYS textbooks, helping me develop my critical thinking through Plato, Socrates etc. I’m also growing by listening to the different perspectives the tutees bring to the table. Sometimes they have very fresh and unique ideas, I hadn’t thought about before. It is not difficult to find a balance between studying and working. I hope it does not come across as arrogant, but good time management has really helped. I know what exactly I need to be doing each hour. That way, I can plan everything ahead of time. I always advise my tutees to have a daily diary where they write their commitments and plans. When we talk about the writing process, you need to manage your time in such way that you will have time to write several drafts and the final product.”
The WARC’s primary mission is to help students succeed in their courses across the curriculum, and in particular, in writing-intensive courses with the help of formally trained peer tutors. The WARC’s secondary mission is to support faculty across the curriculum in enhancing their writing pedagogy skills and assisting to create writing assignments that help students meet course learning outcomes. Central to the WARC’s mission is the belief that developing a culture of writing, rhetoric, and active engagement in the learning process is one of the most fundamental aims of a liberal arts education. Besides free peer tutoring, the WARC also provides workshops and other assistance with writing that is relevant to students’ academic and professional pursuits, such as scholarship essays, personal statements, and other components of employment, graduate school, and scholarship applications.