Writing Assistance

What to Expect

• Writing Fellows do not proofread your writing for mistakes; instead, they actively engage you in a collaborative effort to enhance your writing.
• Because dialogue is key to our work, Writing Fellows will read your project during your time together. Writing Fellows will not read your writing before or after the session.
• Writing Fellows are not necessarily familiar with the content of your classes. Their role is to help you articulate your ideas and structure your arguments effectively.
• Writing Fellows can work on the same assignment with you a maximum of three times.
• Students can make two appointments in each 7-day window. If you need additional help, attend a drop-in hour!
• For a take-home exam, Writing Fellows will only help you if you have written permission from your instructor.
• For a group project, Writing Fellows will only discuss the writing of group members who are present at the appointment.
• Students are responsible for respectfully engaging with our resources, including being courteous to their peers and staffs and abiding by all student conduct policies.

Cancellation & Missed Appointments

• To cancel an appointment, send an email to wfellows@bu.edu at least 24 hours prior to the appointment. This way, other students will have the time to book that slot.
• If you cancel with less than 24-hours notice, or simply do not show up to your appointment, it will count as “missed” appointment. If you miss two appointments in one semester, you will need to meet with an ERC staff member before you can book further appointments. “Missed” appointments reset to zero with each semester.
• If you believe you were erroneously marked “missed,” please email wfellows@bu.edu.

With any questions, issues making an appointment or other concerns, please email wfellows@bu.edu.

If you need help making an appointment on TracCloud, please see this step-by-step guide.

If you are an instructor interested in referring a specific student for suppot, please submit the following form.

AI & Research Generative AI can be a powerful assistant to your research when used conscientiously and effectively. In this workshop, we’ll discuss practical strategies and guidelines on how to make the best use of AI to save time and effort on your research without compromising academic integrity

Avoiding Plagiarism & Integrating Sources Sure, we all know plagiarism is bad, but why is it bad and how do I avoid it? This workshop trains you in responsible scholarship practices and provides tips & tricks for effectively integrating sources into your writing, so that your words & insights shine.

Dissertation Writing Strategies Whether you’re fresh off the prospectus trying to figure out what comes next, deep into your third chapter and desperate for a change of pace or just generally striving to make the dissertation phase less opaque and more approachable, join us to discuss how to brainstorm, draft and revise the components of your dissertation! Dissertating is a unique challenge – so come get unique solutions!

Editing Strategies From authors writing NYT bestsellers to friends texting in the groupchat, every person and every project benefits from editing. If you’re struggling to evaluate your own writing, or you’re likely to turn in your very first draft, or you’re invested in bolstering your editorial knowledge, join us for this workshop covering tips & tricks on how to successfully revise & proofread your own writing. From your emails to your term papers, leveling up your editing game will transform your writing and your confidence as a writer!

Handling Feedback It can be hard to receive constructive criticism, even when we know it’s how we build a better writing practice. And yet, the personalized, targeted feedback you receive is one of the most valuable offerings of your entire education – so let’s tap into that treasure trove together! If you’re prone to checking your letter grade and ignoring all the comments, or you feel overwhelmed looking at so much red pen, or you just want to expand your toolkit, come to this workshop to find out more on how to effectively engage with feedback on your writing.

Publishing What makes for a strong abstract? How do you submit to a journal? Which types of publications make the most sense to pursue? When is my work ready to publish and how can I best convey its significance to prospective editors & readers? Publishing can be an intimidating process, so come learn tips for navigating this essential part of your professional development!

Sharpening Your Personal Statement When you’re writing a personal statement, you have just a page or two to tell your story – what should you include? What should you not include? What message do you want to convey, and how do you get there without falling into cliche? In this workshop, we demystify the genre of the personal statement and provide tips for drafting and editing yours.  

Thesis Writing Strategies Your thesis is an exciting chance to dive into your scholarly interests and demonstrate the depth of your academic work, but writing it demands significant energy, care and persistence. Whether you’re in the final stages or still figuring out your argument, join us to learn successful strategies for each step of this project–and for some pizza to keep you going! 

Writing a College Paper What is a college paper? What does it look like?  What are the best ways to approach, organize and write one? And who can help? This workshop answers all these questions & more! Whether you’re new to BU, a junior taking your first essay-based course, or want a refresher, join us for insights into approaching the college paper.

Writing a Conference Paper Conferencing is key to success in graduate studies and beyond, but how do we transform our research into a digestible talk that will engage our listeners in our work? How do we empower ourselves to be confident speakers? And, especially, how do we limit our nerves? In this workshop, we consider the particular goals of a conference paper and how to reach them.

Writing a Seminar Paper Do you find yourself dreading the seminar paper? Is it your first time writing one? Or have you written several and are still looking to sharpen them, perhaps into something publishable?  This workshop identifies insights on successfully approaching this unique graduate-level assignment.

Have an idea for a workshop that’s not on this list? Email us! We’re always excited to expand the support we can provide.