Writing consultation
In a writing consultation, certified writing tutors support you in all matters around the writing process and support you in finding sustainable and individual solutions. A consultation usually takes approximately 45 minutes. We offer consultations in German, English and several other languages. Writing consultation is a free offer for students, doctoral candidates and other members of TU Darmstadt.
Our tutors have received training and they are certified writing tutors.
Their backgrounds are diverse in terms of subjects as well as level of qualification (e.g. BA, MA or LaG students, doctoral candidates, PostDocs, technical staff). This diversity enables us to make sure that nearly everybody can have their consultation on a peer-level.
Consultation at SchreibCenter is free of charge for all members of TU Darmstadt.
A consultation takes approximately 45 minutes. For doctoral candidates, it is approximately 60 minutes.
Yes, please make an appointment with our web form:
You can also come to our open consultation hours on Fridays 12 to 2 p.m. on Skype. Simply contact our Skype account “SchreibCenter TU 1” by 1:45 p.m. and a writing tutor will answer.
No, at SchreibCenter we also have severals writing tutors with English language skills and we are happy to support you if you are writing a text in English (or another language).
On demand, we also offer consultations in several other languages.
- Support in the conception and writing of all scientific texts (BA and MA thesis, seminar paper, essay, protocol, doctoral thesis, etc.)
- Advice on applications for jobs, scholarships, internships, etc. (cover letter, letter of motivation, CV)
- Feedback on sections or paragraphs of texts
- Help with writing in a foreign language (German, English, Chinese and several other languages)
- Possible topics for a writing consultation include:
- Identification and delimitation of topics
- Developing a question
- Reading strategies and dealing with literature
- Getting started with writing
- Structuring scientific texts
- Time management and self-management
- Revision strategies
- Overcoming writing obstacles and other writing difficulties
These are some topics that we can work on with you during writing consultation.
No, a writing consultation is not a substitute for appointments with your supervisors or teachers. Writing consultation focusses on text production and aims at improving your personal writing skills, which is what our writing tutors are trained for. We cannot address questions with regards to your area of study or your professional background. However, we gladly support you when you prepare for an appointment with your supervisor or teacher.
Our tutors gladly take a look at parts of your text in order to give you feedback on structure, comprehensibility, scientific style, etc. We may address systematical problems in spelling and punctuation as well and show you how you can work on that independently. We do not proofread texts, as we aim for capacity building in supporting your self-improvement in your writing competences.
If you already have produced texts, sections of texts, bullet points, an outline for your paper, drafts, ideas, thoughts, questions, bring them along with you, although this is not strictly necessary. Our writing tutors can use them for the conversation about your projects.
We do not read any texts before the consultation, so there is no need for you to send us anything beforehand.
Our goal is to give you strategies, methods, and techniques to use individually at home and adapt to your personal needs and working routines, so that you may not need writing consultation eventually. However, there is no limit on how many times you can come to us.
Yes, we also offer writing consultation and writing coaching specifically for doctoral candidates. Please make an appointment with us via email.
Workshops
No, the workshops that take place on Wednesdays while the university is in session are free of charge for all members of TU Darmstadt. There is no need to register.
The primary target group of our workshops are BA and MA students. If a workshop is targeted to a more specific group, you will find this information in the workshop description on our website.
Generally speaking, however, our workshops are intended for anyone who is interested in or the respective topic – students, doctoral candidates and employees. A workshop on how to structure a text has, for example, not only helped students, but also employees working on their reports or proposals.
You do not need to bring anything to our workshops, but it might be beneficial to bring texts or sections you have already written, if you have any. That way, you may directly work on them while attending the workshop.
Further education
We offer the further education program “Schreibberatung und Schreibtraining” to members of TU Darmstadt free of charge. We train all our writing tutors in this program.
Find out more about the program on our website and write to us if you have any questions or if you are interested working for SchreibCenter as a writing tutor.
The program requires a proficiency in German of B2 or more.
Online Writing Lab
You can refer to our online writing tutorials according to the following example:
- Drucker, Donna (2015): Cover Letters (English). Last revised in Jan. 2020, Ute Henning. Online Writing Lab, SchreibCenter at the Language Resource Center, TU Darmstadt. 12 pp. https://www.owl.tu-darmstadt.de/media/owl/responsive_design/owl_anleitungen_pdf/0058_English_Cover_Letters_2020-02.pdf, 27 Oct 2020.
You can refer to a particular writing technique or exercise as follows:
- SchreibCenter at the Language Resource Center: Instant proposal. Online Writing Lab, TU Darmstadt. 1 p. https://www.owl.tu-darmstadt.de/media/owl/schreibtechniken_und__uebungen/Blitzexpose_eng.pdf, 27 Oct 2020.