The Writing Center is one of the many learning spaces that NYU Abu Dhabi offers its students as a means of academic support outside of the classroom. Located inside the library, it is a tutoring space that is designed to facilitate and enhance pedagogies of writing, and to provide students with support at all stages of the writing process. While students may have interacted with the Writing Center during their mandatory First Year Writing Seminars, it remains an underutilized resource that many are unaware of. The services of the center revolve around one-on-one consultation sessions with peer tutors and Writing instructors that students may book in advance. During these sessions students may address a wide variety of questions and concerns. Here is a breakdown of the kind of help the Writing Center provides:

Writing Consultations - for academic writing, scientific writing, cover letters, CV language, applications and creative projects (really anything that involves putting words on a page).

Speaking Consultations - practicing for interviews, presentations and reviewing speeches.

Curated Workshops - on writing mechanics, specialized forms of written work and more. They are always open to suggestions and can cater sessions to student demand.

Clarification of academic expectations - this may involve debriefing and breaking down feedback from faculty and understanding how to approach various types of written assignments.

Brainstorming - making essay plans, strategizing large research projects and breaking down application timelines and deliverables.

Sustained Language Support - for anyone who feels they need help navigating the language of academic writing.

Summer Scholars Program - to support long term writing projects that students may be working on to develop their academic or creative writing skills.

Writing Partners program - for semester-long support to facilitate long term projects.

Capstone Support - for the various types of written requirements across all disciplines.

Photo courtesy of Shyalina Muthumudalige

The Writing Center also facilitates a structured Peer Tutoring program under the umbrella of the Student Assistantship program which provides employment and training opportunities for keen and interested students. If you are interested in becoming a tutor, keep an eye out for the hiring announcement on Handshake (typically posted at the end or start of an academic year) and feel free to reach out to any current tutors to learn more about the role. The peer tutor cohort is always from disciplines and majors across the board in order to ensure a wide variety of expertise and guidance. In order to make use of any of the resources offered, students are encouraged to book a consultation with a tutor of their choosing via the nyuad.mywconline.com platform where you can access the schedule for the current semester and browse through tutor bios before choosing an appointment that best fits your needs. During working hours (typically 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. although subject to change) you can also show up for walk-in appointments, depending on availability. For special programs and assistance aside from consultations, students can contact the writing center through their email alias nyuad.writingcenter@nyu.edu. Make sure to follow them on Instagram and Facebook to ensure you’re kept up to date with all of the exciting programming they have in store for this semester!