Whether you are a student wishing to become the next Langston Hughes or just looking for a better grade on your class assignments, the Writing Center and Reading Center have moved and are still helping students reach their potential in the Farrington Building (AB III), room 111.
Both the Writing and Reading Centers have been apart of the Sam Houston State University campus since fall of 2002 and have been moved because of campus expansion.
“We moved because there are construction plans for the Wilson-Frels building, and they relocated the tutoring centers on campus here in the Farrington building,” Said Writing Center tutor, Jose de la Garza.
The Writing and Reading Centers boast a new layout that includes cubicles for personal tutoring, new furniture and offers more space than the older location in the Wilson-Frels building.
“I think the move was a good thing; it is definately a plus for the writing center and overall more appealing to students,” said de la Garza.
The Writing Center specializes in helping students develop the skills necessary to become a solid college level writer through one-on-one help with a tutor or in small groups.
Students who are not affiliated with the English department can also benefit because the Writing Center also extends their hand to help with assignments other than English composition essays.
“We have people from different majors come in and ask for help but a large percentage of students are English majors,” de la Garza said.
Students having trouble with foreign language classes can benefit from foreign language tutors with expertise in French, German and Spanish.
“Spanish comes easy to me, and I thought it would be a good idea to become a tutor,” said second year tutor, Mauricio Rivas. He added “It makes me feel good knowing I’m helping someone out.”
Although most teachers do not require a visit to the Writing Center, teachers in the English department encourage students to visit the Writing Center for class work.
“We do more than just check for grammar and punctuation mistakes; we also give second opinions and suggestions to help improve the student’s paper,” said de la Garza. He added, “Most importantly, everyone can use a proofreader.”
The Reading Center assists students with effective reading strategies. The Reading Center also assists students whose first language was one other than English.
“We get a lot of international students that come in and ask for help,” said Reading Center tutor, Rejitha Nair. She added, “The biggest problem for international students is the transition between cultures and grasping the context of the English language, which is what we do here.”
The Writing and Reading Centers are open and accepting appointments and walk-ins on Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Friday from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. and Sunday from 2 p.m.-7p.m.
To schedule an appointment at the Writing or Reading Centers, call (936) 294-3680 or for more information send e-mails to wctr@shsu.edu.