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Hi Writers!

We have almost made it to finals week! If you need any last minute assistance on any writing assignments, our hours for finals week are:

Monday 5/4: 12pm – 8pm (Closed 2:15-3:15 for team meeting)

Tuesday 5/5: 12pm – 8pm

Wednesday 5/6 12pm – 4pm

Good luck on finals, and be sure to finish strong, Marauders!

 

~Cameron

Hi, writers!

We’re getting SO close to the end of our Spring 2026 semester (those sunny, summer days are right around the corner). With so many projects, essays, and assignments to do, the Writing Center is an excellent resource to help mitigate your stress and amp up your work. We are open all week, Monday-Thursday from 12-8 pm and Friday from 12-4 pm. Hope to see you around!

~ Lauren

 

It probably comes as no surprise that our tutors love to read and write. But have you ever wondered our tutor’s favorite genre’s of writing are?

• Pierce declared that his favorite genre of writing is fantasy, of course!
• Mandi said that she has two favorite genres of writing, and they are creative writing and fiction.
• Rhia stated that her favorite genre of writing is fiction, in any sort
• Ari replied that they love romance, stating that they will take it all. They like to see characters fall in love even if it is a bit awkward at first.
• Sidney stated that her favorite genre is historical fiction, which makes a lot of sense for a History Education major!
• Cam responded saying that they enjoy both fiction and fantasy. They have a lot to talk about with both Pierce and Rhia!
• Lauren replied with the most genres out of anybody, saying that Romance, Fiction, and mystery/thrillers all all her favorites!

So those are some of our tutor’s favorite genre’s of writing, what are your favorite genres of writing?

Are movies EVER better than the books? Let’s see what our tutors think…

33% of our tutors who responded say…YES!

33% of our tutors say…sometimes?

And only 33% of our tutors say…NO!

Let’s hear their arguments…

• Pierce was one of our sometimes people; it all depends on whether you read the book first (which makes the movie worse) or if you watch the movie first (which makes the book worse).
• Mandi is one of our NO believers…she gave credit to some being better but most of the time, they’re not.
• Rhia says YES, and she even acknowledged that English majors keep that a secret from you all!
• Ari says it all depends…especially when the original book has the right idea with ZERO execution.
• Cam says MOST of the time they’re not…but they make some exceptions…what are those exceptions, Cam?
• Finally, Lauren confidently says yes, and she believes the people who say no are lying to themselves.

Our tutors are torn, but do you believe movies are better than the books? Which ones are?

~ Lauren

If our Writing Center tutors could be any book character…who would they be?

Pierce says he would probably be Winnie the Pooh. It’s unclear whether he said this because Pooh gets to live a life as a snuggly, laid-back bear, or if it’s because Pierce is just so lovable, too.

Mandi says she would be Belle from Beauty and the Beast. She would look beautiful in Belle’s big yellow dress! Mandi is also a bookworm who’s sweet and caring, just like Belle, so she’s basically Belle already.

Rhia, one of our student managers, would be Belly Conklin from The Summer I Turned Pretty. Belly is a very romantic dreamer. This may be Rhia, or maybe she’s just so enthralled by the Fisher brothers’ love triangle! A page turner, for sure.

Ari says they would be Olive Smith from The Love Hypothesis because they’re just such a hopeless romantic!

Cam says they would be Winnie the Pooh or Christopher Robin, but since Pierce already claimed Winnie, Cam could be his human companion in the story of Winnie the Pooh! Besties!

Finally, Lauren says she would be Katniss Everdeen (a.k.a me). I would be Katniss because of my fierce bravery…except I’m not fiercely brave, I just wish I could be as awesome as Katniss is.

If you could be any book character, who would you be? Why?

~ Lauren

 

Doubting your ideas, capabilities, and strengths is very normal, whether you’re a professional or academic writer. However, where this becomes a problem is when it hinders your motivation and ability to complete your work. I would like to share some insights about tips and tricks that work for me to push past the barriers that I often create for myself 🙂

1. View the feedback you get, whether from peers or professors, as a chance to grow not as a failure – as someone who tutors, when I give anyone who comes into the Writing Center feedback about the strengths or growth areas of their work, my feedback ALWAYS comes from a place of, “I want to help this person in any way I can,” not a place of, “I want to criticize their work.” It’s so easy to think that feedback or criticism undermines the work you thought was good, but writing is objective sometimes, so people see things differently than you. Take feedback with a grain of salt, and try your best to see it as an opportunity to get better, not an opportunity to tear yourself down.
2. Embrace that your ideas are unique to you – embrace your creativity and experiences. Don’t undermine the interest of your topic either, especially if it’s personal. I know that as someone who is going to be a future teacher, I can’t wait to see what all of my students will bring to the table when they write. And as an academic writer myself, I find it really easy to feel like my ideas are silly or not interesting enough. But if I feel confident with it, I am not going to worry about judgment, especially from peers, because it matters to ME.
3. Focus on your strengths as a writer, and use that as a tool to succeed – if your strength is grammar, voice, structure, prewriting, revising, researching, brainstorming, etc., then CAPITALIZE on them while you’re writing. View every writing opportunity as a way to show off what you are great at doing. And along the way, when you come across criticism or necessary areas of growth, then know that that just means you can now grow in those areas too and be a master of that domain too!

My biggest takeaway, I hope you all get from this, is that your trust in your own abilities matters more than anything. If you ever feel doubtful, come on over to the Writing Center for some positive and constructive feedback on any writing you worked on!

~ Lauren

Hi writers!

We’re gearing up to head into Spring Break. Sadly, the Writing Center is not open over Spring Break, but come see us before we close for break to get all those midterm papers checked on!

Our hours for the remainder of the week are:

• Thursday: 12-8pm
• Friday: 12-4pm

The Writing Center wishes you a relaxing Spring Break 🙂

~ Lauren

Hi everyone!

I hope that the start of the semester is going well for everyone, and you’re all adjusting to your new schedules and class responsibilities. Just a heads up on behalf of the Writing Center, our hours are the same as last semester:

• Monday-Thursday: 12pm-8pm
• Friday: 12pm-4pm

You can schedule with us through Starfish or just walk in! We hope to see you sometime this semester!

~ Lauren

Finals week is accompanied by many deadlines for your essays and projects, on top of any exams you might have to complete. Here are some tips to stay on top of everything and manage your stress 🙂

• Remember where we’re at in the semester – you’re so close to being done with the semester! It’s taken a lot of hard work to get here, and that hard work doesn’t stop during this week. However, you’ve reached the last stretch, so give it your all and let that power motivate you!
• Prioritize sleep at night (and maybe even the occasional nap) – keep your mind sharp by sleeping enough at night, and reward your hard work with a nice afternoon nap if you need! Sleep will keep you on task and feeling more refreshed if you focus on getting enough of it.
• Take breaks – don’t force yourself to study, write, or work for hours on end. You’ll only end up exhausting yourself. Set aside a time limit to spend working/studying (1-2 hours), and then go take a break and grab Starbies before you get back to it!
• Be mindful about the time you’re not spending studying – if you’re choosing to give your brain a break from studying, find something aside from doom scrolling to do. Turn on your favorite Christmas movie, take a shower, go to the gym, meet with friends at the dining hall, or find other miscellaneous things to do to fill your time (return your textbooks, do some Christmas shopping, or just find something to do to be productive!)
• Create a to-do list – as high maintenance or silly as it sounds, to-do lists can make you feel SO much relief when you’re overwhelmed with the amount of work you have. It can make you feel like you CAN really manage your work and study load. You don’t need a fancy planner either; just log it in some scrap notebook paper!

Just a friendly reminder that, as much as finals week can feel like your final week, it’s one step closer to graduation; all of your blood, sweat, and tears will be rewarded by a winter break, so work hard now and soak it up later!

Sending the Millersville community good luck with their final week of the semester!

~ Lauren

Hello, everyone! I am just writing to wish everyone the best of luck with your final exams, essays, and projects. I know that the end of the semester can be an extremely stressful time for many students, and I want to remind you all that we’re here to help at the Writing Center if you need us!

Finals Week Hours:

• Monday, December 8th: 12-8 pm
• Tuesday, December 9th: 12-8 pm
• Wednesday, December 10th: 12-4 pm

Also, I wanted to let you all know that since I am graduating in December, these are my final two weeks as a Writing Center tutor. I have loved working with you all throughout the last two semesters, and I have made so many amazing memories during my time as a tutor! Congratulations to all other graduates, and I wish you all success as we wrap up the semester! Happy holidays to everyone as well! Stay safe and enjoy your upcoming winter break! 🙂

~Devin