Northern State University::  YouTube Northern State University::  Twitter  
Northern State University Northern State University::  Home
   
   

Skip Navigation LinksNSU > Academics > Departments > University College > Writing Center
 
  
 

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

Writing Center Mission Statement

The NSU Writing Center offers free writing assistance to any student from any class on campus, and our primary goal is to help students build their writing skills. We do not do the work for the students. Instead, we encourage them to be actively involved in implementing the skills they already possess while also helping them to develop new skills. We work with all stages of the writing process, from choosing a topic to polishing a final draft.

What do Writing Center tutors do?

• We help students generate ideas and find a "focus" for their papers.
• We read through rough drafts with students to help them spot unclear ideas, organizational problems, awkward sentences, underdeveloped paragraphs, etc.
• We show students how to support main ideas with details and examples.
• We help students learn to vary their sentence structures and unify their paragraphs.
• We show students various methods of developing introductions and conclusions.
• We help students understand the importance of audience in their writing.
• We help students spot grammatical and mechanical errors, and we explain these errors to the students.
• We help students with all stages of the research process, from choosing a topic to citing sources using a variety of documentation styles.
• We help students prepare for the Proficiency Exam and the PPST.

What don’t Writing Center tutors do?

• We don't re-write students' papers for them.
• We don't simply proofread student papers and make corrections.
• We aren't a fix-it shop; students who use our services discuss their papers with tutors.

For more information contact Vicki Evans, Writing Center Director, at 626-7782 or via e-mail at evansv@northern.edu  

 


 

 

NSU University College Writing Center
Dacotah Hall Room 209
1200 South Jay Street
Aberdeen, SD 57401-7198
(605) 626-7782
Fax: (605) 626-3317

University.College@northern.edu

 

 

Writing Handouts

Getting Started
-
Choosing Topics
- Prewriting

Writing Your Essay
- Thesis Statements
- Topic Sentences and Paragraph Development
-
Introductions and Conclusions

Revising Your Essay
- Global Revision 
Guidelines

- Sentence-Level Revision
-
Editor's Checklist
- Proofreading

Research Tools
- MLA Documentation System
- Paraphrasing and Plagiarism

Other Topics
- Quick Essay Test Tips
- Summaries
- Comma Guidelines

- Transitional Words and Phrases