Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for appointments with writing fellows?: All UC Davis graduate and professional students are eligible for appointments with writing fellows. Thus, students from across the disciplines and at any stage in their graduate school careers are encouraged to make an appointment.
What if I am a student at the Medical, Law or Veterinary School?: You, too, are eligible for an appointment.
When in a writing project can a writing fellow offer constructive advice?: The Graduate Writing Fellows Program here at UC Davis is designed to offer graduate and professional students a unique opportunity to get feedback on their writing at any stage of the writing process. Whether you are brainstorming topics, structuring an outline, revising an existing work, or placing the finishing touches on something that is nearly complete, a writing fellow will talk with you about your goals for the work and offer practical strategies to meet those goals by making improvements in your writing, your writing process, or your writing style.
Should I have completed a draft of my paper?: No, you do not need to have a completed draft of your work ready for your appointment. If you do have a draft prepared, however, you are welcome to bring it for use in the discussion.
What should I do to prepare for my session?: Most importantly, be prepared to experiment with new approaches to your writing. It can be helpful if you are also prepared to talk about your writing project and what you’d like to accomplish in the meeting with your writing fellow. Are there particular challenges you’re facing in this writing project or with your writing in general? If so, be prepared to talk about them. Are you looking for feedback on a certain aspect of the project? If so, let your writing fellow know this. If you just feel stuck and don’t know what to do, the writing fellow can work with you to develop a focus for the meeting, too.
Will my writing fellow edit or proofread my writing?: No, your writing fellow will not edit or proofread your writing. However, if you want help with understanding a particular grammatical or stylistic issue, the fellow will be glad to discuss it with you.
What will the session be like?: Your writing fellow will want to know about your writing project and your goals for it. The session will be guided by these goals. After these are established, you and your writing fellow may work through a piece of your draft or use other approaches to work though stubborn challenges or to develop a new organizational scheme. The writing fellow’s goal is to help you develop, revise, and improve your writing while giving you a better sense of yourself as a writer.
Can I have more than one session?: Every student is welcome to have multiple sessions with a writing fellow throughout the academic year. We do, however, give priortity to students who have never met with a fellow and limit appointments to one session per student, per week. You are invited to schedule additional sessions at your discretion.

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