FAQs

I’m trying to start my paper, but I’m stuck. Can the Writing Center help me?

Certainly! The Writing Center helps writers at any stage of the writing process. We can help you brainstorm, outline, draft, revise, etc. Our services are aimed at helping the writer grow, so we advocate discussion and dialogue over serving as a grammar check.

My professor keeps talking about APA, ASA, Chicago, and MLA format. What are those? How do I cite correctly?

We get this question a lot. You’re not alone. Feel free to make an appointment to talk to us about correct citation. In the meantime, we encourage you to check out our “APA, ASA, Chicago & MLA Formats” page for more information.

I’m trying to adjust to college-level writing. How can I write a better thesis and use stronger organization?

Writing a strong thesis and building support are important concepts in any course. We can sit down with you and break down how a thesis works and how to make it effective. These ideas often take more time to fix. We work with writers, building up their understanding. Looking at writing is just a way of doing that.

I just got my paper back, and the instructor told me that my grammar is weak. What should I do?

Many instructors appreciate it when a student comes into their office during office hours to get clarification about such questions.  Of course, we can usually help you decipher some of the comments your instructor has made on your paper too.

Frequently, there is a pattern that emerges within a student's writing, and any problems are best handled with a little one-to-one instruction, which is available at the Writing Center.  You might also want to look at our information under “Writing Resources.”

How can I sign up for an appointment?

We handle our appointments through mckendree.mywconline.com. Once registered, students can make their own appointments for any available block in white.

I thought I was already registered for an account, but I got locked out because of an incorrect username or password. What should I do?

There are two common causes for this, both with easy fixes. First, know that if you get locked out of the system you will only be locked out for 15 minutes. If you are at the Center trying to schedule an appointment for right away, you can ask one of the staff members for assistance in signing you in while your account is locked.

Sometimes you have an account already, but you are entering the incorrect email or password.     Our staff can check to see if you already have an account yet or not. If you do, we can let you       know which email you used. If you were entering the correct email, and the password was the       issue, then you can have either the Director of Assistant Director of the Center assist you in         changing your password, or you can reset your password via the login page.

Also, the Student Success Center offers tutoring in a variety of subjects such as Math and Biology. The Student Success Center is a different service than the Writing Center, but they also use a form of mywconline for scheduling. Their site, however, is mckendree.mywconline.edu, not .com. If you have ever registered for their version of mywconline, you still need to set up a separate account to access the schedule for the Writing Center. 

Who can make online appointments? Are online appointments different than face-to-face appointments?

All McKendree students, faculty, and staff, at any McKendree University location can schedule an online appointment.

Online appointments have only one major difference from face-to-face appointments: your location! You can access your online appointment from any location with Internet access, meaning you can make an appointment from a remote location. During online appointments you will still be able to talk with your consultant in one of three ways: an online chat, a telephone call, or a video conference. You can also attach your paper when you make the appointment, or copy and paste your paper into the appointment portal once your session begins. So the consultant will be able to see your writing and discuss it with you, just like if you were in a face-to-face appointment.

 

How do I sign up for and begin an online appointment?

You would schedule your online appointment the same way you would if you made a face-to-face appointment. Simply log in at mckendree.mywconline.com, then find a white block of time that works for you. This will open up the appointment form. Near the top there is the question: Meet Online? If the consultant is signed up for an online only schedule, then this question will have the default answer of "Yes, Schedule Online Appointment." If the consultant is offering both face-to-face and online appointments, then the default answer will be "No--Meet Face-to-Face at the Center." If this is the default, simply click the drop-down arrow and switch it to "Yes, Schedule Online Appointment." Then finish filling out the form and save it, and you have officially scheduled your online appointment.

To begin an online appointment, log back in to mckendree.mywconline.com. Find your appointment and click on it. Now you should notice that underneath the "Meet Online?" question, there is red lettering that reads Start or Join Online Consultation. Click that text and the online appointment portal will open. Once both you and your scheduled consultant are logged in, your consultation will begin, and the two of you can figure out if you will chat, call, or do a video session.

 

How do I prepare for a session?

We recommend that students read all relevant materials before coming to the Writing Center. It is also helpful to bring the instructor’s assignment sheet, a draft of your paper, and any supplementary readings to your appointment. The more we have to work with, the more effective we can make the session.

 

Who will be tutoring me?

The McKendree University Writing Center is rather unique in its tutoring approach. Our staff is composed of peer and faculty tutors. Peer tutors have often taken the same classes that students are struggling with while faculty tutors may have taught the class or have a larger background to draw from. We believe both types of tutors provide unique benefits to our students. Some people meet with a different tutor each time, while others consistently return to the same tutor. We let students decide what works best for them. While most of our staff are also instructors in the English Department or majoring in English or Professional Writing, we also have staff from a variety of other disciplines. Information on each staff member's field of study can be found on our staff page.