Consultation
What does it even mean to “write academically”? How do you write an essay? How do you structure a text? How can you channel your thoughts into written form? Academic writing can bring up many questions. A writing consultation gives you the opportunity to find answers. This could for example mean discussing the requirements for an academic text, learning about writing strategies or receiving feedback on a text you wrote. FAQs Individual Writing Consultations
What actually happens in a writing consultation?
During writing consultations, we support you through one-on-one discussions in your writing process when writing academic texts. As the author, you remain responsible for your text. You can read more about our writing consultations here.
Can someone in the Writing Labor proofread my text?
Proof-reading is not part of the Writings Labor’s offers. During writing consultations, you will receive constructive feedback on individual text samples. If necessary, we also go into the linguistic level. You should then be able to use the information received during feedback in your texts.
How do I register for a writing consultation?
The best thing to do is to simply write an e-mail directed at
schreiblabor@uni-goettingen.de
Please briefly describe your request in your e-mail and state the subject of study in which you are writing and the type of text (e.g. term paper, essay, protocol, master’s thesis). One of our writing consultants will then contact you with a suggestion for an appointment.
You can also just come by during our office hours (LRC der SUB, every Tuesday 13-15 h, counter StudIT) and present your request here, e.g. for short questions or to find out more about what the Writing Labor has to offer. Then, we can arrange further individual appointments if necessary.
How soon can I get an appointment for a writing consultation?
The waiting times depend on how many inquiries are coming and thus differ from time to time. Of course, we try to make appointments as quickly as possible. However, please expect a waiting time of at least one week.
From the winter semester 20/21 on, there may be longer waiting times because financial resources are shortened and therefore fewer consultants are available.If possible, we also offer open consultation hours during the lecture-free period. If the consultation hour is canceled, you will find a note on our homepage. Individual writing consultations can also be arranged during the semester break. Here, however, you may have to expect a little more waiting time due to vacation times.
Do I have to pay for the writing consultation?
No, writing consultations are free of charge for students at the University of Göttingen
How long does a writing consultation last?
Writing consultations last an average of 45 minutes, but no more than one hour.
How often can I arrange writing consultations?
Basically, you can make as many appointments as you want, but only one appointment per week. Please also note that we do not read entire theses.
How many pages of text can I discuss during a writing consultation?
Depending on the capacity and the status of the text, we can discuss about 3 to 7 pages of text in one session.
Is it worth coming to the writing consultation if I haven't written anything yet?
It is even advisable to arrange consultations early in the writing process. You do not need to have written any text for this. In many cases, it is worthwhile to talk about finding and narrowing down topics and discussing a suitable question during the writing consultation.
I am not studying at the University of Göttingen, but I have no comparable offer at my university. Can I also make use of the writing consultation?
Due to the loss of financial resources, there are only a few Writing Labor consultants left. Therefore, we can unfortunately no longer offer consultations to students from outside the University of Göttingen.