Writing Center
The SDSU Writing Center, located in Hilton M. Briggs Library 103, serves all students enrolled in the university, both graduate and undergraduate. Students can chat about an essay for a composition or history class, a research paper, abstracts for a human development or sociology paper or a job or graduate school application letter — in short, any type of writing that they have concerns about. Consultations take place during any stage of the writing process — from determining the ideas, focus and framework to citing sources and figuring out how semicolons work and polishing the style.
The Writing Center staff is comprised of English instructors and graduate students who have all taught English 101 and other writing courses and, beginning in spring 2015, undergraduate students who have been trained to tutor in the Writing Center. They are experienced in working with students of all backgrounds, including second-language learners. However, our tutors are not editors, nor will they simply proofread a student's writing. Each session is devoted to an active and engaged learning experience in which the tutor and the student work together to improve writing.
Mondays: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 5-8 p.m.
Tuesdays: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Wednesdays: 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 6-8 p.m.
Thursdays: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Fridays: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Fall tutoring will be available from Tuesday, Sept. 2, through Monday, Dec. 8.
Our hours are based on tutors' availability. Holiday hours may vary.
The Writing Center is excited to offer small group workshops this spring, focusing on common areas of concern for students. Each workshop will be help in the Writing Center (Hilton M. Briggs Library 103) and will be limited to 10 participants. Email Amber Jensen to check availability and sign up for a workshop.
Constructing a Thesis
- Leader: Nolan Neuharth
- Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 6 p.m.
- Walk through the process of constructing a strong thesis, moving from topic to commenting on that topic to create a clear argument.
Brainstorming a Thesis and Structuring Ideas
- Leader: Alexander Sohl
- Wednesday, Oct. 15, at 11 a.m.
- Discuss how to assemble a thesis and how to best convey it in a paper, moving from vague thoughts into stronger written ideas.
Essay Prompts Explained
- Leader: Oluwaseun Adebayo
- Wednesday, Oct. 15, at noon
- Successful academic writing begins with understanding the prompt you are writing from. Learn to interpret a prompt and set yourself up for writing success!
Mastering APA style citations
- Leader: Eniola Lasisi
- Monday, Oct. 16, at 11-11:45 a.m.
- Explore the nuances of citing sources in APA style.
Getting Started: Topic Brainstorming and Early Research
- Leader: Samuel Munger
- Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 3 p.m.
- Kick-start your writing process with effective brainstorming and early research.
Annotation Station
- Leader: Elisabeth (Bailey) Mosset
- Wednesday, Oct. 22, at noon
- Explore different styles for annotating physical and virtual texts and different approaches to annotating fiction, nonfiction, textbooks and other types of reading assignments.
Citation Generation: MLA Style
- Leader: ShyAnn Springer
- Wednesday, Nov. 12, at 3 p.m.
- Explore details of MLA style in-text citations (using signal phrases, parenthetical references, etc.) and works cited pages and document formatting.
To help as many students with their writing as possible, we respectfully request that students limit their appointments to no more than two per week (including both scheduled appointments and walk-ins).
During busier times of the semester, we may request that students limit themselves to one appointment per week.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation with this.
Sign up for an Appointment
We use ConnectState to schedule appointments. To create an appointment using ConnectState, use the following steps.
- Go to .
- Log in using your username and password.
- Once logged in, click the blue Schedule an Appointment button in the upper right corner.
- Select Tutor from the first dropdown, and under Writing Center, select the course in which you want tutoring.
- Pick a date and click on Find Available Time.
- Under Staff, select your tutor's name or leave it blank.
- Select how you would like to meet.
- Click on your selected tutoring time.
- On the Review Appointment Details and Confirm screen, review information.
- Click the blue Schedule button at the bottom.
- You will see a confirmation that your appointment has been scheduled with links to view your appointments or schedule another appointment.
