Real-Time Writing Assistance

How does this service work?

Why wait till your paper is complete to get feedback? Come to the Main Writing Lab in BLDG 51, RM 164, Monday through Friday between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. You don't need an appointment, nor do you have to come in at the top of the hour. You may stay for a few minutes, or you may stay till the Writing Lab closes at 5:00 p.m.; no one will bother you as long as you are working on a paper. We have dual-screen computers with mics and cameras, but you may bring your laptop if you want. 

When you have a question or want some feedback, just ask a tutor. Writing Lab assistants will be on hand to answer your questions regarding mechanics, citation, and formatting.  

You may also hang out with us virtually. To enter a Real-Time room in Zoom, 

• Click the "Join Us on Zoom" link in the sidebar on the right side of this page. You will initially be admitted to a waiting room. A Writing Lab associate will move you to a private breakout room. 
• Once you are in the breakout room, the associate will ask you to share the document you are working on. Your work should be in a Microsoft Word or PowerPoint document. Google docs tend to lose their formatting during submission. The University of West Florida provides free access to the Microsoft Office Suite for all students and employees. If you have not yet installed the Office Suite, search for it in MyUWF, and copy your work to a Word or PowerPoint doc.
• Start working on your paper. When you get stuck or need some help, just raise your hand, and the associate will come to your rescue. You may stay in the room as long as you want (well, almost -- we close at 5:00). 

What should I bring with me?

Bring your laptop. The Writing Lab has two desktop computers available for students' use, but they are assigned on a first-come-first-served basis. If you don't have a laptop but you want to ensure you get a spot in the tutoring room, check out a laptop from Pace Library, located just across the street from the Main Writing Lab. 

Bring a USB drive, or know how to access your cloud storage. You will not be able to save your work on the Writing Lab's computers or on laptops borrowed from the library. 

Bring your sources, textbooks, and assignments. Printing is not available in the Writing Lab, so you will need to have your hard copies on hand before you arrive.