Writing Centre
Are you struggling with writing academic texts? At the Writing Centre, UG students can receive free writing coaching. Our coaches will ask you questions and help you to look at your text or writing process from a different angle. The goal is for you to rediscover the joy of writing and to have a starting point for writing better academic texts.
|
During a 45-minute session, one of our writing coaches will guide you with your Dutch, English, Spanish or French text of up to 1500 words. If you need more guidance after your coaching session, you are welcome to schedule another meeting. You can schedule up to five sessions per written product.
|
Topics to discuss
▸ academic style
▸ text structure
▸ research questions
▸ literature review and source citation
▸ argumentation
▸ clear formulation
▸ writing planning
▸ processing of feedback
What our coaches do
Our coaches will not correct your text, but they give you food for thought! Of course, they will give you tips for improvement, but you remain responsible for your text (see also Working method). Your coach is not a language teacher, but if there are any issues with spelling or grammar, they can refer you to reliable websites. It is also important to keep in mind that our coaches are no experts in the field of your topic, i.e. for questions about the content, you are better off talking to your lecturer.
Practical information
▸For who? For all UG students.
▸Who are the coaches? Our writing coaches are UG students who have an affinity with academic writing and who have taken a coaching training course.
▸Where? Depending on your preference, the coaching can take place in the Harmonie Building or online.
▸What does it cost? The writing coaching sessions are free of charge.
▸How often? The maximum is five coaching sessions per writing assignment. You can only schedule one session at a time. If you are in need of a follow-up session, you can schedule it after the first one is finished.
▸In what language? You may submit texts in Dutch, English, Spanish or French, regardless of the language of the coaching session. All of our coaches are proficient in both Dutch and English. Some coaches are proficient in Spanish and French. With the latter two languages, pay attention to choosing the right coach when booking a session.
Working method
If you schedule an individual session at the Writing Centre, we kindly ask you to submit the text you would like to look at together with the writing coach at least 24 hours in advance. The text may be up to 1500 words long. You are also welcome to schedule a meeting before you actually start writing. You can discuss with your coach how to create a writing plan or an outline.
The session will take about 45 minutes, during which you let the coach know what you are struggling with. The session consists of non-directive coaching: the coach will ask you questions to make you more aware of your writing process. The intended result is therefore not a perfect end product but an improvement of your skills. Non-directive coaching is the method used within almost all academic writing centres in the Netherlands because it has a greater learning effect on you as a student than if our coaches were to just tell you what you should be doing differently. During the session, you will actively work on improving your writing.
If you need more guidance after your coaching session, you are welcome to schedule another meeting. You can schedule up to five sessions per written product.
Meet our writing coaches
If you schedule an individual session at the Writing Centre, you will be helped by one of our coaches. They are UG students with different study backgrounds and, most importantly, they have affinity with academic writing and coaching. They are trained in coaching and are supervised by professionals from the UG Language Centre.
| Last modified: | 20 February 2025 2.27 p.m. |