Welcome to the UCT Writing Centre
The Writing Centre, located within the Language Development Group, is a student-oriented space which aims to provide mediation in the process of academic writing. Students from all disciplinary backgrounds as well as tertiary levels are encouraged to engage in the one-on-one consultancy service offered. At the Centre, we believe that all students have the capacity to improve their writing, whether you are able to skilfully construct an academic essay or whether you are struggling to string the separate parts of your paper into a coherent whole. Since writing is one of the primary means of assessment in the academic realm, it is important that there is an avenue available in which students are aided in ways that serve to improve their academic performance. The Writing Centre is one such avenue.
Our one-on-one consultation sessions provide a haven in which students are able to discuss their writing with an attentive, critical but non-judgemental reader. During these conversations with consultants, students are able to explore new ideas or expand on ones that are somewhat stilted, evaluate the clarity of proposed arguments as well as working towards creating a better sense of the inner workings of academic writing. Furthermore, help is also offered for general academic conventions such as referencing, proposal formats, report writing and poster design. It is important to bear in mind that the Writing Centre does not provide an editing service. Rather, we aim to enhance understanding of writing as a process and encourage a thinking-through-writing approach.