Where can I get extra help in writing, revising, or correcting my work?

There are several resources you can use:

• contact the AUC Writing Center. The Writing Center is a university resource center which provides tutors free-of-charge for students who need help with their writing.
• go to an Online Writing Lab (known as OWL). The most famous of these is at Purdue University. You may submit some of your writing via email and a tutor at Purdue University in the US will take a look at your paper and return it to you within about 4-5 days, so plan ahead. They have specific guidelines for things they can and cannot do so click on this link to find out. (Purdue Online Writing Lab)

I don't know how to write an introduction (or conclusion, etc) for an academic essay?

There are a number of web sites that will guide you through the process of writing and also how to write in particular disciplines like science, or social science, for example. Here is one of them that we recommend: University of Richmond Writer's Web.

My teacher has told me that I have specific grammar problems and that I should get some help. What do I do?

Don't despair. There are several ways in which you can get help:

• contact the AUC Writing Center. The Writing Center is a university resource center which provides tutors free-of-charge for students who need help with their writing and this includes grammar problems. The Writing Center will often give special grammar workshops throughout the semester which you can attend.
  
  
• there are a number of on-line grammar tutorial sites with exercises to help you solve your particular grammar problem. Log on to the site and make sure you can identify what specific grammar problem you have, and do the exercises. We recommend the following sites:
• Purdue Online Writing Lab has handouts and exercises
• Dr. Darling at Capital Community College also has an excellent site with a lot of online exercises.
• There is also an excellent site maintained by Bedford St. Martin's called Exercise Central. Just log on, choose the kind of exercise you want and you can even have your instructor informed by email about your progress in a particular area.
  
• There are also a number of books available with CD's that will give you online grammar tutorials on your own computer. The Writing Program requires every student to purchase a writing handbook. This handbook covers most of the common grammar problems associated with writing.

I need help in finding sources for a research paper.

There is no simple answer to this one. You will be learning how to do this in our courses. You will be using the AUC library's books, articles and on-line databases, as well as the World Wide Web on the Internet. You can always ask the Reference librarian at the AUC library for help and you will be scheduled for special tutorials at the AUC library on how to find sources throughout the semester.

The real problem with the Internet is that there is so much material and most of it is not of the highest quality. To learn how to discriminate between and sift through vast amounts of information is a skill that has to be learned. There are a few websites that will give you some idea of how to do this and we have listed a few below but these are very general sites. Each search for sources will require different strategies and you should acquire the ability to know where and how to look for information.

Schedule an information literacy session at the AUC library for the particular skill you need.

For those who are totally new to searching on the Web.

Excellent site for all things related to research by Bedford St. Martin's.

I don't know how to do the MLA format for the Works Cited page.

Don't despair. Go to Diane Hacker's website and identify which kind of source you are trying to find. You can then use the model to correctly write out the proper MLA format for your source!