The Sacramento City College Writing Center is a free campus resource for enrolled students, and it is an invaluable service for students who need support or extra help with writing.
I have worked at the Writing Center since the Fall of 2025, and have seen first-hand the difference it can make in a student’s academic success.
The Writing Center is located on the first floor of the library on campus (LRC 144). The center offers 55-minute one-on-one writing tutoring sessions where students can receive assistance with any writing-related work.
The center can review any writing-related work, such as essay assignments, discussion posts, research projects, resumes, cover letters, financial aid appeals, and more.
There are many instances in writing where students may want feedback but have a hard time asking for additional help. Likewise, students required to attend a tutoring session by their professors may find the process daunting or overwhelming.
For students who attend a tutoring appointment and may feel anxious about the process, Storm Smith said the center makes an effort to hire people who care about helping others rather than expecting a brilliant writer.
“This center goes out of their way to hire people who are kind and who like helping people, it’s something we consider, and it’s more important to being a tutor that you are kind and that you are open,” Smith said.
Writing is a vulnerable process; allowing others to review your work can be an emotional affair. I can attest to many students mentioning that they have felt underprepared before a session, nervous about interacting with a tutor, and unsure of themselves as writers.
It should be noted that sessions are student-led, typically informal, and can get personal. A tutor will start off by checking in, asking how you are, introducing themselves, and giving information about what the writing center is.
The center’s faculty value the time that is put into a session and how we can best benefit you as a student. From the faculty members who book your appointments, to the session itself, the intention to support the student is always at mind.
However, anxiety can often prevent the writing process, and in many cases, this can be talked about during a session. Similarly, students who feel anxious about attending a session in general can expect the informality of the interaction to alleviate the pressure.
Smith emphasizes this point, “We don’t come in looking to judge you; we’re asking questions because we want to understand you, we want to understand your writing, judgment is not the point. We’re not grading this, we’re not the professor, our entire job is to help you write a paper in a way that serves you.”
For students who want to feel better prepared before a session, all that is necessary is a prompt for guidance and something to write on. In any case, should a student need access to tech for Canvas, the writing center has laptops that students can loan for a session.
During a session, students can expect tutors to ask productive questions and engage in a conversation about their ideas and any concerns they may have about their writing.
Tutors will focus on the larger suggestions for the paper as opposed to smaller recommendations. Conversations can be had about formatting, organization, thesis statements, topic sentences, and prompt guidelines; this is dependent upon what the student would like to work on or if the tutor finds it best to mention any of these technicalities.
“I’ve read, probably, thousands of essays, discussion boards, outlines, scholarship applications, personal statements, and I’ve never thought someone was a bad writer,” Smith said. “Our job is to improve the efficiency in which you communicate your ideas so that you can be understood to the fullest extent possible.”Students can book in-person or online appointments via the website on the writing center page or in person at the front desk. Appointments are encouraged to secure a session; however, walk-ins are accepted subject to tutor availability.
