My major is interdisciplinary-studies in the humanities. Although my major is really really small, I think that the writing fellows program works well alongside it. Since interdisciplinary-studies covers a wide-range of subjects, ranging from arts and history to political science, sociology, and English, I think that someone in my major could benefit by this program in a few ways. Typically, an interdisciplinary-studies major has a main focus, mine being writing and English, but the writing fellows program is built on universal ideas that can be applied to any major/specialization. An ISH major could not only enhance their own writing techniques, but they could also attain skills to tutor students within the humanities. ISH students would also come into the program with an outside knowledge of multiple subjects, which would help them adapt to new ideas quickly. I think there are a few things that ISH students should know before joining the program. The first thing is that, while this program requires a class component, it doesn’t necessarily feel like a class. It’s more of an experience that allows you to bond with other students and professors. The other major thing would be to know that you’ll try your best to help others, but you need to remember to take care of yourself and help yourself first.
There are a lot of things that I wish tutees would understand about the program. First and foremost, writing fellows are embedded into a single class, so the tutor is strictly there for those students and those students only. It’s a rare resource to have, especially since one of the only comparable roles would be a TA. Essentially, a writing fellow is an unbiased source of information regarding the course. I think that tutees also should know that, at least for first semester fellows, this program is a class for us as well. We may not know everything or be perfect at our jobs, but that’s only because we’re still learning. I also think it’s helpful for tutees to know that we’re students too. We don’t bite and we don’t report everything that they say to the professors of the course that we’re in. I think if they understood the role of a writing fellow more as a resource for them rather than an extension of the professor, they might be more receptive to sessions. I hope that tutees also know that the tutoring sessions are based solely upon them. I’ll rarely talk about anything that isn’t relevant to what the students bring to me. It’s their time to get specific questions answered or to seek guidance in a problem that’s been bugging them. Meeting with a writing fellow is also flexible enough that many of us can schedule multiple sessions or sessions in advance either in person or through zoom.
