The Forgotten Clients

Desperately waving a draft, a client standing in the doorway exclaims, “Can someone help me with my commas? My essay’s due in 10 minutes!” The lastminute student is infamous and, unfortunately, extremely common in most writing labs, as are a few other types: the socialite who, instead of working on her freshman English essay, wants only to discuss the latest campus gossip; the older, non-traditional student anxiously seeking reassurance; the international student needing help with American rhetoric. Although many kinds of clients exist (with the list being long and legendary), labs help all of them in two fundamental ways: to discover their roles as students and to learn about the writing process.