Get to know Olivia Mills at the Writing Center
You are the leading authority on how you think!
Get to know Olivia Mills, Writing Center Tutor
Tell us a little about yourself.
I swim, make art, animate, read and write stories. My favorite books right now are Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass and E.M. Kinsey’s The Forges of Dawn. I listen to rock music.Being an animation student, I have the opportunity to bring worlds and characters to life. My habit of sketching a lion, cat, coyote, or dragon once per day is becoming a little silly, but I’m letting it run its due course.
Tell us about how you are involved on campus.
Through the Linehan Artist Scholars program, I participate in seminars, volunteering, creative collaborations, and more with fellow artists. This year, I am spearheading UMBC Swim Club along with some friends, and I am putting in a lot of time to make it worthwhile for everyone. I am getting more involved with my church at Gallery, Sowebo, which I found through our InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. As a Writing Center tutor, I’d also like to angle to run some on-campus workshops geared towards students who want to pursue creative writing.
How and why did you get involved in being a tutor?
I was looking for any way possible to improve my writing habits, and for the last four years I’ve been a very academic person and was tutored myself, so I wanted to reverse the roles.
What is your favorite thing about being a tutor?
Seeing the smile or the appreciation on a student’s face when something I said helped them makes my day. This is especially true if it’s not just that I helped them with their paper per say, but with the bigger picture. This could be something like encouraging a student to like writing more, or easing their anxiety about an assignment. I hope that by tutoring, I can help people see the that a writing assignment can just be a springboard into discussing or doing something they actually care a lot about.
Why should students utilize the tutoring?
I’ll speak from the perspective of when I was being tutored, and not from a tutor’s perspective.
When I would request tutoring while earning A’s and B’s, people would assume the effort was in vain. This was because they held the misconception that tutoring is geared towards underachieving students. If this was true, tutoring wouldn’t be available to all students, and you’d need to be failing a class to “qualify” for tutoring. Instead, tutoring is a free resource for any student who wants to improve their academic experience. Many times, I would go to tutoring just for the accountability. Having someone there to make sure I had time in my schedule to work on my assignments really helped.
What advice would you give students about how to prepare for a tutoring session?
Go in understanding yourself. You’re not the expert on the subject you’re studying, but you are the leading authority on how you think, what you like, and what in life is important to you. Take the time to know what your goals are. Are you a person who needs an A in this class, or would getting a C be a huge achievement to you, because this subject is outside of your comfort zone? Have you taken a class like this before, and if so, do you remember what you’ve already learned about this subject going in? Do you like what you’re learning, and if not, what could make you like it more? Have you taken the chance to learn your personality type, learning style, or if you focus best in one-on-one or group settings?
Tutors are there to be your support and help you reach your goals, so tell your tutors what you want and what you think you’re capable of. The tutor is there to help you reach (and then push!) that limit.
When and where can someone work with you through the Learning Resources Center?
I am local to the Writing Center, and enjoy taking both in-person and online appointments! Writing is a passion of mine, especially in the context of creative writing, screenwriting, storytelling, poetry, and literature. That said, I have had my foray into the sciences, so I should be reliable if you need me to help you with technical or formal writing, such as for research. Don’t forget that the Writing Center covers your professional needs as well! I can help you with your résumé, cover letter, and application materials. (I am lately writing quite a few of those for myself!)
Posted: March 25, 2019, 2:36 PM
