Photo: Felix Noak / stW BERLIN
Students in workshop
Photo: Felix Noak
Photo: Felix Noak / stW BERLIN
therapist with student
Photo: Felix Noak
Photo: Felix Noak
Photo: Felix Noak / stW BERLIN
Consulation video chat

To the counselling centre

We support you in academic writing

How do you actually write a term paper? How can I set a topic myself and what do I do if I lose the thread while writing?
How do I motivate myself to keep writing when I am so unsure whether it is "academic" at all?
These are questions that come up in a similar way when writing for university.

We will work with you on strategies to improve your writing. Writing counselling can help you to develop or improve your writing skills or to get the writing and working process going and organised.

We currently offer different formats for counselling.
You can use our contact form to make an appointment for a individual writing consultation.
You can also get text feedback from us on a text you have already written.
In our writing groups, we offer regular appointments where you can not only get input and motivation to write, but also network with others.

If you want to work on writing on your own, you can use our learning materials. We also support you if you want to start or join a self-organised writing group.

In our workshops, you will not only receive writing-related input, but also have the opportunity to exchange personal experiences with others.

Our Team

Photo: Dominic Duzy / stW BERLIN

Our team of Academic Writing counsellors will be glad to help you! 
Our consulting is based on the peer principle, i.e. most of our consultants are still studying.

Our current offer

Our current offer 

Feedback on text
Online writing events and motivation tips

  • We offer consultations by video, phone or on-site.
    Locations: Hardenbergstr. 34 or Thielallee 38
  • To make an appointment, please use our contact form or send us an e-mail to schreibberatung@stw.berlin.
    Please include the following information: Request, university, telephone number and which format (video, telephone or on-site consultation) you would like.
  • We will then contact you to propose an appointment.
  • Once an appointment is confirmed by you, we will send you a link to a Webex conference in time or we will call you at the agreed time or we will pick you up at the agreed meeting point.
  • A consultation usually lasts a maximum of 45 minutes. If necessary, we will be happy to arrange follow-up appointments.
  • No topic is too "small" for a consultation with our writing tutors.

    Free of charge, low-threshold and at equal level, make an appointment now!

    Our offer is for students of the Berlin universities, in studies with the following intended degrees Bachelor, Master or state examination degree.

Talking about a specific text excerpt of your term paper or thesis can be very helpful.
If you would like feedback on a text excerpt (max. 5 pages), send us the text in the attachment (as a doc file, font size 12 pt, line spacing 1.5, page margin 2 cm) as well as the Text Feedback questionnaire to schreibberatung@stw.berlin.

In the context of a text feedback you will receive:

  • a sympathetic and honest feedback from a didactic writing point of view,
  • hints on what already works well in your text(excerpt),
  • feedback on what is currently unclear in your reading,
  • our written comments via email,
  • the possibility to make an appointment for discussion.

A writing consultation before text feedback can be especially useful if you have not had a consultation with us before.

If you like studying on your own, you can find materials on the different stages of a writing process here.

In our event calendar (Filter: Writing - for more look at the german event calendar) you can always find our current workshops on topics such as topic identification, literature management or time management for writing projects.

To get in touch with others while writing and to stay motivated, we regularly offer an online writing time.
In this digital format, you can work on your own writing project together with other students in a productive atmosphere.

We support your self-organized writing group.

Writing in a group is motivating - even online, because studying can be very lonely, especially in times of home offices and online lectures.
Writing in a writing group brings social exchange back into the writing process and helps with structure and practical writing impulses. The good thing is that a writing group can be organized by yourself with little effort. The Writing Center of the TU Dresden has created a starter kit for learning and writing groups.

You are welcome to try out writing in a group at one of our weekly online writing times.
There you are sure to find other students who are interested in a self-organized writing group.

Are you already organized in a writing group that is still looking for members? We'd be happy to pass along your contact to anyone interested.

If you would like to start a writing group and still need tips on organization and procedure, or if you have questions within a group, it is also possible to get a consultation appointment with us via our contact form or at schreibberatung@stw.berlin as a group.

Are you struggling to find regular times for working on your thesis?

Do you tend to feel isolated while writing?

Would you like to profit from a motivating atmosphere, informative inputs, and a safe space for exchanging with other students in the final stages of their degree?

Then you should consider applying for our Thesis Writing Group!


What you can expect:

Throughout August 2022, we will meet for a total of nine appointments on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Our first, intermediate and last meeting will be held at the studierendenWERK BERLIN (Hardenbergstr. 34, near S+U Zoologischer Garten).
The other meetings will take place digitally via Webex video-conference. Each appointment consists of

  • exchange with other participants about current struggles and success stories,
  • brainstorming about experiences and ideas for the 'topic of the day',
  • a short input on useful writing strategies for various challenges within the writing process (the respective 'topic of the day'), such as tipps on time-/project management, starting to write etc., and
  • time for working on your thesis individually. A brief writing consultation can also be requested with the group leader during this time.

After our live appointments, it is possible to eat lunch together in the canteen (pay for your own food or bring your own). When the weather is nice, we can also sit outside. 

Schedule

Tue., 2nd Aug. 2022   | 10 am – 1:30 pm (Hardenbergstr. 34)

Fr., 5th Aug. 2022      | 10 am – 1:30 pm (online)

Tue, 9th Aug. 2022    | 10 am – 1:30 pm (online)

Fr., 12th Aug. 2022    | 10 am – 1:30 pm (online)

Tue., 16th Aug. 2022 | 10 am – 1:30 pm (Hardenbergstr. 34)

Fr., 19th Aug. 2022    | 10 am – 1:30 pm (online)

Tue., 23rd Aug. 2022 | 10 am – 1:30 pm (online)

Fr., 26th Aug. 2022    | 10 am – 1:30 pm (online)

Tue., 30th Aug. 2022 | 10 am – 1:30 pm (Hardenbergstr. 34) 

Please note that it is not necessary to finish your thesis by the last meeting.
Rather, we would simply like to give you a productive framework and a friendly atmosphere for working on your thesis - without pressure to deliver or complete a certain amount of pages or steps by a certain date.

Requirements

  • We welcome students with either Bachelor or Master theses from any disciplinary background, as long as the language of the thesis is English.
  • Participation is only possible if you can attend all nine meetings.
  • Before admitting participants to the writing group, we will conduct a short telephone call.
    This is not a test - you will not have to provide us with grades or any specific prior knowledge of academic writing.
    Instead, we would like to get to know your writing situation and your expectations of the writing group, clarify whether the concept resonates with your time plan, and give you the opportunity to answer any questions you may have about the format.


To apply, send us an e-mail with the following information:

  • your full name,
  • yourtelephone number,
  • your university,
  • your thesis type (Bachelor/Master),
  • the name of your degree course,
  • your research question (designating which specific aspect of your topic you will be examining in your thesis), and
  • the intended date of completion.

The application deadline is Tuesday 5th July, 12 p.m.

We will then contact you with more information and a selection of dates for the telephone call.

Please note that only complete applications can be considered and that the group capacity is limited to 10 participants.

Contact

Contact

Tel.: 030 - 93939 - 8426 / -8411

E-mail: schreibberatung@stw.berlin

Location Charlottenburg:
Hardenbergstr. 34
10623 Berlin

Location Dahlem:
Thielallee 38
14195 Berlin

Or use this contact form:

Wie können wir beraten? / How can we advise?

In welchen Zeiträumen bist du am besten erreichbar? / In which periods are you best reachable?:

Warst du schon einmal in unserer Schreibberatung? / Have you been to our writing consultation?*:

Hast du bei uns bereits ein Textfeedback erhalten? / Have you received text feedback from us yet?*:

Datenschutz / Data privacy*:

beratung