Smash It Up.

A question- is it possible that all of the sectioning and sub-sectioning we engage in order to get certain tasks completed is a hindrance rather than an absolute necessity? Let’s clarify a smidge here. The academic community finds ways to section us off by major, and then within those majors, it splits us off even further by areas of emphasis and interest. This splitting off is meant to give us a focused path to a degree, which will hopefully complement the procurement of employment post-college. Yet, coming from the school of “knowledge is power” and other Schoolhouse Rock ditties, I am of the opinion that expanding your mental arsenal to encompass areas of study which are either uncomfortable, or seeming inessential to your “grand plan,” is the basis of being a well-rounded student AND person.
From a writing center perspective, this concept takes on more weight. There are grammar Nazis, composition Turks, and my particular breed; philosophy dorks. And, this is just an overview of the staff. Our writer base encompasses the exact level of diversity present in the whole of the college. A non-traditional student with four children saunters in looking for a crash course in semi-colon usage. 30 minutes later, an exchange student from Romania needs clarification on what her teacher is trying to convey on the assignment sheet. Finally, to cap it off, you get an 18 year old with their elbows firmly implanted in the grain of our desks, silently cussing the notion of a required visit. This is an extreme amount of variance, which necessitates blending ninja skills, pirate bravery, and Chuck Norris effluence. We just have to be there, willing to adapt and learn, working on weak spots while not allowing our strong points to rust over. I think the number one quality a consultant should have is the understanding that you can never know enough, shedding egos in such a way as to allow the experience itself to dictate the course of action, rather than any predisposed notion of the “right way.”
Let us look at this in the context of an example. My week in the writing center was, in one sense challenging, yet more rewarding than I expected a second week could be. One session was a brainstorming session with a fresh out of the pond 18 year old noob. Another was a second draft revision with a Japanese exchange student. To cap that off, we had the scariest one of all for me; the dreading technical paper grammar dive. Now, I cannot say I handled each seamlessly. I am not expecting myself to EVER be a jack of all trades , let alone at this early stage of the game. Yet, in the midst of all of this confusion, I found a comfortable anchoring point to shelter me from the storm. I want to be here. I want to help. I want to learn, and continue learning, and continue learning, and continue learning (you get the picture). As long as we have the willingness to work, along with the energy of a gerbil on amphetamines, there is no epic fail. Any little screw up on the way is an enhancement, and should not deter us from continuing to pound away. Sectioning ourselves off into comfortable areas of expertise, with a planned objective set comfortably within reach, is a travesty for anyone who just wants to live their work. Helping people never occurs on a straight line, and doesn’t take a specialist’s cold touch. It takes guts, nerves, and a little bit of embracing slight insanity.