How to Work the Writing Center

I found some information I though was helpful on the Writing Center site for Acadia Univerity.  Here's what they have to say:

What to bring to a tutorial:

A sample of your writing
* This is not always necessary, but will help the tutor help you
* Best to bring is a draft of your assignment, or a paper that's already been graded
Information about the assignment
* Any instructions that your professor handed out to the class
Your questions, comments, and concerns
* Writing tutorials require your participation
* The more engaged you are, the more you'll get out of them

What we cannot offer:
Tutors cannot not write, edit, or proofread your work for you
* Tutors will teach you how to self-edit your work, so you can become a successful writer
* Besides, too much help would be unethical
Tutors cannot not explain course-specific content
* Speak with your professor or teaching assistant.

This last point is important; sometimes students come into the Writing Center with no clue about what they are writing or how they should go about it, and most of the time the tutor is no better informed.  Just because Writing Center tutors are brilliant does not mean they have taken every class WKU has to offer.  If you have a specific question about a course, ask the professor.

Hope this helps!

Brittany

There's Always Room for Improvement

Many students feel that they don't need help with their writing because they consistently earn good grades in their coursework.  But there is always room for improvement.  Even if your professors don't suggest that you to visit, or mandate that you do because your writing is sufficient, ask yourself: would I like to be a better writer?

Below is a short clip of a conversation I had with a good friend of mine who was reluctant to visit the Writing Center because she is an accomplished student:

The Writing Center, she does not need.

--Bianca

Overcoming Writer's Block

Have you ever been working on a paper and get stuck halfway?  Do you have a paper that you need to write and you have no idea where to begin?  Here are some tips for dealing with writer's block so you can write that paper.


1. Brainstorming - Brainstorming is a great way to start out.  Brainstorming does not have to be organized or even neat.  Just write whatever comes to mind.  Free association helps ideas to flow.  This can be a list of important points or just things that stand out to you.  Whenever you have something to write, brainstorming is a great way to start.

2. Outline -Along the lines of brainstorming is making an outline.  If you have an idea of what to do but just don't know how to get there, make an outline.  This gives you a guide to follow, but don't worry if you end up deviating from the outline.  

3. Talk - Not sure what to write about?  Talk about it.  It is helpful to have someone listen to you, but talking to yourself works just as well.  Sometimes it is easier to say what you need to say by saying it.  Talking about your topic also helps you to find correlations you may not have considered before.

4. Try a different approach - If the way you have been writing is not longer working, try something different.  Look at thinks from a different angle.  Explore ideas that you didn't before.  If you have been writing a literature paper about one character, look at another character.

5. Listen to music -  Studies have shown that classical music improves brain function.  Put on some Beethoven and get your brain going!

Last but not least...
6. Take a break from your paper - If you have been staring at a screen or paper too long, your brain stops working.  Take a breather, walk around.  Stop stressing and relax.

- Kayla

Fun and Helpful Grammar Links

I could have focused on one site in particular, but I found several that I like and think are beneficial for writing. 

Everyone thinks their grammar is terrible.  The thing is, we learn things in elementary school and they don't necessarily stay in our head.  So here are some helpful links for you are having grammar problems.

Quick and Dirty Grammar Tips

Lousy Writer

English Grammar.Org

Creative Teaching - Humor and Grammar

You Tube Preposition Video - This is a song of the prepositions, alphabetized and sung to the tune of "The Mickey Mouse Club March."  You'll never forget which words are prepositions again!

Conjunction Junction You Tube - I had to bring back some Schoolhouse Rock!  This video is not only informative, but if you grew up watching Schoolhouse Rock, it brings back memories.

Hope these links help!  Enjoy!

- Kayla

What to Bring to Your Writing Center Conference

Below are some helpful suggestions of what students should be prepared to bring to their Writing Center conferences.  These recommendations prove to be beneficial to both the tutor and especially to the student.

1.      Bring a hardcopy of the assignment.

The tutor cannot help you improve your ability to write if they are not able to see how you write. It’s also acceptable to have your assignment on your laptop, but usually tutors prefer hardcopies.

2.      Show your tutor the writing assignment prompt.

This is usually an instructional handout provided by your professor. The handout details what the assignment is and how to go about writing it.  The more information you have on the assignment the better the advice the writing tutor can provide in regards to your essay. If you don’t have a prompt or handout, sometimes the professor will briefly discuss the assignment in your class syllabus or you can even bring in your class notes that refer to the instructor’s discussion on the expected assignment.  Overall, a brief description of the expected assignment allows your conference to run smoother and more efficiently. 

3.      Feel free to bring your own notes, outlines, prewritings, or other drafts related to the assignment, as well as your sources.

Discussing your writing process and your sources can inhibit helpful discussions on how you can further develop your content. 

Overview on items:

•      A hardcopy of your written paper
•      Writing Assignment Instructions (Prompt, handout, class syllabus, and class-notes related to the assignment)
•      Your own notes, outlines, prewritings, previous drafts commented on by the professor, and your sources

Remember the more knowledge that you share with the writing tutor about the writing assignment, the more beneficial the conference will be for you! 

~Cassie

The YUNiversity: Making Proper Writing Skills FUN and EDUCATIONAL

The YUNiversity is one of my favorite Tumblr sites to visit.  To those not too familiar with Tumblr, it is a social network that allows its users to create and disclose themed blogs with the web-world.  Its main function is to serve as an interactive weblog that gives its users the opportunity to share and even reblog photos, quotes, weblinks, articles, journal entries, music and videos.  Tumblr sites can include helpful tips on literary theories, webcam reviews on books, and commentaries on movies and TV shows—the possibilities are endless.  In regards to writing, The YUNiversity is one of the most entertaining, but helpful Tumblr sites that I have come across. 

The YUNiversity is dedicated to answering online questions submitted by their followers. These questions refer to grammatical and mechanical writing errors, common word usage, and numerous other concerns referring to the English language. The questions are answered promptly in an entertaining, but informative format. The YUNiversity commonly uses cartoons and pop cultural references, and incorporates them into their answers. These fun pictures allow the audience to easily understand and relate to the explanations of the questions. 

Be sure to drop by this site for references and answers related to one of your writing assignments. I guarantee you will be satisfied and entertained with The YUNiversity. 

Have fun!

~Cassie 

The Power of Proofreading.

I've written a paper.
I've spent countless hours in front of the computer screen, typing, researching, citing, etc.
My eyes hurt.
My back hurts.
And the last thing I want to reread is my paper.
Save. Submit. Close.

---

Throughout my undergrad years I refused to reread what I wrote. I just could not do it. It wasn't that I was lacking confidence in my writing; I really did not want to reread it. Maybe it was because I spent hours/days/weeks slaving over it and I was finally DONE. Then, when I received my paper back and saw my consequent grade, I would shrug, ignore the comments, and eventually start whatever other paper was due next. Yawn.

Once I was in graduate school, I realized what I was doing was not acceptable. Not only was my writing not growing, but it was bland, mediocre, and full of simple errors I could have caught if I was paying attention. So one day, after stressing for weeks over a paper that would make or break my grade in that class, I scrolled up to the top of my Word document and started reading my paper...out loud.

I had barely finished the first paragraph but had caught easily five grammatical errors [simple ones that are easy to breeze through], reworded some sentences to make them stronger, clarified what I meant on certain points, reorganized my thesis--it was incredible. And the best part? I sounded brilliant.

I know it is extremely hard to reread something you've just spent days working on. Once it's done, it's done. Saved. Submitted. Next please. But by taking 15 minutes out of your day to reread what you've written, you will notice things you've never noticed and start to identify writing habits and simple errors.

The majority of the time in the Writing Center, we will reread your paper with you. So why not save yourself some time and reread it before coming in? By catching your small errors before coming in we can spend more time in the session discussing other issues that we might not be able to get to if we're stopping every five seconds to tell you a grammar rule. Rereading your paper ahead of time will build your confidence, expand your knowledge, and create understanding. We will gladly look over your paper for little things that your keen eye has missed, but you yourself know your brilliance better than we do. Prove to yourself that you're a great writer. I know you are.

So reread!
It truly helps.
This is simply a little knowledge from me to you.
I hope it's been beneficial!

-Olivia!