The Finals Schedule has been posted!

Well, it's that time, folks! The WKU Writing Center finals schedule has been, well, finalized.

Please keep in mind that our hours will be strictly limited to Cherry Hall 123. Our Cravens location will be closed for the entirety of finals week. 

So, sharpen those pencils or charge up that laptop and get to writing! If you know that you intend to utilize the Writing Center during finals week, we strongly encourage you to go ahead and schedule your appointment now. Right this second. (I'm waiting.) 

The reason for this emphatic urging to schedule appointments rests in the fact that we will have extremely limited drop-in availability. If you do not schedule an appointment, we cannot 100% guarantee that you will be able to meet with a tutor--and that's disappointing for everyone. 

There are still a number of spots remaining, but they're filling quickly. To schedule your appointment, log in to TutorTrac and select the time that works best for you. If you're unfamiliar with TutorTrac, check out this tutorial on how to work the software. Alternatively, you can also shoot us an email at writingcenter@wku.edu or give us a call at (270) 745-5719.

We look forward to meeting with you! 

Happy Writing! 

11/6 Update: Adjusting Hours

Happy Thursday, folks! We hope you've been having an excellent week thus far! It's Homecoming and almost Thanksgiving Break. Life is good. 

In between all your Homecoming festivities and class assignments, we do have a couple of announcements we would like to share with you: 

Starting next week, we will be offering more appointment times in our Cravens location. On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, students will be able to schedule appointments at times between 4-7:30 (compared to the previous option of only 4-5). After 7:30, drop-in appointments will begin and continue until 9:00pm. 

Another new development is the fact that there will no longer be an option to schedule hour long appointments. All sessions will remain at the standard thirty minute length. 

Thank you all! Have a great rest of the week!

See, this dog heard about all these exciting things, and he just couldn't contain his excitement! We feel the same.
(Photo courtesy of http://goo.gl/OK4rhE)

Understanding Your WKU Library and the Looming Research Project

by Abby Ponder 

Well, we're all back from Fall Break now (or, at least, most of us are) and that can only mean one thing: those mid-term and final deadlines that initially seemed so far away? They're approaching--fast. And for a lot of students, that final project will be coming in the form of a research paper. (But have no fear, the Writing Center is here!)

So, you're staring at this blank slate of an assignment with no clue what to do next. You have a topic, maybe, but all that supporting research? Where are you supposed to get it? Well, my friend, the library is your new best friend when it comes to getting started on your research. There are floors upon floors of shelves upon shelves, and lots of friendly people there to assist you along the way. Books are unfortunately becoming an underutilized resource so make sure you take the time to utilize them; you can find a lot of great information in between the lines.

Remember these guys? They knew to search between the lions.
Photo courtesy of Mississippi Kids Count (http://goo.gl/BDnxAm)

If you haven't paid a visit to WKU's very own library yet (Helms-Cravens), it is located in the center of WKU's campus between Grise and Garrett. If you've ever visited Java City for a quick caffeine fix, you're in the right place! Just travel through the Confucius Institute and you're in library territory. (Or enter through the Commons at Cravens, located between FAC and Grice.) If you're not on main campus, though, the regional campuses each have their own libraries, too.

However, we know that getting into the library isn't always an option. In that case, the WKU library has extensive online databases at your disposal. On the library homepage there is an option to explore Electronic Resources. In most cases, students will use the Databases option, though there are a variety of others to explore, too. Once you're in the Databases, you can opt to use EBSCOHost, Jstore, Newstand, etc. (If you are not using a university computer you may be prompted to enter your NetID and password, but from then on you'll have complete access.) From that point, you'll be able to search to your heart's content. 

The search engine for EBSCOHost, which can be found here.

After you have found your treasured resources, whether they be books from the library or journals collected via some of the databases, there are a variety of citation formats to be aware of that depend on the style guide in question (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc) and the source that you're using (online journals, novels, newspapers, etc). For a quick look at the more common style guides, the Purdue Owl has some great guides to MLA, APA , and AP, while the Chicago Manuel of Style has its very own guide available on its website.

Throughout the whole process, though, don't forget that the WKU Writing Center is here to assist you along the way! We encourage you to schedule an appointment with us at your convenience, but we are also available for drop-in appointments on a first come, first serve basis.

Happy Writing! 

The WKU Writing Center and the Commons at Cravens

by Abby Ponder 

You've already scheduled your appointment, and so you begin making your way towards Cherry Hall 123 with your paper in hand. You're ready to go! When you get to the top of the hill, though, you realize that the door is shut and no one is home. So, what do you do now? You thought you were supposed to have an appointment? 

Well, you're right--you do have an appointment. But if that appointment is scheduled at a time after 4pm, there's a very good chance that you are in the wrong location. 

A few semesters ago, the WKU Writing Center introduced an additional location that is found at the reference desk in the Commons at Cravens. While the Writing Center in Cherry Hall 123 does close for the day at 4pm, the Cravens location opens its metaphorical doors right at 4:00 and remains in business until 9pm. Cravens allows students to continue to seek guidance on their papers at later hours, and at a location that is central to campus for students who may not be able to get up to Cherry Hall during the day. 

Consequently, students scheduling appointments should always be mindful to double check where the appointment will be meeting to avoid confusion and missed appointments. (When in doubt, check your confirmation email!) 

So, here you are, ready for your appointment. You're in Cherry Hall and it's already 4:10; there's no way you can make it down to Cravens, you may think. If you're worried about missing an appointment, send us an email at writingcenter@wku.edu and we'll work to address the problem. And remember, scheduling an appointment is easy to do. Just go to wku.edu/writingcenter and click "appointment scheduler." From there you'll be prompted to log in (using your WKU NetID and password) and then schedule an appointment at your convenience.

We hope to see you soon!