Fun and Helpful Links: Finals Edition

By Abby Ponder

It's both terrifying and exciting, but the semester is slowly but surely beginning to come to a close.

We're almost there...

...but so are those paper deadlines.

Stay calm, though. We'll get through this.

We've compiled a handy dandy list of links to help get you through this trying time. (Really, though, we have faith in you.)

1. You need to outline your paper and don't know where to start? Here's an earlier post that covers just that! 
2. You've got the topic, the outline is finished, but you can't seem to get in the writing zone. So, time to find a new writing place! 
3. But if you're still struggling with procrastination, we've got just the post for you. 
4. Research is a critical component in an academic paper, so make sure to utilize the WKU Libraries. 
5. You've finally written that paper and now you need to edit it, so check out our post that offers some suggestions on that very topic. 
6. You need to cite your paper? The Purdue Owl is a fantastic resource for checking on the various citation styles, specifically MLA, APA, and Chicago. 
7. You've turned the paper in and are dealing with professor or peer feedback. Now what? 

And don't forget, the WKU Writing Center is here with you every step of the way. To schedule an appointment, give us a call at (270) 745-5719 or shoot us an email at writingcenter@wku.edu. You can also stop by and see us in our Cherry Hall location (Cherry 123) from 9-4 or at the reference desk in the Commons from 4-9.

So, remember:

Photo credit to this tumblr account that also highlights some additional stress release tips for finals week. 

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!