You may have noticed that things look different around here. Over the past week or so, there has been a lot of construction going on, and I'm not just talking about our campus. A lot of work goes into construction, whether for a house, a blog, or even an essay.
Sometimes you have to do a complete overhaul. Maybe your thesis isn't supporting the body of your essay, maybe your web site isn't getting enough hits, maybe your house lacks major curb appeal. So, what to do? Put on your protective gloves, your hardhat and goggles, and get to work!
It can be daunting to start over, but maybe the foundation of your essay can be saved. You don't have to necessarily bulldoze what you've already written...work with it. If you like the quotes you've selected from a text, do some freewriting until you figure out what makes them important. Underline one sentence from each of your body paragraphs that you think sums up that paragraph's purpose. Voila! You've just constructed a new topic sentence.
So as you build your own writing, remember that the process will likely be labor intensive. As actress Lily Tomlin says, "The road to success is always under construction." Keep at it!
There are all kinds of writing out there, from creative to analytical. When you think of writing, maybe a New York Times bestseller comes to mind or a revered classic. Here in the Writing Center, we often consult with students on academic exploratory essays. Whether or not the book's genre is American literature or British or Modern or Medieval, the students' writing itself is geared for analysis. After reviewing mostly English papers, it can be easy to overlook other types of writing, namely the scientific kind.
If you've ever taken a course in Biology, Chemistry, or Physics, then you know that there can be a lot of writing involved. This writing typically comes in the form of the lab report. Within the report, you will likely have multiple sections. First you would include an introduction followed by a section on methods and results. One of the most important sections would be the discussion where you interpret the experiment's results and argue why they are significant. Here, you reflect and interpret and provide evidence. Hmm...does this sound familiar? It is the discussion section which surprisingly looks a lot like a literary analysis.
Can writing be boiled down to a science? I'll argue...not quite. Writing can be fluid, free, and limitless. It does not need to follow a formula to be deemed acceptable. In fact it is often the avant garde writing that grabs our attention as well as acclaim. However, I think that a lot can be learned from both the sciences and the liberal arts. Enrolling in English courses may help you become a better scientist, and vice versa. It all comes down to analysis, whether it's of an experiment or a text.
So, as you get ready for your weekly Chem lab or Physics experiment, embrace the goggles and beakers and microscopes...they just might help you ace your English paper or pen the next great American novel.
When I have fears that I may cease to be Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain, Before high-piled books, in charact'ry, Hold like rich garners the full-ripened grain; When I behold, upon the night's starred face, Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance, And think that I may never live to trace Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance; And when I feel, fair creature of an hour, That I shall never look upon thee more, Never have relish in the faery power Of unreflecting love!--then on the shore Of the wide world I stand alone, and think Till Love and Fame to nothingness do sink. -John Keats (1818)
How do you deal with writing "fears?"
What is it that you fear when you put pen to paper?
Can there be positive aspects to fear?
How do you overcome your fears or "shadows" (line 8)?
Yes, it's official...the Writing Center is open! And now that the Center is back in business, so is the blog. It's definitely the "write" time of year.
To start things off here, I'm going to give you five good reasons why you should come to the Center....
1) Students who visit the WC for a session almost always achieve higher grades than they would without our help. If it could be the difference between a B+ and an A, why wouldn't you want to sign up for a session?
2) Unlike Lucy, we don't charge 5¢. The WC offers completely free, professional tutoring.
3) As they say, the early bird gets the worm. Here at the WC, the early student gets the greatest benefit. Signing up for sessions in the beginning of the semester and coming regularly helps you to make significant progress with your writing goals.
4) Writing sessions are nothing to stress about. Our writing associates are always happy to help, and we usually begin by asking open-ended questions about your project at hand. A session is a collaboration between the student and the tutor--your own dialogue and participation is essential to the session's success. Even though our friend Lucy may like to lecture Charlie Brown, I can assure you that the WC is much more friendly.
5) If you cannot make a session during our hours (M-Thu. 10-4, Tu. 10-6), we offer online tutoring. Just send us an email at hartfordwriting@gmail.com and include your name, the course, the instructor's name, and a preferred appointment date/time to follow-up with a brief session. You can attach your assignment as a Word document or paste it into the body of the email. Make sure that you provide questions for the tutor to consider (ex. clarity, paragraph development, textual analysis, etc.) as we will not edit or correct your paper. Expect a response within 36 hours.
So there you have it...five good reasons to come to the Writing Center. See you there!
Has the pre-finals chaos set in yet? If you haven't witnessed some variation of the end of the semester panic attack, I can assure you that it's quickly approaching.
You see, students often feel that they know where they stand grade-wise in their classes. They assume that quiz, test, essay, and project averages put them at a ___ (fill in the predicted grade).
However, your prediction isn't necessarily accurate. Finals can play a critical role in determining your grade, but so can participation, revisions, and effort. Many grades are determined holistically, taking into consideration a variety of factors. Maybe you struggle with your writing, but you've had sessions at the Writing Center for every essay. That shows that you care. You made time outside of the classroom to actively work on your writing.
In my freshman year, I took a Calculus course. Let me just say that math, to me, is like a foreign language (and one that I'm not fluent in!). However, I made sure to see my professor during office hours, sign up for sessions at the Q Center, and participate in class even if that only included asking questions. Grade-wise, I was not optimistic. But I wasn't looking at the big picture. My professor saw the effort I put into the course and it paid off.
When you start making your end of the semester predictions just remember that it's not over until it's over. Put your best foot forward and relax already! You might be pleasantly surprised. ~Mary
P.S. The Writing Center will have Bonus Fall Exam Hours! We are open on Friday, December 11th from 10-1, Monday the 14th from 10-4, and Tuesday the 15th from 10-4. Hope to see you there.
As the semester approaches its end, I think now would be a fitting time to discuss conclusions. Sometimes we don't know how a semester will wrap up. Will we ace our essays, quizzes, and projects only to struggle through finals? Will there be paper overloads? Will our Vera Bradley tote bags and Northface backpacks be stuffed to capacity? Or, will we float through finals week with the confidence that our hard work has paid off? Only time will tell.
Writing your paper's conclusion, whether in a research paper, literary analysis, or persuasive essay, may seem just as confusing and unpredictable as the end of a semester! And the thing is...that's okay. There is no secret recipe for creating a perfect conclusion. Yes, you'll likely want to address your paper's main points or argument, but it doesn't have to stop there. Maybe there's a current news story that relates to your topic, or a song lyric, or a quote. Maybe writing your paper made you think about something you didn't get a chance to explore.
In my spring American Lit. class I examined how Daisy and Gatsby in The Great Gatsby paralleled Adam and Eve. I clearly remember being stuck on my conclusion. Instead of resorting to summary, I ended my paper with the last sentence of the novel: "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." My intent was to show that society continuously repeats the original story of sin and betrayal. I wanted to conclude that holding onto paradise is an impossible task, one that withstands time. But I wanted to show, not tell, and I think that incorporating (and citing!) Fitzgerald's writing with my own achieved that effect.
In conclusion ;) ... as you wrap up your own papers, remember to explore your own creativity rather than haphazardly crossing the essay finish line.
I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I have preparations to make, ingredients to buy, recipes to master (and delegate), table settings to arrange...This holiday time of year can really sneak up on you!
Like the holidays, don't let your essay preparation wait until the last minute. Set a timeline for yourself. There are only two weeks of classes left after the break before finals roll around. That's not a lot of time, but it is better than, say, two days. So, here's what I'd like you to do. Take small steps and try not to procrastinate. You wouldn't want to burn the turkey or break a plate of fine china just as you wouldn't want to present some half-baked literary analysis. Stuffing in filler quotes will also likely lead to an unfulfilling read.
Plan ahead, manage your time, and if you're looking for some help with your writing, make sure you sign up in advance for a session at the Center. We will be open during the beginning of finals week (definite hours tba). One final note, if you would like to reserve your seat at the Writing Center table, sign up outside of room 303 soon. Hope to see you on the guest list!
