Archive

by Leslie Weaver, Faculty Consultant, University Writing Center Most of the cases of plagiarism we see in the writing center are unintentional—students are not trying to cheat; they just do not understand the mysterious, and seemingly inexplicable, rules of documentation. What exactly should be cited? How is an online source handled? To add to the …

by Elizabeth Watness, Student Consultant, University Writing Center Do you ever wonder where words come from? (Besides the dictionary, of course.) Many words commonly found in conversations today have old and interesting origins. Some of them have modern meanings that are quite different from their original definitions. Words change meaning over the centuries due to …

by Megan Gudeman, Student Consultant, University Writing Center I live with two very science-minded roommates. One is studying Nursing, and the other one is in Pre-Med, which, as you can imagine, often leads us to very interesting discussions on how to write. Take yesterday, for example, when both of them had simultaneously approached me to …

by Ruth Butler, Tutor-in-Training, University Writing Center Professionalism in a university writing center is the topic of much discussion, but definitions of what it actually means remain vague. This vagueness is, to a point, intentional: it allows flexibility while setting up a general guideline for what is acceptable. Establishing a professional setting in a writing …

by Ken Erny, Student Consultant, University Writing Center Writing’s hard, no doubt about it. So often, we have all these fabulous ideas rocketing around in our heads. We know what we’re thinking; we recognize our own brilliance. Yet, trying to externalize these thoughts onto the written page – to effectively communicate our ideas to others …

by Erin Gilpatrick and James White, Student Consultants, University Writing Center We all know this happens: the end of the semester and you are overwhelmed with numerous projects that could’ve been done weeks ago. The sorrows of procrastination. As you are frantically trying to finish those writing projects due in the final days of the …

by Jennifer Rojas, Student Consultant, University Writing Center If you have ever come in to the University Writing Center for a session with a tutor, your tutor probably read your draft out loud. Reading out loud makes it is easier to hear when a line is awkward to say or where a word needs to be …

by Corinne Owens, Student Consultant, University Writing Center “I’m really bad at grammar.” I’ve only been officially working at the Writing Center for a few months now, and I feel like I’ve heard this phrase uttered more than any other in my time here. Students are so often insecure about their ability to write error-free …

by Kelsey Lorraine Moore, Student Consultant, University Writing Center ‘Tis the season for midterms. Essays, exams, expectations – a complex juggling act involving a heap of responsibility. Yet with appropriate planning, students may approach their tasks with confidence. As a fellow undergrad, my advice to frazzled students is simple: be intentional and do not procrastinate …

by David Gurecki, Student Consultant, University Writing Center One issue that many writers face, including myself, is concise writing. Writers often include words and phrases that do not add to their writing and prolong the journey of getting to the writer’s ideas. Readers want to see what your paper is about quickly, so here are …