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CORE Worker Profile: Good Interview–Good Project February 22, 2010

Posted by jhicks in : CORE, Content, Essay Planning, Uncategorized, Work & Vocation Unit , comments closed

Good questions will elicit detail useful for the paper and make the interview lively and fun for both of you. Plan out questions well ahead of time. Try some of these:

Describe a typical day at your workplace.

How did you arrive in this field or job? Would you choose it again? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I read an article that said one of the challenges in your field is [ . . . ]. How does this issue impact you?

People have this impression [ . . . ] about your career. In what ways is this accurate or inaccurate?

What is something people don’t generally know or realize about your field?

I’ve been thinking about/hearing about [ . . .] in your field. What can you tell me about that?

How do publications or organizations help you in your field?

Before your interview, write out specific questions related to the theme or direction you plan to take in the paper. When you make arrangements, let your candidate know how much time you think you will need, and at the end of the interview, ask if you can contact him or her again in case you need more detail.

We’d be happy to help you write out questions before spring break! Or check out this handout of other suggestions. How to Interview for the Worker Profile

Your Worker Profile CORE Project February 18, 2010

Posted by jhicks in : CORE, Content, Getting started, Uncategorized, Work & Vocation Unit , comments closed

WE WOULD LOVE TO HELP YOU! DROP IN OR E-MAIL US.

FIRST THINGS FIRST . . .WHAT IS IT?  An interpretation of an interview is common in various courses, such as criminology, education, counseling, communication, theology, and nursing. So your work on the CORE worker profile will help you develop skills in research, interviewing, observation, and analysis that you will use again. Writing consultants are familiar with your CORE worker profile and are anxious to help you.

WHICH COMES FIRST, THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG?   Should you choose a person or a vocation/work area first?  If no ideas for a person come to you immediately, you could do some research first–the egg first approach. For example, if you’re interested in social services, youth, and the law, read a little bit about what a “casa worker” is. Then find one to interview.  Of course, librarians will help with research; writing consultants can help too.

CHOOSING THE INTERVIEWEE    We’ll ask you the right questions to help you choose a person that might yield a good paper–the chicken first approach.  We can even help you frame the email that will land you the interview, if your choice is someone you don’t know well.

PLANNING THE INTERVIEW  Good questions are the key to a good interview. We’d love to help you before you go home for spring break. It

Good questions will elicit detail useful for the paper and make the interview lively and fun for both of you. Plan out questions ahead of time. Try some of these:

Describe a typical day at your workplace.

How did you arrive in this field or job? Would you choose it again? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I read an article that said one of the challenges in your field is [ . . . ]. How does this issue impact you?

People have this impression [ . . . ] about your career. In what ways is this accurate or inaccurate?

What is something people don’t generally know or realize about your field?

I’ve been thinking about/hearing about [ . . .] in your field. What can you tell me about that?

How do publications or organizations help you in your field?

What are the challenges you face in your job?

In what ways is this career better than others you could have followed?

In what ways does this career meet needs that you have–like psychological, physical, or spiritual ones?

How do publications or organizations help you in your field?

Check out our libguide for more help. You’ll find links to pod casts about the worker profile and other suggestions too.

Polishing Introductions & Conclusions for a Portfolio November 16, 2009

Posted by jhicks in : CORE, Content, Essay Planning, Portfolio , comments closed

Beginnings and endings are difficult whether in a relationship, on a vacation, or in an essay! If you’re  unsure of what steps to take beyond error corrections as you polish a final draft or revision,  here are some techniques you can apply to your entrance and exit.

Introduction (1) If you used the “funnel” or “pyramid” method, check to see if you began with generalizations that are very far from your actual topic. Try cutting the first two sentences, for example.  Now add more lines directly related to your thesis.

(2) Did you begin with a quote? Be sure you actually refer to it by name and develop ideas from it in your introduction. Also, let us know the author or credentials of the author as related to your topic.

(3) Is your introduction too short in relation to the length of the essay? Try to add more depth . . .Why is exploring this thesis important . . .Why are you pairing these very different texts together . . . Are you exploring questions people have always wondered about? Take time to discuss ideas like these to convince us you have thought about the thesis and its relationship to other ideas, times, people, or events.

(4) Is the thesis complete? Include nouns and phrases to name specifics, rather than making the reader encounter the specifics later.  So, take out “. . .has many effects” and name the effects in your thesis.  Don’t worry about giving away the “plot”!

Conclusion–Don’t worry about the rule of avoiding new ideas in the conclusion; instead, think about adding depth to show your brain power. Include the “so what” of your thesis. (1) Why is your analysis important? What effect does your argument have in your life or your reader’s? (2) Suggest other related research or ideas that need exploration. (3) Do modern readers see this idea, issue, or literary work differently than in former times? If so, what does that say about its significance? (4) How might life be different if we accept or reject your argument? Picture it for us.

Ending your Paper: Finding the “So what?”  –Download for more ideas!

Show More, Tell Less . . .Revising Narrative August 25, 2009

Posted by jhicks in : CORE, Editing, Handouts, Love Unit, Style , comments closed

How many times have you heard this writing advice: Show us, don’t tell us. Readers prefer action over narrative so they can picture events as they may have happened. But how do you carry out this advice? You have already used adjectives and adverbs and told what happened . . .but this still may be telling, not showing.

With a few additions, you can easily revamp a passage to show.

(1) Add dialog: Let people talk to show their feelings and motives.
(2) Add movement: Let people move around to show what’s happening and what they’re thinking. You can imply many complex ideas with through people’s actions.
(3) Add examples that show: Give readers more than one example. In fact, this might be where you can add the dialog and action.
(4) Replace “is/are” verbs with verbs that show action: grabbed, argued, flung, considered, extolled, worried, announced, etc.

Compare these two paragraphs in this pdf–These examples will show you the idea, rather than our just telling you the steps! how-to-show-more-tell-less.pdf

CORE tip: Apply these techniques to revisions of your creation narrative paper. Maybe showing more will bring it to life.

The Very Quick Guide to Organizing your Paper August 24, 2009

Posted by jhicks in : CORE, Content, Essay Planning, International Students , add a comment

Many students organize papers in a deductive organization. This means the first paragraph has a clear statement of the thesis, including its major premise and significance. The rest of the paper presents paragraphs of evidence. A good thesis sentence has a key phrase that can be used throughout the essay.

Ideally, many paragraphs begin with a sentence that sums up the major point of the paragraph. The topic sentence will use key phrases from the thesis sentence.

The conclusion will further discuss the significance of the thesis. The conclusion might make a prediction related to the thesis, suggest ideas for further analysis at another time, or add one more thought-provoking point related to the thesis.

Is FLOW Only for Water? April 15, 2009

Posted by jhicks in : Love Unit, Portfolio, Style, Uncategorized , add a comment

“Can you help me make this FLOW better?”

“I’d like you to check for FLOW.”

 “Maybe this doesn’t FLOW right.”

Though you might not be able to define FLOW in writing, you know when you have it and when you don’t!

Many qualities contribute to text FLOW; here are some editing steps you can apply that may help you capture that elusive quality.

COHERENCE

Read aloud. Though this reminds you of junior high, it’s the best editing trick around. Underline sentences or parts that don’t “sound right” and check out their insides. These two examples will give you the idea.

Example: Colleges are making tuition more affordable with scholarships and having  scholarships and campus jobs.  [Notice how the phrases are constructed differently. They are not similar in grammatical structure or consistent in point of view, which wrecks the flow.]
Improved: Colleges are making tuition more affordable by offering scholarships and campus jobs.
Example: For companies who want to increase market share, they must advertise to their target group. [The word "for" throws off the sentence. Begin with "companies" and omit "they."]

Wordy or illogical constructions can clog a sentence’s flow: The reason is because . . .Pneumonia is when

Omit because and when in this type of construction.

COHESION–You’ll feel “flow” when ideas move from old-to-new:
Move from familiar to unfamiliar ideas. Notice this movement in the following sentences:

The native language of nearly 1 million people is American Sign Language (ASL) [new idea]. Unlike a common misperception, ASL [old idea] is not English in signed form [new idea]. Signed English [old idea] involves signing individual characterisitics of an English sentence, whereas an ASL signer uses physical space occupied and facial expression in a communication exchange [new idea].  ASL [old idea] can be described as “pictorial/visual and three dimensional while English is audible and linear” (Schmidt, Bunse, Dalton, et al 7).
PUNCTUATION also assists with “flow” because these minute marks signal a change in tone, expression, or tempo that you would hear or see in a conversation. On paper, these signals tell your brain what to expect next.

Check out the blog category of “editing” to brush up on conventions of punctuation.

Schmidt, Katherine, et al. “Lessening the Divide: Strategies for Promoting Effective Communication between Hearing Consultants and Deaf Student-writers.” The Writing Lab Newsletter,  33.5 (2009): 6-10.

Making the Most of Your Sentences October 2, 2008

Posted by arussell in : Love Unit, Style , comments closed

Once you have a strong idea for your paper, think about the way you are presenting that idea. Do your sentence patterns convey the ideas by their very arrangement? Sentence patterns can

To sound more interesting and sophisticated, mix up the types of sentences you are using. Don’t use all simple sentences or all compound or complex sentences. Placing short sentences between longer ones give the shorter sentences a punch–they stand out more.

Here are some other sentence types to consider:
A loose sentence is the type of sentence that is most common. At the beginning of the sentence is the main idea (subject and verb) and then all the other less important information follows. For example: I left the restaurant feeling dizzy and sick to my stomach as all my surroundings swirled before my eyes. In this case the subject (I) and the verb (left) are at the beginning of the sentence.

A periodic sentence is not as common and must be used with care. With this type, there is a build-up to the main idea. For example: Looking at the rose, at its soft petals and thin folds, I saw beauty. Here, the main idea (I saw beauty) is at the end of the sentence and all the other details lead up to this idea. If used sparingly, this sentence style makes an idea have real snap. The subject and verb really stand out at the end.

To express cause and effect:

Use a complex sentence beginning with since or because: Because of the reduction in anticipated dividends, many employees delayed their retirement.

(Same idea expressed with a compound sentence does not express cause and effect clearly: Employees anticipated reduced dividends, and they decided to delay their retirement.)

To express sequence or simultaneous events:
Use a complex sentence beginning with while, whenever, before, as, or a similar word: While the stock market dropped, employees

Developing Your Own Voice July 2, 2008

Posted by jhicks in : Editing, Style , comments closed

When you sit down to write your papers, you probably have a couple goals in mind:
1) getting the paper done by the deadline (which might be very soon),
2) answering the prompt in such a way as to obtain an “A” or at least a passing grade, and 3) providing evidence and support for that prompt from either the text that you’re discussing (CORE or CC) or from various bibliographic sources (for your history, economic, business classes). Thinking about how your writing style, word choice, thesis and argument affects the strength and personality of your writing voice…probably not on your radar, especially not at 3:00 am the day before your paper is due.

BUT I would like to argue that thinking about your writing voice is one of the most important things you can do to develop good writing (and good grades) both when you are taking some time to improve your writing skills and when you’re staring down the gauntlet at the paper due date.

A few reasons why:
–If you assert a weak thesis and argument in a strong manner, your paper still may be better than a paper with a strong thesis that is clouded by an unclear paper structure, poor word choice, and long, complicated sentences. And conversely even if you assert a strong thesis, if your voice is weak then your paper will be weak.
–A paper with a confident tone and clear ideas is more enjoyable to read from a professor’s (and writing consultant’s) standpoint.
–Writing is more fun when you feel confident in what you’re saying and you have the tools to know how to say what you want well.
–Being aware of your style and writing habits (both bad and good) can tell you what mistakes to look for in earlier drafts, what to focus on in your writing, and how much time and effort you’ll need to put into different aspects of your writing. [For example, if you're great at using imagery and making your voice unique and accessible, you'll probably have little problem writing narrative essays, but you might have more difficulty confining yourself to a thesis and a more formulaic writing prompt].

So, given these reasons what are a few things you can do to develop your writing voice?

–Save your first drafts and your early papers, wait a few weeks and then look for your own bad writing habits – are my sentences simple or complex? Do I use a lot of prepositional phrases and extra clauses? Do I focus on my thesis and refer back to it throughout my paper, or do I find my thesis after writing a draft? (You could set up an appointment at the Writing Center and have a consultant go through these with you!)

–Name three ways that make your writing different from the writing of your peers (perhaps after you do a peer review). For example, perhaps you’re most comfortable with short, clear sentences or maybe you’re great at using metaphors. In your next paper, focus on those strengths and begin to intentionally work on strengthening your writing gifts in those areas. When you’re confident in how you structure your ideas, your writing voice will take on a new tone of authority, and that’s the goal!

–Pick up one of your favorite authors or borrow a classmate’s paper (preferably someone who got an A!) and notice how they use their language. Why is it that you pay attention to what they are saying? Anything noticeable about the way they present their ideas? Interesting word choice? Sentence structure? Think about ways you can synthesize some of these ideas into your own voice and make it into your own.

Easy Tidbits for you last-minute writers (give yourself 20 minutes to work on voice stuff):
–Scratch all passive sentences and change them to active voice wherever possible.
–Use active verbs and descriptive adjectives.
–Scratch ALL COLLOQUIAL LANGUAGE! Do not dumb down your prose! If it sounds like something you wouldn’t say when you’re dressed up in a suit and giving a formal presentation in front of the peers you respect the most. . .it shouldn’t be in your paper either.
–Look at your introduction and conclusion: make sure they are concise and not broad but focus on getting your reader to your thesis/subject of the paper and then provide a way of tying up loose ends in your conclusion and answering the question “why I read this.” If you structure your ideas well at the beginning and end it will at least structure and frame any madness that is in the body of your paper. :-)

Good Luck! And come in and talk to me on Thursday and Friday afternoons if you’d like to really make your voice come through strong on paper!

Your friendly writing center consultant,

Hannah Cartwright

Read Aloud for Better Proofreading July 2, 2008

Posted by jhicks in : CORE, Correctness, Editing, Education Unit , comments closed

We’ve all come to that point in the essay-writing process when we finish our paper and proofread for errors. So the essay is finished, right? Unfortunately, by focusing on correcting typos, we may overlook other issues having to do with sentence structure. Even though your paper might appear to be grammatically sound, it might not have a nice flow to it due to problems with sentence structure.

The best advice I can give to fellow writers is to always, always read your essay out loud at least once before handing it in. This way you will hear your essay being read out loud. Even though you’ve read your essay to yourself in writing and proofreading it, hearing it spoken allows you to immediately notice disruptions of flow that result from sentence fragments, comma splices, sentences that are too long, sentences that are too short, choppy sentence structure, inadequate transitions between paragraphs, etc. You will find that reading your papers out loud will draw your attention to sentences (and potentially whole paragraphs) that need revising. By proofreading and making sure your paper has a good flow to it, your professors will be more interested in reading through your essay and might be inclined to give you a better grade for it.

Eric Gutierrez
Writing Center Consultant

Integrating Quotes February 20, 2008

Posted by arussell in : CORE, Education Unit, Style , comments closed

-So, my professor says that I should quote more, but I just don’t know how.
-I use quotes in every paper. I quote all the time. Practically every sentence has a quote or a paraphrase. Why doesn’t my professor like it?
-I quote well, but my professor thinks I should ‘integrate’ them more. What does she mean?

All of these concerns and questions are good ones to have because they give us a place to begin. The answer for each is surprisingly similar because it involves how we think about quotes.

So here are some questions to get you thinking.

1. Why would someone use a quote?
2. If you want to use a quote, why use it? Does it illustrate better than you are able? Will it promote your argument? Show a hole in it with which you can wrestle?
3. Why quote right there?
4. Have you summarized, analyzed, and synthesized it into your paragraph?

“BUT that’s just how to think about it! How do I actually go about it?”

That’s also a good question because that depends on context. I like to introduce the author of the quote earlier in my summary of what the quote says and use the name in a phrase just prior to the quote. That looks a bit like:

In his text concerning the great influence the water bottle has had on the college campus, author J. Doe promotes investigating the contents of water bottles in every classroom. Doe writes, “Water bottles are certainly important for hydration, but they are also locations of contamination! Therefore, students who not properly trained in sanitation techniques will become ill or make others ill unless administrations crack down on water bottle use” (45). Concerned with the…

There are other ways of incorporating quotes that can also be very effective. This is just a starting point. When your own paper still stumps you, bring it in and we’ll take a look at it together. That is the best kind of help for me!

Two pairs of eyes is better than one.