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Writing Strategies for the Semester Finish Line

As grad students, it’s a bit of an understatement to say the end of the semester is a busy time. Whether it’s wrapping up your own coursework, grading student assignments, or getting that next chapter of the dissertation wrapped, there is always another task on the horizon. And when that horizon seems to stretch on infinitely with assignments yet to be written, it can all seem a bit overwhelming. So, in order to make the prospect a bit less intimidating, today’s article is on three helpful tips for not just making it across the end-of-semester finish line but making it across with your writing assignments, and yourself, in good condition. 

Write with Friends

Don’t let that increased workload lead to isolation. Yes, there are times where it’s helpful to work on projects by yourself, especially when they may require an intense level of focus, but make sure to intersperse these with writing sessions involving friends or colleagues. If you’re concerned about the groups becoming too chatty, discuss boundaries before diving into your work to prevent this from becoming an issue. Perhaps you could adopt strategies like writing for fifty minutes and then socializing for ten, or all having all group members meet a pre-chosen goal before joining in conversation; methods like these can help your group embrace a healthy balance of concentration and rest, and you can find more on this topic in our article on writing groups, linked here. Alternatively, you might have a writing group that’s really good at falling into natural rhythms of knowing when to chat and when to work quietly and so those boundaries don’t need to be set. Either way, working with other people not only makes sure that your social needs are met, but it’s a great way to offer and receive motivation as you encourage one another in your tasks, so make sure to bracket it in.

Use the Resources

It may be a busy time of the semester, but don’t let that prevent you from using the writing resources that Baylor has to offer. Attending writing workshops (or listening to the ones stored in the Grad School video library), listening to lectures, and attending writing or study-themed events can not only provide a much-needed change from your main task load, but they may also provide insights that enrich your final projects or make them easier. Additionally, don’t hesitate to take advantage of professors’ office hours or book a consultation with the Graduate Writing Center as ways to get input and feedback that may help polish the final forms of your writing assignments. The GWC also offers several helpful resources on every stage of the writing process, which you can learn more about in this blog article, which gives a short rundown of the services we offer and how they can be of assistance to you. All in all, there are an incredible amount of resources that the university has to offer in your academic endeavors, so be sure to keep an eye for ones that may be of assistance and make time for them as you are able.

Keep Your Energy Up

When you’re swamped with any work, writing or otherwise, it can be easy to let care for yourself fall by the wayside in the form of too little sleep, irregular eating, and not providing your body with some daily movement. It may seem like a lesser concern – after all, it’s just while you finish the semester – but neglecting these areas of your life can also have very real consequences in the form of burnout, illness, and increased fatigue: all issues which can impact the quality of your writing, as well as your overall well-being. So, make time in your schedule to ensure your needs are being met; and if you want to know more about how that can specifically apply to your writing process, take a look at this guide for setting boundaries in the writing process, and how this ultimately benefits you. By taking these deliberate steps, not only will your writing be in better condition at the finish line, but yourself as well. And if you’re struggling achieve that balance on your own, don’t hesitate to reach out to family, friends, and the people who are ready to be there for you.

The end of the semester may be busy, but it doesn’t need to be overwhelming. So, find the group that will keep you motivated, use the resources available for you, and take the rest that you need. Then, when all of your assignments are finally completed, you’ll be ready and in good shape for celebration.

Teach a Person to Fish: Proofreading Strategies for Lifelong Writing

by Kristin Huggins, Consultant

In music, there is no such thing as an insignificant note. A musician must carefully examine each musical notation and interpret it through the lens of style, story, and audience. Similarly, writing demands that we, the writer, drill down through every clause, every synonym, every semi-colon to determine how our writing will be interpreted by our readership. However, when working through larger projects (i.e., a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation) these tiny details become blurred in the face of larger, macro-level writing issues. Where does this leave the proofreading process? Cue the green and gold smoke signal for help!

The seven tips below are a culmination of both personal habits and strategies shared by colleagues and professors over the years. While collectively these tips are not foolproof, they serve as a great way to start the proofreading process!

  1. Download Grammarly to Microsoft Word. I cannot stress enough the value of this program. Grammarly is AMAZING. Fun Fact: Word’s spell-check runs an entirely different algorithm than Grammarly when reviewing papers. This means that with the power of both, you’re more likely to catch those pesky issues hiding in the crevices of your paper. Grammarly offers both a free version and a paid premium version. I use the free version, mainly because the thought of paying for yet another subscription makes my stomach turn. But many colleagues swear by the premium. Try both for yourself!
  2. Read your work out loud. Yes, academic writing is not the same as colloquial speech. I’m well aware. However, when speaking through your paper, you’ll find moments where you pause subconsciously to consider a phrase or punctuation that doesn’t feel “quite right”. Follow that gut reaction. Question it. Determine whether it has merit and write from there. This trick is also helpful in addressing larger concerns such as flow or topic congruency.
  3. Become best friends with your Search Bar. If you open your Sidebar in Word, you will be able to Search specific phrases, letters, punctuation, or even extra spaces in your paper to see where and how often they occur. This tool has been my saving grace in finding places where I accidentally inserted two spaces after a period rather than one. I also use this feature to discover my “Word of the Week” (i.e., the adverb or adjective my brain has decided to play on loop during my drafting sessions). Searching for these repetitive words allows me the opportunity to consider whether they are truly appropriate and whether a synonym would be of better use.
  4. Do not attempt to tackle your entire work at once – especially if it is multiple chapters. This piece of advice is also applicable for writing consultations. You’re much more likely to be effective in your writing goal if you break it down into digestible chunks. The prospect of proofreading a 200-page dissertation within one sitting is inconceivable. I like to approach difficult chapters during my most productive hours of the day when I know my brain will be firing on (nearly) all cylinders.
  5. Proofread content and style separately. Many find it effective to proofread papers for academic style errors (i.e., APA, MLA, Turabian, etc.) without addressing in-text content. Some have this gift. I wish I was so blessed. Alas, I cannot rub my belly and pat my head at the same time, therefore I will assume that proofreading multiple levels of style, content, and grammar will only result in tears.
  6. Try tactile proofreading. Staring at screens for hours on end has an odd effect on how the brain processes language, at least in my personal experience. Some of my best revision work has come from printing a chapter and setting to it with a traditional red pen (or green, if you prefer soothing, positive colors). Feeling the crispness of individual pages while setting your thoughts to paper with actual ink is a very different experience than scrolling through Word document pages and adding strikethroughs. Try it once and see what happens.
  7. Use a Proofreading Checklist to help guide you. Even the seasoned scholar falls into the trap of trying to tackle all proofreading tasks at once. Experience may make the writer, but the writing process remains a fluid embodiment of evolving critical thought and creative output. This means that proofreading can never be worked into muscle memory, but must constantly be attacked at all angles methodically and carefully. The use of a checklist can be liberating, providing the writer with a strategic plan of attack. A sample proofreading checklist can be found here, provided by Southeastern University’s Writing Center.

We hope that you continue to hone your skills as a writer, editor, and proofreader! If you’re new to the proofreading game, these seven tips should jumpstart your proofreading process. If you’re a veteran proofreader and you have additional tips or tricks to the proofreading process, please share below!

What to Know About Academic Publishing: Highlights from a Workshop

Information for this article is taken from the recent GWC and GPS workshop of the same title.

Whether you’re new to graduate school, or you’ve been in your program a few years, participating in the community of research publishing is something on your horizon. But what does it look like to approach the publishing process? And what are some key components in making sure your research is accepted by a journal? Today’s article is dedicated to engaging with these questions, offering some insights and advice for beginning the journey that is academic publishing.

Be Intentional

One of the most helpful things you can do for yourself when writing something that you might like to publish in the future, is to be intentional. As you consider a given writing or research project, think about the sources you are using or the type of study you are conducting, then use that reflection as a way to begin seeking out journals early in your writing process. As you write, you can then tailor and format your assignment to fit with a journal of your choosing. Even if you ultimately don’t decide to send your work out, this can still be good practice for getting you in the mindset of what the path to publishing looks like, building your skills as a writer and academic. Additionally, be sure to talk to your advisor or professor as you begin considering this topic. Often, they will have insightful recommendations for journals that might be a good fit for your work, or offer feedback tailored to your publication intentions, so make sure to take advantage of the valuable insights they have to offer.

Embrace the Process

When working on a project, it can be tempting to dash off a draft and send it straight to publication or get one rejection from a journal and give up on that piece forever. However, one of the biggest factors in making a piece publication-ready is time: time to polish your work, become familiar with the secondary literature, solidify your findings, and most important of all, revise. The revisions process is a critical part of your journey to publishing, so make sure you spend adequate time there. Getting feedback from faculty and peers, taking breaks as you write so that you can revisit sections with a fresh mind, and maintaining consistency in your revising schedule are all ways to use this time intentionally. Now, you don’t want to fall into the deadly cycle of endless revisions and never submitting your work, so make sure to regularly check in with others (whether colleagues or mentors) about where you are and what the next steps will be. Then, when the time arrives to submit your work, you will not only be confident in the progress your article as made but in the growth and expertise you’ve gained as a writer in this part of your journey.

Celebrate Every Step

Publishing can be a time-consuming and complex process, so be sure to celebrate every step of the journey and recognize your accomplishments. Choosing a paper or project to begin intentionally polishing for submission, meeting with advisors or mentors to discuss the process, and sending your work out are all important milestones that deserve to be celebrated. So whether you go out with friends or grab yourself a special coffee and treat, make sure to recognize and reward the progress you’ve made. Then, when you hear back, celebrate acceptances, rejections, and revisions alike, since all of these responses will ultimately work to make you a better writer and a more competent researcher.

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The journey to academic publishing can be an intimidating, but it’s also a journey that can be very rewarding. Joining the written community of your fellow academics, sharing your findings with the world, and the excitement of seeing your own work finally in print are just a few of the benefits it offers. So make sure to give yourself time and grace as you seek to learn the new skill of writing publication material, and embrace the journey not only for the end goal, but for the many wonderful mentors and friends who will support you every step of the way.

Top Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism

Avoiding plagiarism may seem like an overwhelming task, especially when getting into the weeds of proper citations, self-plagiarism, paraphrasing, and other key components of this important task. However, avoiding plagiarism doesn’t have to stay an incomprehensible challenge. There are actually some core concepts which can help you when remedying this issue, and even prevent it. As such, today’s article is on some handy tips that will assist you in understanding, recognizing, and even avoiding plagiarism in your own work.

Know the Definitions

It’s important to be aware of what constitutes plagiarism in order to avoid it, since it may come in different shapes and sizes. Self-plagiarism, for example, happens when you market your own older work as being newly created, while other forms of plagiarism can occur when proper citations or paraphrasing do not occur. Checking discipline parameters, reading course syllabi, looking at Baylor’s plagiarism resources (linked here: https://honorcode.web.baylor.edu/other-policies-and-resources/plagiarism-resources), and talking to your instructor can all be informative in this area. Additionally, make sure you are aware of how to cite properly in your discipline’s chosen format, and if it’s a format you are unfamiliar with, seek out handbooks, tutorials, or other resources to make sure you are aware of how it functions.

Get a Second Set of Eyes

When in doubt over whether you’ve plagiarized, or if you are citing sources properly, it’s always best to get a second pair of eyes before submitting an assignment. Your instructor can be a fantastic resource in this area, since they will be the most familiar with the ins and outs of your discipline. So, take advantage of office hours and don’t hesitate to ask questions when unsure: it may save you some headaches down the line. The Graduate Writing Center is also available for your assistance in this area, so book an appointment with one of our consultants (our page is linked here: https://graduate.baylor.edu/gwc) and we will be more than happy to talk with you about this important topic. Exchanging assignments with your peers in order to check for plagiarism can also be a helpful practice and illuminate areas where you may not have noticed a paraphrase that isn’t different enough from original wording, or perhaps an unfinished citation.

Start Tracking Sources Early

Often, plagiarism because of improper citations happens at the last minute: the assignment deadline is right around the corner and you’re rushing to plug your last citations, sources, and bibliographic information into an otherwise-finished assignment. To help prevent this, begin taking notes on your sources early in the research process. Collect bibliographic information as you go, and write down page numbers, author information, and even quotations from material you are likely to use. Then, when you start writing your assignment, begin making citations and incorporating sources as you go, rather than waiting until the last minute or until after you have written your paper.

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Finally, academic writing can be a challenging craft to master, so be sure to give yourself patience and grace on this new learning curve. Take advantage of the tools and assistance that are available to you, and don’t hesitate to ask for help. By doing this, not only will you be better equipped to both prevent and treat instances of plagiarism in your own work, but you will be more confident in the strength and creativity of your own writing.  

How to Prepare for Your First GWC Consultation

By Jasmine Stovall, Consultant

Picture it: You’ve been working diligently on a writing project for quite some time and have reached a point in your writing process where you think you could benefit from the feedback of a second set of eyes. You make the very wise decision to reach out the GWC to make an appointment for your very first consultation. You login to the online portal, input all the necessary information, and successfully submit your request. Within a couple days’ time, a consultant contacts you and after a brief e-mail exchange, your appointment is officially set.

So… now what?

Well, I’m glad you asked! If the scenario above sounds like an experience you’ve had or are currently having, you’re going to want to keep reading. This blog post is to serve as a guide for preparing for your first GWC consultation. I will talk about things you can do beforehand to prepare, what you can expect during your consultation, and offer some tips that will be helpful in making you your consultant’s favorite client and ultimately result in a successful, productive consultation session.

Let’s begin by discussing some things to do before your consultation:

  1. Be prompt and communicative – The GWC prides itself on our flexibility and short turnaround time. With that being said, we do operate on a first-come-first-served basis. So, essentially, the more prompt you are in your responses, the sooner you and your consultant can plan to meet. Being prompt and communicative from the first contact is an immediate green flag to consultants because it tells us that you are serious about seeking help, that you want actually want to be here, and that you are intentional when it comes to time and planning. Remember, when it comes to longer documents like dissertations or class assignments with known deadlines, you can make an appointment with a consultant as far in advance as you need to receive assistance in enough time to submit your project by the deadline. Of course, we understand that life happens, and grad student schedules can be unpredictable at times, but generally, communicating with your consultant and being respectful of deadlines (i.e., sending the consultant your document within the requested timeframe) will only help you leading up to your consultation and even after.
  2. Don’t be afraid to make your needs known up front – As consultants, our number one priority is to help you become a stronger, more confident writer, but we can’t help you if we don’t know what you need. So, as you are preparing for your consultation, don’t hesitate to communicate any specific needs you may have or anything you’d like us to pay close attention to as we read. Worried about whether your argument is clear and consistent throughout? We can help with that. Need help organizing your thoughts into an outline? We’ve got your back. Struggling with word choice and transitions in your intro? No worries. Or maybe you want us to focus specifically on the organization and sentence structure of your discussion section and only read the remaining sections if time allows? Can do. This allows us as consultants to be more intentional about how we allocate our reading time. When we can focus specifically on your requests, it makes for a more productive meeting overall and ensures that we are meeting your needs to the best of our ability.
  3. Set goals for yourself and for the meeting – This one is self-explanatory. Make some time beforehand to set goals and have an idea of what you hope to accomplish over the course of the meeting. If you have clear expectations for yourself and your consultant, the meeting is generally more productive. 
  4. Provide your consultant with any supplemental materials – In addition to your document, we encourage clients to send us anything else they think might be helpful in understanding the nature of the assignment. Whether it be a rubric, assignment description or instructor feedback, the more information we have regarding the context of your project before we begin reading, the more tailored your feedback will be.

Now that you are well prepared for your consultation, let’s talk about some things you can do during your appointment to get the most out of your session:

  1. Don’t be afraid to take the driver’s seat – While we are here to help you, we also want you to take ownership of your writing and your GWC experience. You are free to lead the meeting to ensure that you get out of it what you want to get out of it.
  2. Keep an open mind and be open to suggestions – As consultants, we are here to serve you and do what we can to provide feedback that will strengthen your paper. However, keep in mind that our suggestions really are just suggestions, not law. That means you can take or leave them, no harm no foul. Even still, I would encourage you to make it a point to at least be open to new ideas and changing the way you think about communicating your ideas and the practice of writing in general.
  3. Be open to both asking and answering questions – Some of the most productive consultations come from discussion and collaboration. While we are your consultant, we are also your peers. Some of my most enjoyable meetings have been a result of me feeling as though I am talking with my client rather than at them.  
  4. Come with questions – Our job as consultants is to not only help you improve the piece of writing for which you are seeking feedback, but also to make you a stronger writer overall. This means your questions do not have to be limited to your project by any means. We welcome broad writing questions as well with hopes that our session will help you write with more confidence for this piece and all those to come.

Here are some final thoughts and additional tips for success in your first consultation:

  1. Don’t feel like your writing has to be perfect or even complete before you meet with us – Part of our job is to help you get to the finish line (or as close to it as possible) at any point in the writing process. The finish line looks different for everyone. For some it may mean going from an outline to full paragraphs, while for others it could mean reviewing a polished article ready to be submitted to a journal for review. Either way, it is perfectly acceptable to seek help with a work in progress as opposed to a finished product.
  2. Remember that vulnerability is a part of the process – Writing is personal. When you think about big writing projects such as dissertations and theses that often are a result of research that has been years in the making, your connection to it goes deeper than just the words on the page, it means something to you. Therefore, it takes a lot of courage to surrender something you’ve put so much of yourself into to a stranger placing yourself at the mercy of their feedback. Keep that in mind as you go into your consultation and remember that while it may not seem like it in the moment, being vulnerable makes for a stronger, better you in the long run.

As with most things in life, showing up is the hardest part, and if you’ve managed to successfully do that then you’re already winning in my book. The same principle applies to your first GWC consultation. Start by showing up. Communicate your needs, set your goals, take ownership, keep an open mind, and let the rest the unfold from there. I hope after reading this you feel equipped with the necessary tools and confident in your abilities to prepare for a stellar first consultation with the GWC.

Reverse Outlining for Effective Revision

By Reilly Fitzpatrick, Consultant

Perhaps even more than the actual drafting process, revising your writing can be challenging and intimidating. As a writer, I feel pretty confident about my ability to go over my sentences with a fine-tooth comb and correct typos, resolve grammatical errors, or improve my word choice. However, trying to make big-picture edits—things like paper organization, cohesive argumentation, paragraph structure, and the ever-elusive pursuit of “flow”—often seems much more overwhelming to me. Is this true for you?

One of the strategies I have implemented in my own writing process, as well as when I teach revision practices to undergraduates, is reverse outlining. Reverse outlining is exactly what it sounds like: it is the process of creating an outline of your paragraph or paper in reverse, once you have already written it. Most of us use an outline when we write our original draft, but reverse outlining helps you to identify and analyze the specific goal of each paragraph and sentence in light of your overarching objective for the paper and evaluate how effectively you are accomplishing those goals. Reverse outlining is a practice that allows you to revise your writing on both a paragraph and sentence level, but more importantly, it gets you to think about your writing choices, not just what you are arguing.

While the writing process is rarely formulaic, reverse outlining is a strategy that works best with a checklist. Here’s a step-by-step guide to reverse outlining and revising your writing that I’ve created based on my own writing and teaching experiences. You’ll notice that most of these steps prompt you to answer questions about your writing, which means that your progression through the reverse outlining process will vary based on your answers and you will end the reverse outlining process with reflection and revision that is tailored both to your project and your individual writing style.

  1. Choose a paragraph to reverse outline. Usually this process works best if you make your way through your paper chronologically, but you can also jump right to a problem paragraph if you’re short on time!
  2. Start a page of notes where you will answer the following questions. These notes will ultimately constitute your reverse outline and help you identify strategies to revise.
  3. Without re-reading the paragraph you’ve chosen, write down what you think the main idea of this paragraph is. What are you trying to explain, argue, or persuade the reader of?
  4. Next, write down how this paragraph connects to your thesis as a whole. Why is it important to include this paragraph? How does it help you accomplish your overarching goal in this paper?
  5. Now, let’s look at the paragraph itself. Start with the topic (or first) sentence: what does it communicate to the reader? Write this down. Remember, topic sentences need to articulate 1) the main idea/claim of the paragraph, and 2) how it relates to your thesis. Hint: You just identified both of those goals in steps 2 and 3, so make sure they match up with your topic sentence! If they don’t, think about how you might rewrite your topic sentence to more effectively meet these goals.
  6. Move on to the next sentence in your paragraph and identify the goal of the sentence. Remember to think about the goal of the sentence not in terms of content (What am I saying here?) but rather structure (Why am I saying this here?). Here are some possible goals for sentences in your paper. Does the sentence…
    a. Provide context for the main idea of the paragraph to my reader?
    b. State my sub-claim and how it relates to my thesis?
    c. Summarize my stance on the topic?
    d. Explain what a scholar has to say about this idea?
    e. Provide evidence (like a quote, statistic, or example) to support a claim I am making in this paragraph?
    f. Explain how a direct quote or paraphrased idea from a source is relevant to my claim?
    g. State how my claim is different from other scholars’ arguments?
    h. State how my claim relates to an idea I discussed in a previous paragraph?
    i. Something else?
  7. Once you have identified the goal of the sentence, ask yourself these questions:
    a. Does the sentence actually accomplish its identified goal?
    b. Does this sentence directly connect to the main idea of this paragraph as I have identified it in the topic sentence, or does it contain ideas that are irrelevant or tangential?
    c. Does this sentence fully explain an idea, or does it need to be developed further (either by expanding the sentence or adding another sentence)?
    d. Is this sentence necessary in this paragraph, or could it be combined with another related sentence or deleted altogether?
    e. How can I revise this sentence to be clearer, more relevant to the main idea of this paragraph and my thesis, and more persuasive?
  8. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for every sentence in your paragraph, answering each question for the sentence in your notes.
  9. Once you reach the final sentence of your paragraph—the transition sentence—ask yourself these questions. (Remember, sometimes you will need more than one transition sentence at the end of your paragraph in order to accomplish all of these goals!)
    a. Does this sentence sufficiently summarize the main idea of this paragraph and remind the reader of what I have argued in it?
    b. Does this sentence connect the main idea of this paragraph back to my thesis?
    c. Does this transition sentence guide the reader from the main idea of this paragraph to the main idea I will discuss in the next paragraph?
  10. Now that you have finished reverse-outlining your paragraph on a sentence level, answer these questions about the paragraph as a whole:
    a. Is this paragraph accomplishing what I need it to in this paper? Does it clearly connect to my thesis? Is it necessary to prove my argument?
    b. Do I have one main idea in this paragraph, or do I jump around between several ideas? Does my topic sentence reflect this main idea and remind the reader of how this idea connects to my thesis, or does it just generally state the topic?
    c. Do I fully explain, argue, and support my sub-claim in this paragraph? What do I need to add in order for my paragraph to be persuasive—more explanation of my stance, more evidence from sources, or more background information?
    d. Does this paragraph repeat any information or ideas I have already talked about in another place? Which place makes the most sense for me to include that content?
    e. Does this paragraph need to be combined with another paragraph or split into 2 or more paragraphs? Does this paragraph need to be longer or shorter?
    f. Where is this paragraph placed in my paper? Does it work where it is, or does it need to be earlier or later in the paper?
  11. Repeat these steps to reverse outline your next paragraph!
  12. After you have made a reverse outline of every paragraph in your paper, think about the quality and quantity of paragraphs you’ve written. Do you feel confident that your thesis has been effectively explained, argued, supported, and proven? Have you noticed any gaps in your argumentation or methodology? Do your introduction and conclusion accurately predict and reflect the actual content of your paper? Have you considered all the perspectives on your topic and sufficiently surveyed the scholarly conversation related to your claim? As you became the reader (or the audience) of your own writing, what did you notice about your clarity, persuasiveness, and tone? What are some aspects of your writing that you would like to change or improve as you revise this paper and work on other projects?
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Once you’re done reverse outlining your paper, take a step back and reflect on what you learned. What have you noticed about yourself as a writer? Are there specific writing strategies or skills that you are especially good at? Are there patterns in your paper that indicate a skill you need to develop? How might you adjust your writing or revision processes in the future based on what you have learned? While you might want to jump right into revisions, spending some time reflecting on your writing personality and processes will help you become a more competent and confident writer in the future.

Unraveling Why we Procrastinate and How to Conquer Writer’s Block.

By Madhur Wyatt, Consultant

“I promise to start tomorrow.” “I can’t really start writing till I have researched enough.” “I don’t even know what to write!” Sound familiar? Procrastination and writer’s block (a feeling of being stuck or unable to generate ideas for writing) can be real barriers to your life as a grad student. However, there is always a reason you procrastinate, and if you can understand the psychology behind it, you can reclaim your writing productivity.

The three reasons you may be procrastinating:

  1. Running from the bull: When you find a task daunting, your brain is super clever at escaping it or delaying the task for momentary relief. But this can become worrisome – especially when deadlines get closer. If you find yourself doom-scrolling, watching Netflix, or finding fall recipes, you are satisfying your brain’s search for instant gratification. These attractive distractions can further reinforce procrastination. So, my friend, when you find yourself running away from tasks, acknowledge that it’s your brain playing tricks on you to escape writing that research project.
  2. Waiting for the stars to align: Let’s be honest, most of us have perfectionist tendencies (otherwise, how did we get into grad school). Perfectionism is paralyzing. You may fear that your work will not meet standards. You may find yourself constantly editing, revising, re-writing, or erasing it all–ultimately slowing down the progress of your work. This perfectionism can come in the way of you making substantial progress, perpetuating writer’s block.
  3. Lost in transition: Grad school writing is not your typical chit-chat with a friend at Starbucks. It follows a certain style, structure, and organization. Additionally, writing for academia demands skills and conventions that may not be intuitive. Scientific writing, for instance, may not be second nature to you. This unfamiliarity can be very uncomfortable and make writing feel like an uphill battle, leading to further procrastination.

So, now that we’ve acknowledged three drivers of procrastinating. Let’s discuss some practical writing strategies that you can use in your next writing project:

  1. Pen the ponderings: So, if you are running from the bull or waiting for the stars to align, try setting a timer for 10 minutes and free-writing whatever comes to mind. The goal is to get words on paper and remember there are no judgments. This will kickstart your writing process.
  2. Map your mind: Create mind maps: a visual showing the central concept branching out with related concepts. This will help you organize and contain your thoughts and identify connections, ultimately helping you with the flow of ideas. This is exactly what you need when you find yourself dodging the bull or waiting for those perfect constellations.
  3. Setting the stage; Painting an outline: Imagine you are dealing with a mammoth-sized writing project or a paper that includes the following sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion. You can get overwhelmed just by thinking about it. So, the trick is to start with an outline for the project. This outline will include breaking down each section into subpoints or guideposts. These sub-points will keep you on track and will provide goals for each writing session. Bull-evasion!
  4. Eat the elephant (or the bull), one bite at a time: Attack your writing in bite-sized portions. Once you have an outline of the project, you can start elaborating on these sub-points one by one. This way, the bite-sized writing session will not overwhelm you and slowly you will see your writing flow.
  5. Sprint writing: Up for a challenge to sidestep the bull? Try a writing sprint! Set a timer for 20 minutes and write. No editing is allowed in this period. Unlike free writing, writing sprints intentionally attack each section of your mind map or paper outline one by one and start writing about it. But, since you are not allowed to edit, you will make progress on your research paper as you start writing about it.
  6. Two heads are better than one: Grab a writing buddy! Either write together or exchange writing assignments and provide a critique. An accountability partner will get you going on the project and an additional set of eyes will help refine it.
  7. Textual Navigation: Referencing the pros: Navigate through the complexity of writing by opening up several journal articles on your browser and analyzing the writing styles, formats, and word choices. This will serve as a valuable guide as you compile your work and mitigate loss in transition ensuring smooth and cohesive writing. 

With these strategies, you will not only overcome procrastination and writer’s block but also hopefully enjoy the writing process. Happy Writing!

Top Tips for Cultivating a Great CV

The Curriculum Vitae, or CV is one of the most important documents you will develop during your time in graduate school. A Latin term that translates to the “course of [one’s] life,” this document reflects your academic journey, the experience you’ve accumulated along the way, and what you have to offer future institutional employers.

But is a CV something you only write once? How can you make sure it’s the best possible reflection of your expertise? What are some steps to begin taking, even when you think you won’t need a CV anytime soon? Today’s article will offer some answers to those questions, as you begin crafting this academic narrative.

Don’t Stop at One Draft:

Your CV is something that should undergo multiple iterations as you progress through grad school. Whether it’s updating your sections on fellowships and grants, adding a new conference, or simply giving it a fresh review once in a while, it’s important that this doesn’t become a static document. So, make sure it’s always updated to reflect your latest experience and qualifications. Then, whenever a new opportunity comes your way, your materials are always ready and you’re not scrambling to get everything in order.

And if you haven’t put together an official CV yet, then wherever you are in your graduate journey, go ahead and begin drafting that document. Even if it doesn’t end up being a draft you ever use, the process of going through your experiences and putting it together will help to grow your confidence as you assemble later versions for actual job applications. It can also be helpful at this stage to go ahead and begin keeping two versions of your CV: a longer one for applications, and a shorter form for websites, professional social media, and online forms.

Get Another Pair of Eyes

Don’t be the only person who’s ever seen your CV. Just like with any other academic document, it’s important to gain the feedback and insight of others. Perhaps you have peers with experience in the job field, a faculty member who’s willing to offer input, or you book an appointment with the Graduate Writing Center, but wherever you can, make sure that you take the time to seek out as much assistance as possible while you are refining this document.

Additionally, remember that a CV doesn’t look the same in every discipline, since different fields have different priorities. So, if you’re a STEM student, perhaps don’t model your CV off of an English grad’s, and vice versa. Find relevant documents from your field and use these to form an accurate assessment of what you need to prioritize. Check out the Graduate Pathways to Success workshop on CVs here; you’ll find this page also includes sample CVs from across various disciplines, so take advantage of these available resources. And of course, schedule a session with one of our consultants here at the GWC, who are all well-equipped to offer helpful insight and feedback.

Bring Your Best Work

Perhaps most importantly, make sure to bring your best writing to the table. When you think of a CV, it can be easy to label it as something which requires more effort for organization than writing. However, it’s still one of the central documents that potential employers will use to gain an impression of you. As such, avoiding proofreading errors, practicing brevity, having a good system of organization, and demonstrating ability to prioritize what is relevant for an institution are all traits that will show the effort and care you have invested into the job application process: in other words, it shows that you value the time your reviewer is investing in reading these documents, something which you always want to communicate.

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And finally, one of the most important things you can do while crafting your CV is to be confident. As a grad student, you’ve had tremendous opportunities to study and perform research and cultivate expertise in many areas, so don’t hesitate to bring those accomplishments into the light. Because as a job applicant (whether now or in the future), your goal is not simply to receive an offer from someone else, but to find a place where you have the opportunity to share what you have learned with others through teaching, mentorship, and exploration, as you guide them in the process of finding the course of their own lives.

Writing with Dogs: How Your Pet Can Aid Your Writing Process

As a grad student, one of the biggest hurdles to overcome is figuring out first, what a work-life balance is, and second, how to make that balance feasible for yourself. For many students, pets become one way to reinforce this type of balance: making sure you’re taking time off by having someone around who depends on you. However, when the busy part of the semester rolls around and assignments begin piling up, it’s easy to feel like your life becomes all work and no balance, and that you’re not spending as much time with your pet as you’d like. As the owner of a quite active Corgi, this is a challenge I’ve faced as well, so this week’s article is dedicated to areas where your dog can not only be involved in your writing, but even improve your routine.

Getting Out of the House

Whether it’s in a home office or a designated spot on campus, always writing in the same space can leave you feeling burnt out and uninspired. As a result, you may need to change up the scenery once in a to refresh and reset your writing process. And the good new is, you can bring your dog along while you do this! Many libraries, restaurants, or even coffee shops have outdoor (and sometime indoor) areas where pets are welcome. So the next time you feel the need for a change in routine, take your dog along. Not only will this provide them with great socialization, it’s also a helpful reminder for when to pack up and go home for the day. After all, you might be willing to work overtime, but chances are, your dog knows exactly when meals are supposed to be served and won’t hesitate to remind you. And for those writers, like myself, who work best by verbally processing ideas, having a dog present to talk to can be a lot easier than trying to discuss things all by yourself.

Having outdoor time scheduled with your dog periodically throughout the day is also a way to set stronger boundaries for yourself around your writing while also taking time away from your workplace. Taking a walk, playing games outdoors, or just getting that breath of fresh air offers a chance to declutter your thoughts and get new inspiration for your next step in the writing process. So schedule those things in a way that both works for your dog, and helps you take much-needed rest from your own labors.  

Meeting Other People

Writing groups are wonderful places where you have the opportunity to both hold yourself accountable to and receive encouragement from others who are traveling on the same journey as yourself. Connecting with other student dog owners can also be a great way to form writing community. Maybe it’s in a backyard, public park, or even one of those coffee shops mentioned earlier, but bringing your dogs along to writing group can help enrich that sense of camaraderie in your group through connecting over experiences outside the workplace, while also helping you get an occasional change of scenery. While the pups play, you can make some headway on your writing project, and head home at the end of your meeting knowing that not only have you done good work, but your dog is probably so tired from playing with buddies, that you won’t need to exercise him as much for the rest of the day.  

Cultivating a Routine

One of the real benefits of dog ownership is that it helps you cultivate a sense of routine. You may not always feel like adhering to the same rhythms of life, but your dog will. Having set times of the day where you sit quietly to write is also something your dog will remember, and you can reinforce that memory as a way of holding yourself accountable. For myself, after a couple of hours at my desk in the mornings, I like to do some training or games with my dog. As a result, while I’m writing, he typically takes a nap under my chair or around the house, but when 10:30am arrives, he is up and ready to remind me of that breaktime. Not only does this help strengthen the rhythm of breaks and breathing space that I’ve set for myself, but having that pseudo-deadline in the back of my mind helps keep me motivated during the hours of writing leading up to it. And then, once I’ve taken some time away from my work to engage in an activity that’s totally different, I’m able to reconnect with my projects both rested and rejuvenated.

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But most importantly, let your dog help you enjoy the writing process. There’s few things cozier or more relaxing than having a pet curled up nearby while you work, where you can give them a pat on the head or a good scritch behind the ears once in awhile. It’s a nice reminder that writing does not have to be a manic or stressful process, and that you can still take your time and enjoy yourself throughout your end-of-semester projects. Of course, if your dog is anything like mine, you can’t let him get too close to the keyboard while you work: it’s nearly impossible to type when he insists on periodically licking all the keys.

Five Essential Writing Apps & Software for Graduate Students

Grammarly

Software: Add-ons, Widgets for Office and Browsers

Website: https://www.grammarly.com

I would be remiss as a writing consultant if I didn’t start this list out with Grammarly (arguably the #1 writing software we recommend to all GWC clients). Grammarly is a communications assistance software that handles multiple levels of revision at once: spell-checks, punctuation, grammar, tone, level of formality, clarity, consistency, passive versus active voice, etc. You can also download add-ons that integrate Grammarly into your Microsoft Office applications and your browsers.

The free version is fantastic and will get you serious mileage on your writing projects for quite some time. However, I would strongly recommend paying for the Premium version once you’re in the final stages of writing and revising your master’s thesis or dissertation document. The paid version adds plagiarism checks, citation formatting, full sentence rewrites, and word choice suggestions: all invaluable tools for the overwhelmed, exhausted graduate student trying to limp across the finish line of their Final Tech Review.

Notion

Software & Application: iOS & Andriod, Mac and Windows Desktop

Website: https://www.notion.so

In high school, I can remember carrying around a massive three-ring binder filled with notes, handouts, and assignments for all seven class periods. By mid-year, I swore the binder weighed more than I did – I gave up toting it in my backpack, as its weight caused the straps to dig into my bony shoulders, and instead carried it in front of me like the tome from the Lost Ark. This was the only way I could stay organized, keep track of my calendar, and hold my notes all in one place.

You do not have to suffer this indignity, dear reader. Notion will do all of this FOR YOU.

Think of Notion as your three-ring binder. You can take notes, store pictures and videos, create calendar items, track deadlines, and more. As a graduate student, you are constantly being pulled in so many different directions. Why not give yourself a digital organization system that’s easily accessible and syncs across all of your devices?

Academic Phrasebook

Website: https://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: academic voice is not natural. One doesn’t launch into graduate coursework with the ability to “posit” and “synthesize” in APA with ease. The ability to discuss theoretical frameworks in relation to your research comes with time. And practice. So much practice. But… while you become more comfortable finding your own academic voice, the Academic Phrasebook is here to help you jumpstart your writing in the right direction.

This website is priceless for the early-career graduate student looking to polish and refine their academic prose. Created by Manchester University, this site provides formal academic terms, phrases, and sentence starters based on what area of your thesis, article, or dissertation you are working on.

How many times have you gone to a thesaurus to look up another word for “examine” or “investigate” because you feel like you’ve used it 60 times in your writing? This website can help you diversify your vocabulary and sound like a seasoned academic scholar.

Otter.ai

Website: https://otter.ai

Otter.ai is a dictation software that allows you to convert audio or spoken words into text. In the fledgling stages of my research prospectus, I would often find inspiration when driving to and from work. I’d do my best to try and hold onto these moments of clarity until I got to my office to write them down. This rarely went well. I’d be left bereft of inspiration and cranky at my failing memory the rest of the day. If I had known about Otter.ai, I could have used it during my morning commutes to dictate my thoughts and save them on their cloud storage system for easy access later.

Otter.ai is also quite helpful when you find yourself stuck in a particularly difficult section of your writing. Using Otter.ai allows you to soundboard and record your ideas without the hinderance of word/page count paralysis or visual imposter syndrome getting in the way.

Calling all qualitative researchers! If you are conducting a qualitative student and plan to conduct several interviews with study participants to collect your data, Otter.ai can provide you with hands-free recordings and transcriptions of your conversations! However, be mindful that transcriptions will not be perfect and WILL need to be cleaned up later.

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Dropbox / Google Drive / Apple / Skybox / OneDrive, etc.

Do not–I repeat–DO NOT save your documents on your laptop or computer and call it a day. I cannot tell you how many nightmares I’ve had as a graduate student that my computer crashed and I hadn’t saved the lasted version of my dissertation in my Google Drive. I literally woke my husband up screaming.

Get into the habit now of backing up all of your files onto a cloud storage system of some kind. I don’t care which one you choose. There are several now available, often for free or low monthly rates. Choose what works best for you and your devices.

I began using Dropbox in the beginning to catalogue copies and screenshots of research for my literature review. What I didn’t account for was running out of room. I had already used a large portion of my Dropbox space to store my digital music library of repertoire for studio teaching. This meant jumping ship mid-program to Google Drive, which provided larger storage capacities at a much lower cost. Google Drive also was the preferred cloud for many of my colleagues and professors, which meant it was easier to share and collaborate on research together.

Don’t use your personal data to get through your graduate studies. Upload and store to a cloud system and sleep easy knowing your work is secure!