The Graduate Writing Center’s Lead Consultant reflects on why she enjoys working in the writing center and how it has helped her prepare for her professional future
If you are on the job hunt for faculty or other academic positions, it is never too early to start preparing your written materials. However, applying for jobs can be a tedious and daunting task. To help you in this process, here's a checklist of materials you may be required to submit: Curriculum Vitae Cover...
As you settle into the rhythm of the new academic year, you may find yourself receiving requests for letters of recommendation from former students, research assistants, or others who have worked under your purview. Especially if you have never written one before, you may find yourself looking for some tips and tricks. Here is a...
Summer is finally here, and it’s a great opportunity to recharge and refocus your goals. While it’s tempting to make very ambitious plans, it can be easy for time to slip away without the structure of the regular academic year. Luckily, there are ways you can organize your summer break to meet your writing goals...
Let’s face it, writer’s block is that office creep always lurking and never welcome. So, how do we evade writer’s block without a personal HR department? Well, we don’t. So, let’s talk about how to deal with our dreaded companion…writer’s block. [Image Description: Michael Scott, a character from The Office, looking at the camera and...
We can all acknowledge that this past quarter has been challenging. If you’re like me, you found the sudden shift from in-person to on-line work an unexpected (and unwanted) learning opportunity—specifically, the opportunity to learn how to transform your kitchen table into a home office while your new furry co-workers try to eat your computer...
With conditions changing by the day due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Spring Break this year feels substantially different. Amidst the switch to online instruction, travel restrictions, school and business closures, and social distancing during a time of uncertainty, this crisis has magnified the precarity and isolation that already characterized many of our positions as graduate...
So, you’ve defended your prospectus and advanced to Candidacy. Or maybe, you’re working on your thesis for your MFA program. You, my friend, have completed a giant hurdle. Give yourself a pat on the back! Now that you have moved into the dissertating and/or thesis writing stage, finding the time to just sit down and...
The MFA can be a difficult world to navigate for emerging writers and scholars. As with all disciplines, when you first start out it feels like your peers all know more about the important conferences to attend, journals to submit to, and funding to apply for than you do. The truth is, everyone feels this...
Greetings new and returning UCR graduate students! [Image Description: Stitch, from Lilo and Stich, smiles and waves his claws as he smiles to reveal all his teeth. He says, "Hi!"] Pictured: A warm welcome from the GWC. Fall 2019 is fast approaching and the Graduate Writing Center (GWC) wants to remind you of some updates...