Supporting Graduate Students' Academic and Professional Success
This upcoming Fall 2023, the Graduate Writing Center (GWC) will be hosting a series of online workshops! This series will cover topics addressing - yet not limited to - writer's block, grammar, and academic writing at the graduate level. So, before you get super busy with the books, please come by and check out our workshops!
[Image Description: Books stacking up on a desk.]
Pictured: Stacking-up your reading list for this quarter!
As you turn a new leaf in your academic journey, it is always great to get refreshed on the writing process. Especially if you will be new to graduate level writing. Majority of your days will be spent at a desk either reading or writing. Some days you will not know where to even start.
[Image Description: Courage the Cowardly Dog sitting at a computer desk.]
Pictured: You, slowly blinking as you realize all the work you need to get done.
But, on other days, you will be on fire!
[Image Description: Cats typing extremely fast.]
Pictured: You typing excitingly when you are on a roll!
In graduate school it feels like we are asked again and again to rethink how we write, and to revise the end products of our own writing. While there are various things we need to learn, real progress can be made only step by step. We hope these workshops will give you some practical tools to take those steps. Plus, it’s always nice when someone can lend you a hand and walk with you down a road that you have not traveled.
Several of the topics that will be covered during these workshops will be presented by fellow PhD students who are learning about the writing process themselves. We hope our knowledge and experiences will aid and encourage you as you move forward in your own writing.
Again, we hope many graduate students can join! Below are the titles of GWC’s upcoming online workshops, their dates, and a short description of each one.
Creative Avenues for Idea Generating 10/18/23 (10:00-10:50 AM)
If you want some creative techniques to help you avoid writer’s block, come check out this workshop! At times, one of the battles of writing is starting. While the writing process looks different for everyone, the techniques covered in this workshop will present different creative avenues that can help refine your own process. Most importantly, this workshop will encourage you to start and to get your ideas down on paper!
Literature Review for Humanities 10/24/23 (4:00-4:50 PM)
In this workshop, we will provide an overview of the basics of literature review writing for humanities disciplines. Often, in our own research papers, we will need to contextualize our arguments within our designated fields. Before we explore our own thesis, we need to learn how to engage and cite other authors who have discussed the topic (or topics) we are addressing. This workshop is highly recommended; it will provide students with helpful tools in writing strong literature reviews.
English Grammar Refresher 11/2/23 (10:00-10:50 AM)
It is always helpful to get some feedback and help on the details of our own writing. This usually entails proofreading, revising grammar issues, and refining the small details of our own work to strengthen it. This will be a great tool to master as you go on to publishing your own research. This online workshop will provide a grammar overview: including proofreading, sentence structure, punctuation, articles and prepositions, and pronouns.
Research Statements 11/16/23 (10:00-10:50 AM)
While you advance in your graduate studies, most of you will apply for some type of funding (grants, fellowship, etc.) for your own research. There is definitely an art to writing a strong and interesting research statement. Knowing what committees are looking for could be a great start in the right direction. Also, learning how to skillfully structure your statement can help your applicant standout. This online workshop will provide students with an overview of the basics of research statement writing for funding and the job market!
Writing Concisely 11/29/23 (1:00-1:50 PM)
Our last workshop will help students with their writing style. Sometimes, we need help with getting straight to the point. This can involve clarifying our argument. On one hand, it is good for our arguments to be interesting and complex, yet our complexity should be balanced with simple and direct language. In the end, we want our readers to be able to understand the content of our writing in a clear way. This online workshop provides strategies for writing concisely.
[Image Description: Calendar marked!]
Pictured: You signing up for an upcoming workshop and marking it on your calendar!
If any of these workshops are of interest to you, mark the date down on your calendar! We look forward to seeing you there!