How to Write an Email to Your College Professor

Written by Cameron Henderson

I’ve been a student, I’ve tutored, I’ve acted as a graduate assistant for different professors, and I’ve even taught college courses myself. In that time, I’ve survived on the power of the college email. I find that one of the things that often comes up in discussions between educators is student email etiquette:

Professor: “Argh. I got an email that just said, ‘what’s my grade’ today, from someone with the email address ‘soccergirl28.’ How am I supposed to answer that question?”

Opinions vary – of course, I don’t expect every student to know the unofficial email “rules” with which long-time academics are often so familiar. However, I do hope, at least, that a student will communicate the information necessary for me to at least be able to do something with it. So consider this blog post a guide for writing emails while in college–what kind of information you need to include to help your professor understand what you need, good ways to introduce your emails, and good ways to sign off. I’m hoping that these tips will help reduce anxiety about emailing and make talking with your professors easier and quicker.

Tip number 1: It’s considered friendly and polite to include a greeting in your emails.

Remember that your professor is a person. Instructors and professors have a lot on their plates, and they receive a lot of emails. A simple greeting is considered to be a basic courtesy, and it doesn’t even have to be anything fancy. 

Example: Something like: “Hello, [Professor’s Name], I hope your week is going well.” 

The desire for this kind of greeting in student emails varies from instructor to instructor – and not every professor will respond with the same kind of greeting. (I’ve definitely received the “fine – sent from my iPhone” response to a carefully worded email. Don’t take it personally! Like I said, they get a lot of emails.) – but you can’t control how someone else writes. You only have power over your own actions. Including a brief but friendly greeting in your emails is something that will serve you in any kind of school, business, or other formal setting, so I recommend cultivating the practice now!

Tip number 2: Make sure to include relevant identifying information in your email. 

Many students assume that simply because they use their student email address, the professor will automatically know who they are talking to and what class it relates to. This is often not the case – especially for undergraduate courses, professors and instructors are usually teaching many classes (up to five in one semester), and each of those classes might have fifty students in them. 

Because of the large number of students these professors may be teaching, it’s important to remember to include in your emails your name, the course you’re taking with your professor, and the section or time slot, so that your instructor can access the information you’re looking for without having to go through their courses and look you up. This makes answering your email so much easier and quicker.

Example: My name is _____ _____, and I’m in your English 1013 class at 8AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

If you’re sending an email to an office on campus rather than an instructor, you can kind of follow the same pattern. Say that you want to ask a question to someone in disability student services; you could say, “My name is ____ ____, and I’m a freshman in the Kinesiology department.”  Just keep it simple, keep it short and easy to read. If someone recommended for you to ask the question, you might mention it briefly. “My professor told me to get in touch with DSS to ask about…”

Tip number 3: Ask your question or state your point in complete sentences, and try to be clear!

I’ve gotten emails that look like this:

From: student@email.com

Subject: (blank)

Where do i turn it in ?

And that’s all the email says. My response: who is this? Turn what in? Which class is this for? What’s going on? Assuming that you’ve followed the other steps, you should have a short greeting and an introduction letting your instructor know who you are. If you have a question about a specific assignment, mention what assignment that is and state your question clearly.

Example: I have a question about the upcoming free write assignment. Where should we turn that in?

Easy, simple, short. You state off the bat that you have a question, mention what it’s about, and then state your question plainly.

If, instead of a question, you want to tell your instructor that you’ll miss a class, here’s some helpful guidelines. Make sure that you read and understand the attendance policy for your class, so you can include the relevant information:

1. Indicate that you’ve read the attendance policy:

Example: I saw that the syllabus says we are allowed two class absences if we email you in advance.

2. Briefly state when and why you’re missing class. You generally don’t need to give much detail in the initial email. If your professor wants more information, they’ll ask for it in a follow up. 

Example: I’m sick/attending to a family emergency, and I won’t be able to attend class this evening. 

3. Ask for any important information you’ll be missing out on during class.

Example: Are there any notes or slides for the lecture today that I could get a copy of, or should I ask one of my classmates for their notes?

4. Add a “please let me know if there’s anything else you need from my end” – that way, if the professor wants a medical note or something like that, you had the idea to clarify first!

These steps will show that you’ve paid attention to the syllabus and that you are thinking ahead in terms of staying on top of your classwork.

Tip number 4: End your email with a polite sign off and restate your name.

This is another opportunity for you to make it easier for your professor to see who they’re talking to, as well as a space for you to thank them for their time. It’s always nice to respect other people’s time!

I usually sign off my emails with a simple “Thank you” or “Thanks in advance.” You could also say “Thank you, and have a great weekend/evening,” and then restate your name on the next line. 

Tip number 5: Try and write something in the subject line that briefly tells your professor what your email is about. It does help, trust me.

Additionally, It never hurts to run your email through a word processor (like Word or Google Docs) before you send it. Give that baby a quick spellcheck! (My mom does this every time she sends an email, and she swears by it – her boss has even commented on how clean her emails are!)

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER – EXAMPLE EMAIL:

Any similarity to real people’s names or objects sitting on my desk while I write this is purely coincidental. (Be nice to me, I’m trying.)

Subject: Question about the discussion

Hello Dr. Notebook,

I hope your week is going well! My name is Coffee Mug, and I’m in your 8am English 1013 class on MW.

I had a quick question about the upcoming discussion post. In our responses to two different classmates, are we supposed to bring in quotes from the text, or can we just respond with our own ideas?

Thanks, and I’ll see you in class next week,

Coffee Mug

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See? Easy, simple, polite, to the point. Your professor knows exactly who they’re speaking with and can give you the information quickly, so you can finish your assignment. 

Note that each part of the email is on a new line – please hit enter after your greeting and the body of your email. Small bits of text are also easier to read than big blocks – don’t be shy about making a new paragraph in the middle of the email’s body. 

And that’s it! Enjoy your emails, and good luck this semester!

How to Manage Multiple Writing Assignments at Once

Written by Cameron Henderson

Hello, folks! The semester is drawing to a close, and that means finals–for some of you, lots of finals at once. A lot of you will therefore be juggling multiple papers and studying for tests. That can be stressful! We at the Write Site don’t want you to burn yourself out, so here are some strategies you can use to help you manage multiple assignments at once.

Create an assignment calendar

Maybe you already have an assignment planner, maybe you don’t, or maybe you started one at the beginning of the semester and haven’t looked at it since week three (@ me…). Whatever the case, I cannot recommend enough that you sit down with the syllabi from each of your classes and write down every deadline listed for the papers you are working on. That includes outlines, drafts, peer reviews, update posts, presentations, and the finished papers. You can organize this into a calendar or a to-do list; just make sure you can see what kind of progress you need to be making for each class. This will help you to prioritize your work and avoid losing points for missing any smaller deadlines.

These little in-between deadlines professors often assign may seem like an annoyance while you’re trying to balance everything on your plate, but they exist for a good reason! Having concrete, graded milestones to ensure that you’re making some progress on your papers actually helps a ton. An annotated bibliography gives you sources to use in your paper as well as ideas for where you might want to take your argument. You may open up the “update discussion post” on Canvas and realize you haven’t thought about your paper in a week, but now at least you’re thinking about it, even if it feels like you’re just making something up for the grade. Maybe you are just making it up, but you can still use the ideas you come up with and get some feedback from your instructor! Additionally, oftentimes these little assignments are intended as a buffer for that final grade. That’s why it’s so important to keep up with these due dates and actually complete these assignments.

Block out some dedicated time to work on your assignments. Prioritize more urgent deadlines

Now that you have your calendar of due dates, you can start scheduling yourself some time to work on specific assignments. This may mean that you mark out a day for one assignment and a day for another, or it may mean going in and scheduling your week hour by hour to make sure your time is more firmly managed. Some people will find that having a more tightly scheduled plan reduces uncertainty (and, therefore, anxiety). Some people prefer to keep their plan looser so they don’t feel guilty if they stray from it. Either way works, but I absolutely recommend having some kind of work schedule to follow. 

Looking over the deadlines, you can get a sense of what you need to focus on now and what you should save for later. This may seem obvious, but sometimes our brains tell us to work on things we consider more important (or easier) first. Blocking out time for things that are due sooner will help save you from last-minute crunch down the line. That brings me to my next point:

Any progress you make is a good thing

Say you followed the last step and blocked out time for the assignment that is due sooner. You get to your scheduled work time and open up the assignment, but you find yourself stuck and unable to make the progress you were hoping for. In this case, any kind of progress you can make will benefit you down the line, even if that means doing something small and moving onto the next assignment.

There are different small steps you can take to make writing easier when you return to an assignment later on. You could spend a few minutes using a brainstorming technique. You could create a to-do list or checklist with things you need to do for one particular assignment assignment. Maybe you could create an outline with ideas about how many pages each section needs to be. You could look for one scholarly source on the TWU databases and give it a quick read to see what the main idea of the article is. Even if you only get a little bit done, whatever you come up with will be processing in the back of your mind as you put the paper aside and do something else. You may find when you come back to it that you have even more ideas, or that your writing flows much easier than before.

Practice self-care

It’s easy to burn out when you’re juggling multiple finals at one time. It’s important to make sure you are taking breaks from writing to take care of your body and rest your mind. When I create a schedule for working on my own papers, I always make sure to leave time open to do something that isn’t work–take a nap or a hot bath, eat a snack, drink some water, go for a little walk. I always feel rejuvenated after a walk; if I take a break to watch an episode of Property Brothers, I find that my lack of momentum carries over into being unable to get back to work. Taking a walk gets me doing something, which makes transitioning back into school work much easier.

Leaving your schedule open for self-care is also easier when you start on things early–waiting until the last minute means less time for breaks, which makes burnout more likely. I get it, I’ve been there. Sometimes you find yourself drinking coffee in the library at midnight and asking where you went wrong. Trying to stick to your schedule may not feel like self care now, but it will make things easier for Future You. Future You will thank you for that. If you don’t want to let Future You down, remember: small progress is progress, and opening up your document and writing one sentence is better than not doing anything at all.

How to Ask for Help in the Write Site

Written by Cameron Henderson

The struggle: you’re sending your paper into the Write Site, and when you get to the section marked “specific questions/concerns,” you have no idea what to say. “Grammar, I guess? APA formatting? I don’t know, can you just tell me if it’s good?” If you’ve done this, you’re definitely not alone. Students often struggle to formulate questions to ask about their own writing when seeking assistance at writing centers. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of wording: “I don’t know how to say it, but I have a general idea of what I’m worried about.” Sometimes, students come in unsure of what they need at all. Here’s my main piece of advice: don’t stress too much about these feelings. Every writer wonders at some point if they’re doing it right. With a little guidance and a tiny crash course on the things we focus on here, you can start getting an idea of the kinds of questions that will best help you in your individual writing process.

Where to start:

Here’s the thing you need to know about the Write Site: we are not an editing service here to clean up your paper. We’re writing consultants. That is, our job is to give you feedback to help you improve your writing overall, not just in an individual paper. We like to look at the overall structure, or what we call the “global concerns” of the assignment, before we hone in on grammar mistakes. Our feedback is designed both to address the needs of your submission and to give you an idea of how to make your next paper even better.

With that said, here are a couple of ideas for where to start when considering what kinds of things to put in the “specific questions/concerns” section of your Write Site submission. Forewarning: these suggestions are not going to deal with grammar and formatting. Anyone can ask for help with grammar and formatting. Sometimes, I will admit, grammar and formatting are the main things that need to be addressed in a submission, though usually not. Most of the time, there is something else that needs to be addressed before looking at sentence-level errors. You may or may not already have a sense of what; following these two simple pieces of advice can help you figure out what to ask for to help us help you:

1. Check the rubric for question ideas

Your professor will often attach a rubric with specific requirements for the paper. Some of these requirements will deal with the content you need to include in your essay, but many of them also deal with the professor’s structural preferences. You can look at the rubric for inspiration for questions about argument, support, your thesis statement, audience, and purpose. Your tutors would appreciate your effort even if you take the wording directly from the rubric to check if you’ve done something well.

2. Read up on some of the writing lingo your writing consultants are using

You don’t have to know everything. Heck, you don’t even have to memorize the terms we use here in the writing center, though it wouldn’t hurt you as a writer. Being aware of some of the underlying structures of an essay will not only help you feel more confident asking your tutors specific questions, but will also improve your confidence as a writer. Knowing what’s going on behind the curtain makes the process of writing feel much less slippery. This handout here is a simple explanation of some basic terms (these are what we mean when we say “global concerns”) and a few example questions you can ask in your submissions. Feel free to save it for later and even copy+paste the questions into your submission forms.

That’s it, that’s my advice. Not too complicated, but hopefully you find it helpful. The first step, of course, is making your appointment–for that (and this next bit is specific to TWU students, though the rest of my advice is for anyone thinking of using writing center services at their school), you need to have a WCOnline account set up using your TWU email address. When you create your appointment, you have the option of selecting an online OWL, which is the type of appointment where you send your essay in and we send it back via email with our commentary and suggestions. There’s no live component to this type of appointment, so it’s great for those with scheduling conflicts. We love to have one or two specific questions to focus on during these appointments, since you won’t have a chance to refine your questions during our reading. You can also make an OWLive appointment, which is an online video meeting where we look over your paper with you in real time. It’s good to have an idea of what you’d like to focus on and what kind of feedback you want, but you’ll also have a chance to come up with more questions during your conversation with your consultant. Finally, you can make a live appointment in the Write Site and come to us in person for the same type of real-time tutoring. Again, the Write Site offers a tutoring service, not an editing service, so don’t expect simple revisions. Expect commentary and suggestions for ways to improve your writing and help you along in your process.

Thanks for reading, good luck, and we hope you have a great semester!

Write Site Reads: Little Fires Everywhere

Written by Write Site Staff

Write Site consultants recently concluded their book club, reading Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. Here are their opinions.

Sam

This book told a beautiful story while incorporating some relevant political topics. It forces you to look at complicated situations from multiple perspectives. It was a wonderful experience, and I would definitely recommend it to a friend!

Ethan

My final thoughts (after our discussion, since I haven’t finished yet): I’m really enjoying the book so far. It starts a bit slow, but I really enjoy learning about everyone’s motivations and why they are the way they are. Ng does a great job portraying small suburbia as well in a way that I haven’t seen done very much in novels.

Scarlett 

After finishing Little Fires Everywhere, my final thoughts are that the story is an engaging read that gives the reader a lot to ponder. The characters have depth to them, and I like the way the narrative challenges the reader to really consider and empathize with a wider range of perspectives, without casting judgment. I especially appreciated how well-written the female characters are, and how this book hits that sweet spot where enough is left to the imagination of the reader. 8/10 I recommend

Taylor

I enjoyed this book a lot. I highly recommend it 🙂

Carli

I thought this was a great read! Once it picks up again it’s a relatively fast-paced read, and Ng does an excellent job of connecting all the dots for her readers. I was satisfied with how it ended, though I also could have read a sequel right afterward!

Little Fires Everywhere: Who Did It Better?

Written by Carli Varble

It’s the age-old debate, do you prefer the miniseries or the book? Personally, I’m usually on team book. I probably spend an unhealthy amount of time dwelling on things that were changed for show, and I definitely spend an annoying amount of time talking about it to people who don’t really care. Cut to me in 2012 absolutely raging about how Effie Trinket said hat instead of buttons, my dad about ready to leave me at the movies. That being said, after watching the show and reading the novel Little Fires Everywhere, I am actually pretty on the fence of which I like more. So, I decided to write up a little comparison for myself, and for those of you who are also deeply invested in this debate. There will be spoilers ahead! You have been warned.

I think the main aspect that made me want to write about this was the relationship between Elena and Izzy. I watched the show first, and really remember disliking Elena a lot more because of how she treated Izzy. The show implies that Elena, an overwhelmed working mother, didn’t want another child, and that’s why she’s so terrible to Izzy. This made me hate Elena so much more. The fact that Elena was so cruel to Izzy (cutting her out of family pictures, actually telling her she wasn’t wanted) just made her character so much more irredeemable. Not that she isn’t also awful in the book, but the book paints a very different picture.

In the book, Elena’s criticisms of Izzy stem from Izzy being a premature baby with lots of health complications. While it doesn’t justify Elena’s actions, they definitely take on a bit of a different meaning especially with the absence of some of Elena’s crueler actions that are in the show. For this aspect, I am team book.

The next thing I want to talk about is the big blowout between Elena and Mia. If I’m being honest, the book left a lot to be desired. I finished this part of the book, and I was a little disappointed. For me, the fallout from the argument in the show really helped me see why Mia decided to leave Shaker Heights, but the argument in the book made me wonder why Mia—no nonsense, doesn’t care about other people’s opinions—decided that she had to leave. Yes, they were renting from the Richardson’s and working for them to cover the rent, but it was established that Mia didn’t need to work for the Richardson’s so why not just find a new apartment? I prefer clearer motivation, which I found in the show and not in the book. Point to team show!

Now I’ve got to address Lexie and Pearl. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I really think the show did Lexie wrong. She wasn’t stellar in the book, but like her mom, she was so much worse in the show. In the show, you miss out on Lexie taking Pearl shopping and the two lending clothes to each other. The book actually shows a friendship between the two rather than Lexie taking advantage of Pearl. Like Elena and Izzy’s relationship, this stems from one event. Book Pearl offers to write Book Lexie’s college admissions essay rather than Cinematic Lexie stealing Cinematic Pearl’s experience for her essay.

These are two drastically different events that show Lexie in two very different lights, which I guess is my big problem with it. Lexie is still not great in the book. She leaves Pearl at a party and uses Pearl’s name at the clinic, but it’s almost like the people behind the show were concerned we wouldn’t dislike the Richardson’s enough and had to make them worse, which brings up a whole other list of questions in my brain that I don’t have the time to cover in this piece. Point to team book for its portrayal of Lexie.

Lastly: that ending. Both the book and the show did great with the ending. Despite knowing the house was going to burn down, I was still pretty amazed with how they got there. There is just something about the plot twist in the show that just makes it slightly better than the book in my opinion. In the book, all signs point to Izzy the whole time. You get to the end and it plays out and you’re pretty satisfied. The show twists this on its head by making you think its Izzy, but it’s actually the other siblings.

I love this plot twist so much because it shows some good sibling solidarity that we don’t really get in the book. The book ends with Izzy leaving because she feels like she’s absolutely alone in the world, but the show ends with her siblings sticking up for her. You get the sense that the siblings have grown closer together rather than further apart which puts me on team miniseries for this aspect.

I have so many more thoughts about the show and the book, but these were the things that stuck out the most to me. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the show and reading the book, and definitely recommend both to anyone looking for something to watch or read. Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Review: Little Fires Everywhere

Written by Sam Steelman

Celeste Ng tells a breath-taking story of the war between social classes, the chaos of parenting, the differing opinions centered on morality, with a “love prevails all” message, all in the confinements of a small town. This story forces the reader to look at controversial situations from both perspectives. It provides anyone who reads this book with a widened view as to why people choose the life decisions they do.

In all honesty, it took me a couple tries to be completely immersed in this novel. The first chapter grabs you by the throat. However, the second chapter takes its sweet time setting the scene. I now can understand and appreciate the slow parts of this novel because it was taking necessary time to develop these wonderfully complicated characters. The character progression in this novel is a beautiful experience. Seeing Mrs. Richardson’s complete loss of control and her youngest daughter, Izzy’s, reclamation of her own control is a meticulously written mother-daughter clash.

Mrs. Richardson’s character is intricate and complex, mean-spirited and vile, wrapped in a pretty bow to maintain an upstanding reputation as a small-town reporter stuck in her hometown. She forces herself to believe that staying in Shaker Heights was her plan in order to keep herself from feeling like a bird forever confined to its cage. I personally found Mr. Richardson to not be relevant to the story at all, except for his involvement with the McCulloughs. Other than that, he contributes almost no substance to the story. The Richardson children have their own unique personalities and relationships. However, Mia and Pearl are by far my favorite characters because of their aesthetically pleasing, adventurous lifestyle.

The main character rivalry in this novel is between Mia and Mrs. Richardson. Celeste Ng portrays each character as the other’s complete opposite, leading to a perfect falling out by the end of the novel. Mia is a completely free spirit. She parents Pearl with love and understanding, allowing her to make the mistakes she will learn the most meaningful lessons from. Mia goes wherever she feels inspired to complete her artwork, never staying in one spot for too long. On the other hand, Mrs. Richardson has perfectly structured her life, with a perfect house, perfect husband, perfect job. However, her desire to control her children to force them to follow the upstanding path she envisioned for them results in complete rebellion and resentment. Mrs. Richardson resents herself, and the reader sees this unfold throughout the novel. Mia wraps this up in a passionate confrontation: “‘It terrifies you. That you missed out on something. That you gave up something you didn’t know you wanted.’ A sharp, pitying smile pinched the corners of her lips. ‘What was it? Was it a boy? Was it a vocation? Or was it a whole life?’” (Ng 302).

Overall, I would recommend for everyone to read this book. I would especially recommend it to those with a narrow perspective on life, those who make judgements before thinking about the other party’s situation. Above all, this book, in the words of Celeste Ng, is for “those out on their own paths, setting little fires.”

Writing an Introduction

Written by Write Site Staff

One of the most intimidating parts of writing a paper can be deciding what to include in the introduction. However, it does not have to be intimidating. You make introductions every day.

• You introduce yourself to new people.
• You introduce acquaintances to each other.
• You introduce topics and stories into conversations.

Capture your readers’ attention.

Consider your ideal audience. What will capture your readers’ attention and motivate them to keep reading? Ideas to capture your readers’ attention include famous quotations, personal anecdotes, and startling statistics. For example, you might begin a paper about binge drinking in college with a startling statistic about the number of deaths caused by binge drinking each year.

Start broad but not too broad.

Begin your introduction broadly but as “broadly” as you can as it pertains to your topic. For example, if your paper is about ecotourism specifically. Avoid openings that are sweeping generalizations like, “Everyone loves to take vacations,” or, “Since the beginning of time, people have been interested in exotic environments.” You should narrow your topic as the introduction continues (and over the course of your paper, essay, etc.)

Give readers any pertinent information they need to understand your topic.

The information in your introduction should provide context and define any terms with which your readers may be unfamiliar. For example, if you are writing a paper about weather anomalies, you would need to define what constitutes a weather anomaly for your readers. That being said, avoid using a dictionary definition as “filler” for a word your reader already will know. So, whereas you might define weather anomalies in a paper about that topic, you probably do not need to define what a tattoo is in a paper about tattoo safety.

Let your readers know why you are introducing this topic (thesis statement).

If your paper is argumentative, a thesis statement should appear toward the end of your introduction, generally the last sentence. The thesis statement introduces your reader to why you are writing the paper – the position you will be taking in the paper – and can provide a preview of your argument. For example, if you are writing a paper arguing against school uniforms, you might include the thesis, “Public school students should not be required to wear uniforms, for uniforms make everyone look the same, are not financially equalizing, and disregard the needs of people with sensory processing disorders.”

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Remember:

There is no rule preventing you from writing your introduction last! Since the introduction introduces your topic, you will have a better idea of how your topic evolves after you have finished writing. Your argument solidifies by the end of your paper. Waiting until the end to write your introduction can also help you overcome writer’s block if you jump right in and start writing your body paragraphs. It is difficult to know how to introduce something that does not yet exist in its final form, so don’t hesitate to write your introduction after you have written the body of your paper.

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Why We Tutor

Written by the Write Site | Edited by Charles Dyer

While we try to somewhat standardize the way we tutor, the writing center is an eclectic and unique body of knowledge and experience. Every appointment is a cordial meeting of two authors and an experiment in communication. Some authors lack confidence in their abilities, while others’ hubris lay evident on the page. No matter who walks into (or video calls with) the Write Site, they’re met with a tutor who wishes nothing more than to refine and encourage. At a time when the space between student and tutor is substantial, we thought it appropriate to remind students why our tutors personally do the work they do.

The following are written sentiments from Write Site tutors on why they tutor:

Regan

“I tutor because the ability to communicate is something everyone should feel proficient in. We are all artists; we just need to feel confident and secure in our craft. I tutor to ensure that you feel secure in yourself and your abilities.”

Sam

“I tutor because of that lightbulb moment. When a student begins an appointment and is extremely confused, we work on the parts of the essay they’re struggling with, and suddenly, the lightbulb goes off! When it clicks in their brain and they say, “Oh, I get it!” it gives me a sense of accomplishment. Ultimately, I tutor because I love to help our Texas Woman’s University (TWU) students find their voice and undiscovered love for writing.”

Lia

“I tutor because I love working with students individually to help them realize their potential as writers and communicators of their own thoughts and ideas. It’s so refreshing to see students reflect on writing and see what they think is important while learning how to craft their argument. I love seeing the breakthroughs when they realize that they can write about topics they are passionate about. I love seeing them realize that they are good writers because they can communicate their ideas and not bad ones because they don’t know where to place commas (which is a struggle even for a tutor).”

Jourdan

“I tutor for so many reasons. My main drive to tutor is to boost students’ confidence and empower them to feel good about their work, whatever that may look like. Seeing students grow in their abilities and their faith in those abilities is so rewarding. Also, I love being able to just connect human-to-human with students and other tutors through our center, and I think that is a huge part of what makes this work so fulfilling for me. I’ve also found that tutoring makes me a better student, and I get to learn about so many people and disciplines along the way! I fell in love with tutoring when I was at Texas State for my undergraduate degree, and I have always felt so lucky to be able to continue that here at TWU.”

Ch’nell

“I love tutoring because you get to help someone take an idea in their mind, and clearly articulate it on paper. The Write Site is special because we aren’t editing your paper for mistakes, but instead we look for ways to elevate a paper and highlight all the ways the writer has excelled. I often read how TWU students hope to use their research to impact the world, and I find myself inspired by their vision and goals. It’s an honor to help them share their dreams with the masses in the best way possible.”

Ethan

“I’ve been tutoring in various subjects since I started college – first, at North Central Texas College (NCTC) and now at TWU. At Ryan High School, I didn’t tutor exactly, but I was a student assistant helping get a class of students ready to retake the state exam. I tutored math for three years. I never wanted to study math as my degree. I tried for one semester and learned quickly that I don’t want to be a mathematician. Now, I tutor English. It has unique and difficult challenges compared to tutoring math. I liked the direct, “There’s a right way to do this,” discussion in math. There’s a problem so solve it. English doesn’t have that. Rarely is there a correct way to write a paper. There are effective ways and institutionally correct ways, but for every method of doing something, there are a bajillion examples of a different method that also works. My point: helping students solve problems is much more nuanced in English tutoring.

To make a long point shorter: It is fulfilling to help students develop a better sense of understanding for what they are learning. Learning new things can be painful or scary or frustrating, and if I can alleviate some of that stress and help in some way, I’m happy.”

Daniel

“I tutor because I struggled with anxiety about writing when I was in college. I love helping students realize that writing doesn’t have to be scary! With practice and feedback, every writer can become more confident and accomplished.”

Taylor

“Tutoring is such a fulfilling and rewarding experience. I tutor because I love encouraging students to excel in their education, even if it’s a struggle for them at first. Many students think they aren’t good writers, but I love showing them otherwise by working with them one-on-one and helping them develop their ability to write. The moment when I see a sudden burst of inspiration, revelation, or comprehension is the best!”

Graham

“I want to help people think clearly and write well so that they can get good grades and succeed.”

Daehyun

“I tutor to help students who have difficulty in contextual academic writing in particular due to their language barrier.”

Sarah

“Sharing knowledge with students is such a rewarding experience. The process becomes to meaningful when you see a student apply learned material in various ways. It warms my heart when my student gains confidence by the few details they are able to remember and use in their learning process!”

Elijah

“Since I was young, I was a painfully shy kid. I was always the one sitting on the bench reading a book during recess. I felt safer with words than I did with people. Now, though, I find comfort in helping people weave together words in order to create works that can make people feel as safe as books made me feel when I was a kid. I have always wanted to teach English – to help others understand just how precious words can be – so tutoring is my ‘introduction to teaching,’ if you will.”

Scarlett

“I tutor for a lot of reasons: peer-to-peer tutoring lets us really make a connection with our students, and it’s very rewarding to show students the path toward effective writing. A lot of times, students come to the WS with the perception that their writing is inherently bad and that the art of writing is out of their personal reach, so as a tutor, I want to help students get past those mental barriers and give them the freedom that writing and language represent. Also, a more immediately personal reason I tutor is because teaching the mechanics of writing on a regular basis has improved my own fluency, communication skills, and the overall strength of my own writing. There are things I would never have otherwise known about writing if I hadn’t needed to prepare for the numerous appointments – mainly because I think it is our job as tutors to deliver the most holistic help possible!”

Rebekah

“I tutor because I love being able to work individually with students and see growth. I enjoy working alongside those who come into the Write Site and helping others find a love of writing like I have!”

Writing Fatigue: A Way Out

Written by Elijah Gamble

As a senior undergraduate rhetoric major, I feel like school takes a lot from me sometimes. Not to mention I also work in a writing center where it is my job to ingest and critique pages of content. One of the leisures school has taken from me is the joy of reading and the release of writing. (That is not to say I do not love my job because I do). To read for me in the past was to liberate myself from the confines of reality and into the realm of deep imagination; to read for me now is to dissect, to identify, to bind the world and the many perceptions of it into a linguistic code. By the same token, writing for me in the past was to record my imagination, my laughter, my story into something of my own creation and done by my own volition. Similar to my present experience with reading, writing can now feel like a chore of a madman’s making.

Lately, however, I have tried branching out of my routine-generated comfort zone. Over the summer I participated in a poetry workshop via Zoom. There, I rediscovered some of the bliss of reading and writing. The workshop provided me with a low-stakes zone where reading and writing was not required but encouraged, shared, spoken, loved, imagined, experienced, and most of all, lived— not only by me but by others as well. I was allowed access to a platform that I had been denying myself for years.

I found myself perplexed by my former inability to access a portion of myself that had seemed so vital to my existence in the past. Then, I found myself questioning why I even needed permission, from someone else no less, to revisit my long lost loves. Being able to capture reading and writing in a whole new light once again made me realize that I could also apply my reunion to my academic and professional life.

Consequently, this rediscovery of mine reignited my passion for my major and my field of study. The exposure that the workshop provided me with helped me realign my focus. I tried implementing new reading habits and new writing habits in my personal writing. I did the same with my academic and professional writing. I feel as if I have recovered a bit from the reading and writing fatigue I had been experiencing and was able to read a new novel cover-to-cover, for myself and myself only, like I used to when I was younger. Reading and writing for class and work seem less like a chore and more like a hobby. I was not expecting to gain so much from stepping out of my comfort zone, but what I gained was well worth the discomfort the journey to rediscovery caused me.

TL;DR I went to a poetry workshop and found my love for literature and composition again. I recovered from a terrible case of writing fatigue and burnout.

Brainstorming: An Effective Step in the Creative Writing Process

Written by Sam Steelman

Brainstorming within the realm of creative writing, for me, seems to be the hardest, but it’s essential for generating ideas when writing. Let’s get into some tips and tricks for thinking up new ideas:

Not all ideas are going to be good. Write them down anyway.

An article by Anna-Laure Le Cunff claims, “It may sound counterintuitive, but science shows that quantity yields quality when it comes to creativity. In simpler terms, this means that the more ideas and work you produce, the more creative they will be” (Cunff). Therefore, if you brainstorm more ideas, it will ultimately benefit you, especially in the world of creative writing. However, ideas do not always come to you like you would want them to when you sit down to brainstorm. Sometimes, we have to go somewhere to find inspiration. The ideas do come eventually, but it’s usually when you are not expecting it (in the shower or in bed trying to fall asleep). Make sure you have something close by in which to document your ideas! Remember, not all ideas you come up with are going to be fantastic or even useable. The point is that you are coming up with new ideas! You’re working your brain which will result in more creativity in the long run!

How do I find inspiration?

I find that one of the best ways to find inspiration is to look for it in outside sources. This can look different for many writers. Sometimes, this might consist of simply walking outside. Walking around your neighborhood can be surprisingly beneficial when it comes to finding that inspiration or thinking creatively. Because I am still working from home, I find it extremely difficult to come up with new ideas due to spending the majority of my day behind a computer screen. Just walking outside can do a lot for your ability to brainstorm.

Another way to find inspiration would be to clear your brain of all stressors, anxieties, and life struggles as much as you possibly can. Meditation is a great way to accomplish a clear head. I know this might sound a bit intimidating to some, but spending about 10 minutes a day in meditation can help clear your head and generate new thoughts. We all know how difficult it is brainstorming ideas or even finding the motivation to write when we seem to be drowning in stress and anxiety. By taking a few minutes to sit still and concentrate on one thing (affirmations, a prayer, or anything really), your brain can actually benefit tremendously. Metaphysical Milkshake, a podcast by Rainn Wilson and Reza Azlan, talks about how people who meditate actually have a stronger frontal lobe and can concentrate better throughout the day. Guided meditations can be helpful when meditating but not necessary!

How do I get started?

Brainstorming can look different for the individual. The article, “Brainstorming: how to generate new ideas”, gives a few suggestions for getting started. The first idea is one I really appreciate because it reiterates the importance of routine. Designing a creative routine for yourself “allows you to keep your cognitive bandwidth for creative thinking” (Cunff, 2020). Creative routine can consist of the following characteristics:

• Set a “creative schedule”
  • Either be the early bird writer or the night owl. Whatever you do just make some time to brainstorm ideas!
  • Do some creative warm-ups. This could consist of writing a few sentences without really thinking about it, drawing something, coloring something with bright colors, or listening to music out of your comfort zone. Really anything that will get you thinking creatively.
  • Create a cozy, creative space. Anne Cunff suggests to, if possible, designate a space that is used for writing purposes only. This way, you can have your own creative space!

Whatever you end up doing to find inspiration or begin the brainstorming process, just remember to write! Keep in mind that when it comes to creative brainstorming, quantity supersedes quality. The more ideas you can come up with, the more creative content you have to work with! I wish you all the best on your creative journeys!

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References

Azlan, Reza. Wilson, Rain. “Metaphysical Milkshake.” “Does God Live in Your Brain?” Luminary. Soul Pancake Productions. 8 April, 2020. https://luminarypodcasts.com/listen/soulpancake/metaphysical-milkshake/does-god-live-in-your-brain/ded57c48-ac5d-44d1-9d06-d5bbf02236b4.

Cunff, Anne-Laure Le. “Brainstorming: How to Generate New Ideas.” Ness Labs, 5 May 2020, nesslabs.com/brainstorming.

Eringerud. “Brainstorming Does Not Work.” How to Fly a Horse, 8 Feb. 2019, howtoflyahorse.com/brainstorming-does-not-work/.