Panning for Gold

When we want to enjoy a day at the beach, we might first search for the right beach. When looking for a place to swim or surf, you might think about the right weather, the quality of the environment, how busy the beach is, or how far you might have to drive. This limits our choices to a manageable number so that we can make a good, informed choice about how to best enjoy a day at the beach.

When you’re searching for the right beach, you’re actively engaged in the research process. You’re exploring options, and then you’re managing those options until you’ve found the information you intend to use. When writing an essay, you will eventually need to bring in outside sources to prove your main point. The research process is meant to add credibility to your argument by using outside evidence, reasoning, and other information supporting your position.

Most instructors will usually expect you to utilize academic sources when you compose an essay. Academic sources will most often include scholarly books and journals, which are peer reviewed by experts in the field. In addition to print sources available in the library, some of these books and journals may be found on the Web or in online databases.

One good place to begin your scholarly research is EBSCO, which is freely available to all current students at the Del Mar College library’s web site. However, remember that there is a distinction between EBSCO (a collection of databases) and a singular database such as Academic Search Complete. When you cite an article in EBSCO, you must cite the individual database that you searched, and not EBSCO.

Another place to search is Google Scholar (scholar.google.com), which is Google’s search engine for academic sources. Google Scholar functions much the same as the regular Google search engine, except that it brings up only scholarly sources in its list of results. That said, make certain that you’re not only looking through the first page of results, since the placement of search results may not always provide the best information.

Finally, make use of the resources available at the White Library, located at the East Campus of Del Mar College. The library offers a wide collection of academic sources, including scholarly books and print journals. Not all scholarly journals are available online, and academic print publications are considered good, credentialed sources for scholarly research.

Although finding scholarly information for a research essay may seem like a daunting task, there are more options than ever for locating good, reliable information. Consider ways of finding the best information for your assignment, and dig carefully through potential sources until you find the best information to cite in your paper.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

Pulling Back From the Brink

Every once in a while, we all need help. Whether it’s a steady hand to keep us afloat or just some encouragement, there are times when things go far enough wrong that going it alone might not be enough. If this is happening with a writing assignment, we encourage you to visit us at the Stone Writing Center and sign up for a tutorial session.

Many times, students express the belief that they’re bad writers, and this is often not the case. Every writer will bring a specific set of strengths and weaknesses to the writing table. Not all assignments play to those strengths, and many times, an individual writer will simply be missing craft skills that professional writers have spent their entire lives building. Much as no one begins as a great surfer, no writer ever begins as a master. Even Stephen King received rejection letters before he became a success.

While truly bad writers are rare, sometimes an essay can turn out so badly that it seems like a total loss. If that happens, keep in mind that this isn’t necessarily a reflection of your own ability to write. Even the most celebrated writers sometimes turn out a bad piece of writing. Instead, remain positive and actively look for a solution to your essay’s problems.

Identifying the problem should be your first step when you revise. Is there one larger problem that dominates the essay, such as a weak thesis or disorganization? If this is the case, then addressing that one area will dramatically improve your essay. Alternately, are you dealing with a mass of smaller persistent problems that weaken the whole? While that will be more difficult to address, try correcting the larger problems and then work towards the smaller ones as you revise the essay.

Consider getting a second opinion as you revise, whether it’s a professional tutor or a secondary reader. Most writers are often too close to their work to evaluate it objectively. As writers, we often look at our own work and see what we expect to see, not what may actually be on the page.

In most cases, this process may be enough to turn your essay around. However, in rare occasions, the current draft may be completely unsalvageable, no matter what you do. If this should happen, it’s most often because the draft ran adrift from the central idea that it should address, or else it doesn’t answer the terms of the assignment. If this should happen, try to look for the strongest parts of your current draft and salvage them; these may be details that could be useful to include in the next draft. Even a weak draft will usually have at least one strong point to its favor.

The worst that can happen is that you may have to start over from the beginning. However, even then, you can take one thing away from the first draft: the knowledge of what didn’t work the first time around. Even the worst failure is an opportunity to learn. Learn from your previous attempts, and then do your best to improve.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

Welcome to a New Semester!

A glorious summertime at the beach must recede to memory as fall begins anew with a return to literature and essays and thoughts of grammar. I’m ready to enjoy a fresh start and a new semester.

The Stone Writing Center welcomes returning students and students who are attending Del Mar College for the first time this fall with hopes that all will visit the SWC. Students who have already visited the SWC report that their writing does improve, along with their grades, because they find here the opportunity to discuss their papers with Writing Consultants who know and love writing and can assist students with the process of writing.

In addition to tutorials, the SWC also provides a spacious main floor with study tables and computers for students to use; over 80 helpful handouts on topics covering grammar, composition, research, literature, and business writing topics; Boot Camps on Demand (both in-person and online) for additional help with grammar, essays and research papers; a YouTube channel with instructional writing videos; and a Twitter account to keep abreast of current happenings at the SWC. For details and more information on our online resources, Student Assistants at the SWC are happy to answer questions.

All of us are here to make your college experience more productive, more enjoyable and even easier. Call (361) 698-1364 or come by to find a warm and friendly atmosphere which is conducive to creativity, a place where writing becomes one of the best of your college experiences, as it should be.

Don’t forget to read a few blogs, too, ones posted previously and more to come this semester. Information about grammar and writing may not be quite as much fun as surfing the waves and relaxing on the beach, but it has its moments.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!