Have we met? Hello from the SWC!

Hey, Roxy Readers! Rylie is here to welcome you to the Stone Writing Center!

I am so grateful to be back with you! Our world has been through some challenges these past 18 months, but the Stone Writing Center is still here to help you with all things writing. Perhaps you’re a new reader and not familiar with us, so please let me introduce you to the SWC!

The Stone Writing Center has been around since 1976, and the tutors here, all of whom have at least a bachelor’s degree (and some even have a master’s degree!), are all very friendly and excited to help you with every part of the writing process. Although we each enjoy a different stage of writing, we’re all happy to help you, whether you’re just getting started, working on revisions, or putting together your citations!

If you’re a student at Del Mar College, access to the Stone Writing Center is included in your tuition. You can submit to us online by going to delmar.edu/swc and selecting “Online Tutoring” and then enrolling using your Del Mar Canvas username and login information. From there, you will take what looks like a quiz. In reality, it’s just a form that gives us a better understanding of what you need help with specifically. And don’t worry—the “quiz” is not for a grade! We also like working on all kinds of papers, whether it’s a literary analysis for an English class, a discussion over your favorite hobby for your speech class, or anything in between! We can even offer some feedback on resumes!

I know that submitting writing online can be a bit intimidating, and it might feel like your submission should be as close to perfect as possible by the time you submit it to us, but that’s not the case! I’ve had students submit outlines and introductions only, asking if they were on the right track as far as meeting assignment instructions went. The writing process can be challenging, and we never want you to feel alone! If you hit a wall and want some feedback, but you aren’t yet finished writing, submit it to us anyway! We might be able to offer some helpful advice that will get you back on track.

What’s the best thing about online help, you ask? Well, it’s got to be that we’re available 24/7! Some people submit writing at 9AM on a Tuesday morning, and some people submit writing at 2AM on a Saturday morning. Just like our students have varying sleep schedules, so do we! I tend to be a night owl when I’m allowed to follow my body clock, so I’ve assessed some students as late (or early) as 4AM!

Finally, I know that not every student is used to everything being done online. There have certainly been a few times I’ve run into a wall when it comes to technology. It can be hard and frustrating to navigate online and on screen. If you have questions about accessing our online services or understanding feedback a tutor gave you, it might be worthwhile to give us a call! We’re happy to help you however we can!

Stay tuned to learn more about each of our individual tutors! They look forward to introducing themselves to you!

Write on, Roxy Readers!

-Rylie

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

Summer 2021

 

It's a Blog Takeover! Getting Started - Part 1

Dear Roxy Readers - Spring has finally sprung, and I am excited to share more writing tips from Rylie, a Stone Writing Center tutor. Read on to see her suggestions about getting started on a writing project!

I look forward to seeing you next time the sun is up, the breeze is cool, and the waves roll into view.

Roxy

Hi, everyone!

If this blog seems a little different than what you’re used to, it’s because Roxy let me guest star for another special topic today. Thanks for letting me chime in on your blog again, Roxy! Today, I’d like to talk about something many people struggle with when it comes to writing: getting started.

I’ve certainly struggled with starting writing projects throughout the years. Writing is one of my favorite things, yet that blank page still scares me sometimes (although not as much as spiders). Remember, just because you struggle to get started doesn’t mean that you’re a bad writer. Still, issues with getting started can cause trouble when you’ve got a deadline to meet, so how do we push past that apprehension? One of the biggest problems I have boils down to finding my focus—my interest—for the essay. Although the cause for my lack of interest differs for each assignment, I’ve found a solution for each.

Have you ever felt a topic was boring or too vague? I used to begrudgingly accept that the assignment wasn’t going to be fun or interesting and press forward. Eventually, I decided I’d had enough of writing papers that bored me to tears, so I started to look for fresh angles that inspired me. Although it took me a bit longer, I found that I wrote my papers faster and the end result was better.

For example, if you had to write a critical analysis over a book you found boring, it might seem impossible to make the prompt interesting, but you can use your dislike for the novel to your advantage. Think about why you didn’t like it. Did you disagree with one of its messages? Were the characters unlikable? Did the plot drag on? Each of those can be used as the basis for your essay, but be careful not to rant. Similarly, if you like the topic, think about why. Determining why you like or dislike something can help make the subject more interesting. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I’ve struggled to write because I had too many ideas for an essay. If you’re someone who struggles to come up with one idea, I can imagine you’re rolling your eyes. It sounds like the dream, right? In truth, however, too many ideas can be overwhelming because it’s hard to stay focused. If this is a problem for you, try making a bulleted list with a sentence or two for each of your ideas. This exercise will help you determine what you can write the most about.

There are also times when the prompt seems so personal that you struggle to write anything. When that happened to me, I stared at a blank page for hours, writing and deleting sentences more times than I care to remember. How did I eventually write the essay? I found a way to distance myself so that I could manage my emotions. See if you can approach the prompt from a different angle that has fewer personal and emotional ties. Remember, you are in charge of how much you share, and there’s often a way to tackle these assignments without added stress.

Conversely, you might have a prompt that you desperately want to answer using your own personal experiences. You might be crushed if your professor says that you can’t use examples from your own life, and you wind up not knowing what to write about. If that’s the case, remember that your experiences can be used as a starting point for your essay even if you don’t write about them. Use your personal knowledge of the subject to inform your research. That way, you won’t refer to your own experiences, but your essay will still cover the same ideas.

That’s all I have to say about getting started for now. Remember, finding an interest in a prompt will always motivate you to start writing. Thank you for letting me share my thoughts with your readers, Roxy!

Rylie

It's a Blog Takeover! Getting the Most Out of a Tutorial Session - Part 2

Wow, Roxy Readers! I am so happy to be on the other side of the crazy week we just had in Texas. I hope everyone is safe, warm, and ready to move forward. We are continuing our blog takeover with Rylie who has more great tips to share.

I look forward to seeing you next time the sun is up, the breeze is cool, and the waves roll into view.

Roxy

Hi, everyone!

Last time I was here, I gave a few pointers on how to get the most out of a tutorial session. Since then, I’ve wanted to chat with students about how to make the most out of each consultant’s feedback. A few days ago, I told Roxy, and she asked me to share my thoughts with her readers. Thanks for lending me your platform, Roxy!

One of the biggest misconceptions students might have is that the consultant points out everything that could use revision in an essay. In reality, consultants have an unofficial checklist that we go through while looking over a paper. The most important concern is the content, so that’s what we focus on first. After all, a well-written, grammatically correct paper over cats wouldn’t receive a 100 if the prompt is over ice cream, right?

Each tutor has a slightly different checklist and will notice different things, but very few will start with grammar if there are bigger issues to address. And when it does come time to edit grammar, the consultant will likely only point out and help you edit one or two errors, leaving the rest to you. That means that when you go through your paper, you should look to revise and edit not just what the consultant pointed out, but also what they did not comment on. Use their feedback to guide your search. And remember, if you struggle to locate or fix these errors, you can always ask a consultant for further help. The consultants are always glad to assist you.

Consultants limit the revisions they suggest per session in large part because they don’t want to overwhelm students. A few times, I’ve received so much feedback from peers on a paper that I freeze up. It’s hard to know where to begin when you have a long list of comments, after all. But when I looked closer, I found that many of the suggested changes were quick fixes.

Whether your suggested revisions are mostly quick fixes or more in-depth changes, you’ll need a way to minimize your anxiety. For instance, you might distance yourself from the critiques, as if they’re referring to someone else’s paper, so that you’re better able to digest them. One of my newly discovered tactics is to make a list of the comments, arranging them based on importance. I’ll also try to file similar remarks under a single bullet. That way, I have a manageable checklist to go through while revising. Not to mention, there’s a huge sense of accomplishment when I’m able to scratch off bullet points after I’ve addressed them.

Finally, remember that you should take breaks from revision, just as you should while writing. If you refuse to take a few minutes here and there to do something else, you might get overwhelmed, or you might wind up bleary-eyed, which could mean that you miss areas that need some revision.

Rylie

As always, I’ve enjoyed talking to you! I’m hopeful that this set of blogs will take some of the pressure off when it comes to tutorial sessions. I hope to “see” you again soon, but until then, happy writing, consulting, and revising!

It's a Blog Takeover! Getting the Most Out of a Tutorial Session - Part 1

To my dear Roxy Readers, it's good to be back! The SWC folks and I are still working remotely, and we've been crazy busy helping students with their writing. An amazing team has assembled here at the Stone Writing Center, and I have invited a few of my colleagues for a Surfing the Waves of Writing blog takeover.  Starting off our guest series is Rylie, and she's got some great info to share. Thanks for being so loyal, Roxy Readers! 

I look forward to seeing you next time the sun is up, the breeze is cool, and the waves roll into view.

Roxy

*Rylie*

Hi, everyone!

Thanks, Roxy, for letting me share some thoughts with your readers! I hope you’re enjoying some clear skies and perfect waves.

Alright, everyone, I’m going to let you in on a few trade secrets, but you have to keep it quiet, okay? If the other consultants find out I told you, they might throw a party. What? You thought they’d be mad? No way! We’ve been looking for a way to fill you guys in for a while now. So, what do I mean by “trade secrets?” I’m going to tell you how to get the most out of a tutorial session!

Let me ask you this: Have you ever gone to the doctor with several questions or concerns in mind? In the past, I didn’t write down my questions for the doctor ahead of time because I was sure I’d remember. Despite my confidence, I’d always forget one or two of my concerns (and of course, they had to be the most important ones). In the same way, you might forget some important questions you had over your paper when you’re talking to the consultant. Try writing your questions down, and then use them as a checklist to be sure that all of your concerns were addressed.

Speaking of questions, I often hesitate to ask for clarification when learning something new. Sometimes I’m afraid it’s a dumb question, and sometimes I’m worried my queries will be annoying to the other person. In case you’re the same way, let me assure you that your questions are not dumb or annoying. In fact, I love it when those I’m working with ask for clarification because I can be sure they understand everything I’m saying and I get to talk to them about their paper.

Signing up for multiple sessions can feel a lot like a follow-up question, so it’s understandable if you’re hesitant. Still, I highly suggest pushing past that anxiety and signing up for another session after revising (if your schedule allows). That way, you can be sure that your revisions are improving the paper and that lower-level concerns, such as grammatical errors, are also tackled (consultants like to focus first on higher-level concerns, such as the content of your essay and whether you’re meeting assignment requirements).

However, resist the urge to sign up for another session the moment you finish one. It might feel like you’re getting more done because you’ve been through more than one session, but the opposite is actually true. Because each consultant will focus first on higher-level concerns, if you haven’t revised what the first consultant pointed out, you might spend multiple sessions discussing the same thing. As a result, your lower-level concerns never get addressed. You might also struggle to remember everything each tutor said. In either case, your paper won’t improve as much as it would if you spent time revising in between sessions.

With multiple sessions often come multiple tutors, and students occasionally try to request a consultant because they’ve worked together before. I understand the reasoning—we’re awesome, after all… wait, what do you mean that isn’t what you were thinking? 😀 In truth, it’s only natural to want to continue working with someone you mesh well with and who understands your strengths and challenges. However, we’re unable to take requests for a specific consultant, which is good because each one has a unique way of thinking and a different area of expertise. Therefore, we may focus on something slightly different when it comes to offering you feedback. It makes sense, then, that getting a different tutor for each session is actually good.

One last tip for now: In most essays, you’ll need to write so that everyone (including those unfamiliar with your topic) can understand and follow your thinking. For example, if I wanted to discuss a specific scene in a book with a friend that hadn’t read it, I would need to give a brief summary of the book first, and they’d ask questions when they don’t understand something. Your audience can’t stop you to ask questions while reading your essay, so having a consultant who’s unfamiliar with the topic read your paper means that they’ll address those areas that don’t make sense to the ordinary person.

That’s all I have to say about tutorial sessions for now, but expect another blog discussing how to implement the feedback from these sessions. Thanks again, Roxy, for letting me chat with your lovely readers! Happy writing!