Hello to Fall!

Hello, hello, hello, Roxy Readers! Summer is in our rearview mirror. It’s October! It’s FALL, and I’ve been busy helping with writing consultations. I can’t do it all alone, though, and I have lots of new friends at the Stone Writing Center. You’ll get to meet them here. They will introduce themselves over the next few weeks, so check back often!

Me!

My favorite thing to do

What I use to write

Summer 2019

About Paraphrasing and Citations

Hello there, Roxy Readers! It’s time to tackle the rest of the semester like a boss! A research paper is probably in your future, so let’s chat about paraphrasing and citations.

I think we can all agree that if something has quotes around it, it needs to be cited. That’s the easy part. However, what do we do if we’ve changed a few words? Does that still need to be cited? What if it’s information you already had in your head? Hopefully, I can answer those questions. 

Let’s talk about paraphrasing. Take a look at the Purdue OWL’s explanation of paraphrasing. Paraphrasing is defined as putting someone else’s important ideas and information into your own words. So you’re changing up the wording a bit, but you’re borrowing ideas or information from a source. 

To really be able to paraphrase something, you need to fully understand it. Read the passage carefully and then read it again. Now try to write a paraphrase of the information without looking at the source. This ensures that you aren’t just copying the information but putting it in your own words, which is what you’re aiming for. The information and ideas belong to the source author, but the words belong to you.

Here are a couple of examples of paraphrasing – one works and one doesn’t.

Original Excerpt: "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense." 

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York, Scholastic Press, 1997.

Paraphrase: Mr. and Mrs. Dursley lived at number 4, Privet Drive. They said they were completely normal. They never did anything out of the ordinary, and they were very proud of that (Rowling 1).

Plagiarized: Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were happy to tell people that they were completely normal. They would never get involved in strange things, they couldn’t deal with that nonsense.

See the difference? The paraphrase changes most of the key words, but still retains the information and idea. The plagiarized version uses a lot of the same words and sentence structure. Note: The paraphrased version still needs a citation after it, just like a direct quote would.

Now about citations. If you read something and then use it, it needs to be cited. But what if you pull some information out of your head and use it? Well, if this is information that the general public doesn’t know, it still needs to be cited. Even if it’s something you’ve known for half of your life, it still needs to be cited. For example, if you know random facts about King Henry VIII because you watched a documentary a decade ago, you still need to cite those facts. Chances are, other people don’t know the exact order his wives died in. Please cite that information.

Another common question…how do you cite a bunch of source material in one paragraph? If all that information comes from the same source, then you can include one in-text citation at the end of the paragraph. This eliminates repetitive citations throughout the paragraph. If the information is from different sources, then you’ll need to cite each individual source as you use it.

I’ve just touched on a few common citation issues. As with anything, you can come visit the SWC to get help with these and any other writing questions you may have. We’ve also got some very helpful handouts on our Stone Writing Center website. On campus or online, we can help you navigate the murky waters of citations. Happy researching…and citing!

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

It's Your Time to Shine!

Hello again, Vikings! We are several weeks in to a new semester, and I hope you are off to a solid start. It’s a new year and a brand new set of classes. This is YOUR time to shine! If you seem to be having a rough lift-off, consider the questions I’ve posed below. It’s definitely not too late to make this happen. The tools to succeed are right at your fingertips!

Are you organized?

Your system doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else but you. Consider getting a planner or using the tools on your phone to help you get (and stay) organized. Having everything ready each day will help you stay on track all semester, and it will help you plan ahead for each week. Give it a shot! Being organized will help you stay in control.

Have you read the syllabus and do you have a copy in your notebook?

This may seem like a no brainer, but a lot of students don’t do this. I don’t mean just reading the first page or the assignment list. Read all of it. You don’t want any surprises. Figure out when your major papers are due so you can get started on them in plenty of time and so you can plan your trips to the Stone Writing Center. You can also add all important dates and include reminders on your phone or in your planner!

Have you made a study space?

It’s important to have a place to study. Even if it’s your bed, sitting against a tree, or in the front seat of your car. I get it. We all have lives, and some of them are pretty busy. As long as you have somewhere that you’re comfortable and you can get some work done, you’re doing well. You can also come study in the SWC. We have comfortable seating, lots of technology to use, and free coffee. It’s pretty awesome!

Have you visited the SWC?

Plan on coming to see us sooner rather than later. When your teacher assigns your first paper, come see us. When you get stuck on your thesis, come see us. If you just want to chat about all your upcoming assignments, come see us! We want to help you do well this semester. We’re poised and ready to take on whatever writing challenge you may have. Arrrgh! Your schedule is too tight with work, school, family, etc. to squeeze in one more stop? No worries! We are online, too, at DelMar.edu/SWC.

You know what? You’ve got this. You really do! But when you feel like you need a helping hand, we’re here. Bring us your writing, your syllabus, your notes, whatever. We can do this together and help you succeed.

A Few Helpful Websites on Writing

We’re just past the halfway mark of our semester! Halloween is around the corner, then Thanksgiving, then we’re done. Wow! Time is really flying. If you find yourself rushed and don’t think you can visit us in person (or you’re not ready to submit your paper to SWC Online yet), here are some great online resources that can help you almost as well as we can.

MLA & APA Documentation: My absolute favorite website (besides the SWC’s, of course) for all things citations is the Purdue OWL. This is Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (OWL). They’ve recently given their site a revamp, so if you’re a previous visitor, you may be surprised. The Purdue OWL handles everything from MLA to APA and everything in between. I trust in the OWL, and you can, too!

Chicago Style Documentation: Many consider Chicago style to be one of the trickier citation styles to use. If you’re mostly comfortable with MLA and APA, this style can be a little challenging. The Chicago Style Manual’s site is a great resource for navigating this citation style. Shout-Out to our History and Art History majors who have Chicago style down!

Grammar Help: Grammar Girl is a great site for writers. There are literally hundreds of quick grammar tips to help you out with any writing issue. There are even blog posts that discuss common issues that are topical and useful! Mignon Fogarty is the founder, and she has B.A. in English from the University of Washington in Seattle and an M.S. in biology from Stanford University.

Literary Analysis Tips: Writing a literary analysis? This can be a tough one. Many students put too much summary in and not enough analysis because they can’t figure out the ways to analyze their text. Goshen College has a great resource to give you some jumping off points for your literary analysis. These are great guidelines to keep in mind while brainstorming for your paper.

SWC Online: And last, but definitely not least, is the Stone Writing Center’s website. Our site has recently been redone, and we’re ready to help you! We have tips on everything from grammar and word choice to citation styles. All of our advice has been carefully worded to help you figure out even the most confusing writing topics. It even includes our hours, contact information, and a link to send us your writing online.

These are just a few of my favorite writing websites that I wanted to share with you, Roxy Readers. When life gets in the way and you can’t come see us in person or you run out of time to submit your writing to SWC Online, these resources will come in handy. I hope that the second half of your semester goes well and you ride the waves into finals week.

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

Do I Really Need a Tutor?

Hello again, Roxy Readers! We’re well into our fall semester, and we are very busy helping students with their first major writing assignments. Are you working on your paper, too? You may think that you’ve got this, but even the best writers need help sometimes. If you’re asking yourself whether you need a tutor, the answer is yes, you do.

I’ll walk you through the different stages of writing and demonstrate how a tutor can help you with each one.

1. Unpacking the Assignment Sheet: Sometimes there’s a lot of information, and it can be a little confusing. No worries. We got this! We’ll help you understand the prompt and other assignment requirements like documentation style. Having a set of trained eyes look over your assignment sheet can really help you be ready to tackle that paper!


2. Brainstorming: So now you understand the assignment, but you don’t know exactly what to write about. We can chat with you and help you bounce ideas around. We’ll sit with you as you capture your ideas and get a lead for THE idea for your paper. We can even talk you through organizing your ideas so that you can be one step closer to beginning a draft.


3. Outlining: An outline can be a great help in organizing your thoughts especially if you’re really stuck. The outline functions as a little roadmap for your paper. We can review sample outlines and make sure that your ideas are organized according to your professor’s instructions.


4. The Actual Writing Part: We find that it it’s most productive when you can do this on your own, but if you’re stuck on a sentence or a paragraph, we will gladly help you work through your writer’s block! We are also whizzes at APA and MLA and everything in between! We can help you integrate sources and polish your works cited pages. Our citation game is so strong that it will blow your socks off!


5. Revising and Editing: We will read through your paper and point out areas that could use some improvement. We can also give you mini lessons on things that may need some extra attention. For example, we can walk you through a lesson on fragments, word choice, citations, and much more! We want to empower you so that you’re able to revise and edit your own paper. We will gladly help you along the way, but it is YOUR paper, not ours.

Believe me! You will benefit from any and all of these things when visiting with one of our tutors. I know that I didn’t cover everything because there are so many things that the SWC does, but we want you to feel comfortable coming to us for any sort of writing question. There is no question too large or too small for us to tackle. Come see us, say Hi, and meet our tutors. We look forward to meeting you!

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

Hello Fall! Let's Get Organized!

Welcome back, Vikings! Summer break was a blast, and I’m happy to start a new semester. It can be both exciting and overwhelming, so let’s take time to set ourselves up to be successful. Here are some tips for getting organized. Not only will they apply to writing assignments, but these tips will work for any class!

1.   Read the syllabus. I repeat, READ. THE. SYLLABUS. It’s full of information to help you navigate the entire semester. You’ll find:

• A reading schedule
• Due dates
• Assignment requirements
• Class expectations
• Contact info for the instructor
• And much more!

Taking a close look at the whole syllabus can really help you plan your semester. You’ll see when writing assignments are due and what the requirements are! You can make special note of when your professors have office hours and how best to contact them. Some professors prefer phone, some email, and some only use Canvas. It’s important to know early on how your professors prefer to communicate.

2.   Have a system. Do you have a system for organizing notes, papers, and handouts? You need to find what works for you and stick with it. You’ll be thankful when you’re trying to find your notes from a month ago and you know exactly where they are. 

3.   Plan ahead. Planning ahead for your writing helps you decide when you can come visit us at the Stone Writing Center! (See how I stuck that in there?) It’s important to stay organized so you know when an assignment is coming up. Remember that you can come to us at any point in your writing process, either online or in person! We can help with brainstorming, outlining, revising, and everything in between.

4.   Use a planner. You can use a physical planner or an app; whatever works best for you. But you need something to write down all those important assignment due dates and deadlines. A planner will help you stay on top of assignments, tests, and papers.

5.   Find a balance. I know a lot of you aren’t just students; you’re also parents, workers, etc. This means that your life is a bit more complicated, but staying organized isn’t impossible. Be sure you make room for other things in your life, too. It’s hard to find that balance, but it can be done; staying organized is an amazing first step to doing that!

With these tips and help from us at the Stone Writing Center, your semester will be off to a great start! Good luck, Vikings! We’re here for you!

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