Make Your Words Count

As final exams are upon us, this will be my last entry until January. So, I thought I would leave you with a parting thought on the importance of words.

At the end of the page, writers should ask a question: “What have I actually said?”

Instead of turning in an essay that you’ve packed with generalities to get to the required five or so pages, the above question is one you should ask and then answer honestly. Even if it is somewhat traditional (but still wrong) for students to resort to writing essays that say less than they could - like playing an air guitar - the time spent for the writer and the reader should be considered too valuable to waste in vague verbosity . Thought, reason, analysis of the subject matter: are they clearly present in your essay?

One way to find out is to read your paper aloud or have a friend read it aloud to you. If you find yourself saying “Huh?”after hearing a sentence, you should definitely think about revising. When we listen, we tend to filter out extra words and statements that are not essential for us to understand the message. Sometimes just reading a long essay silently won’t tell you if there are sections that have become confusing during the writing process - draft after draft.

If you think you’ve made a valid point and used an excellent example, double check to make sure that your reader can see it immediately (without saying the word“Huh?”). Concentrate on making your words count, not just on a word count.

Sometimes when I’m beach combing, I spot something shiny and think maybe it is a treasure that has washed up from long ago and far away. When I look more closely, the pirate’s gold I thought I saw turns out to be a trick of the sunlight on the sand and my imagination at work. Once you’ve written your essay, you should also look closely to be certain your words really and truly express your ideas in a cogent fashion. Read what you write for meaning so that you can revise statements that are vague or misleading or not as rich in meaning as you’d like.

Best of luck on your finals!

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

Research Tips

When doing research, interpretation of the material you read matters and can lead you to the development of your own thesis.  There is probably no right or wrong thesis as long as it is reasonable, logically connected to the subject researched. In fact, new ideas and thoughts are welcome, a refreshing change from the ordinary.

The best way to research a subject is to read about it carefully, take notes as you read, think about the ideas other writers have expressed, and feel perfectly free to determine your own thoughts on the subject. Reading varied opinions on a subject researched is worthwhile. Sometimes disagreeing with what others have said is a good starting point for developing your own thesis. 

At first, you might react to a research assignment by thinking that you know nothing about the topic and don’t even know where to begin. That’s normal, since you are expected to do the research in order to learn about a subject, develop a thesis, and then prove your ideas about the subject. As you find more and more information on the subject, pick and choose among sources to select the ones that offer support for your own ideas. Because there is often more information about most subjects than can be used, being selective makes a difference.

The best way to write the paper itself is to put aside all that you’ve read about the subject and write your first draft without referring to your notes or looking at what your sources have said. You might note places where sources need to be incorporated, but wait until you’ve finished the first draft before including outside information.  For subsequent drafts, you can choose from the quotations and ideas that verify or substantiate what you have said and then integrate the material into your paper.

The SWC has further information on the nuts and bolts of research, documentation, etc. (Research). Research projects do involve hard work, but they also provide a great opportunity to learn in depth about different subjects and stretch your mind as you develop your ideas.

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

A Moment in Time

Suppose that one day the waters were so still that we couldn’t surf as planned. The most immediate explanation might be that there was simply no wind that day. We might then search for the reason why the winds didn’t come as expected that day. Perhaps the weather report expected the wind on the wrong day, and so the waters were still today. We might then think about deeper reasons for why the wind was nowhere to be found.

As humans, we search for explanations for why things happen as they do. To that end, people ask questions to make sense of the world around us. This is the foundation of scientific inquiry—using reason and questioning to reach answers about what might have once seemed unknowable. This is the foundation of the cause-effect essay.

A cause-effect paper is designed to explore a chain of events. In its simplest form, you might explore a single cause and its relationship to a single effect. The goal of this essay is to show a clear link between the proposed cause and its effect, and illustrate how the two are related. Why are they related events instead of coincidences? So the two events must be introduced, a link must be proposed between these events, and the writer must show evidence that proves the causal chain exists.

However, the cause-effect essay is one of the most difficult types of essays to write because it focuses primarily on time. Cause must precede effect, and the cause must be the reason the effect takes place. If the essay fails to prove that the two events are related, then essay doesn’t work. Consider events as a link in a chain, where all the links must be strong in order to hold the weight of the essay.

Cause-effect can be complicated enough with only a single cause and a single effect. This type of essay can be even more complex when considering multiple causes or effects. Even the nature of the time relationship can vary. Arguing that a single cause produces three direct effects is not the same as arguing that a single cause snowballs into a chain of effects. One chain of events is direct, even with multiple effects, while the second chain of events is indirect and layered. In the second case, the chain of events is linked, with the middle link holding the chain together at its center. While both are cause-effect relationships, one requires more evidence and concrete reasoning in order to work as a coherent whole.

In the end, a cause-effect paper relies on how well the chain of events is shown and documented. The chain of events must be shown clearly, whether you are exploring cause, effect, or both within your essay. Although writing about time can be complicated, cause-effect can be useful to establish a time relationship between any two events.

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

On Academic Tone

“Killer waves!” says Roxy.

“Gotcha,” says the dude.

Most of us have heard that we should write the way we talk, but the way we talk is often not what we need for college writing because we’re filling in blanks and using phrases or slang easily understood by our friends. Academic writing requires a different way of speaking, and there are conventions used for college essays that are not typical of everyday speech (or writing emails, letters, notes, diaries, or Tweets.)

The following ideas may help to transmogrify a paper from casual to college level.

1. Remove contractions – use do not instead of don’t, for example.

2. Replace slang with other words that have the same meaning.

3. Use third person pronouns (he, she, they, them, it, etc.) instead of second person pronouns (you, your, yourself).

4. Omit unnecessary words, filler: Well, as I was saying about extra words, it might be good to delete them. 

5. Triple check all punctuation. You may also need to review other grammar rules, which is worth the time it takes.

Translating from a casual style to a college level style may be simpler than it initially seems.

“The waves are suitable for surfing,” Roxy observed.

“I understand,” replied her friend.

Punctuation Quick Fixes

Comma splices and run-on sentences have one thing in common: they need stronger punctuation. Three quick ways to fix either—comma splice or run on—depend on the above mentioned stronger punctuation.

The following diagrams may help you to remember three basic options you have:

1. Use a semicolon between the two sentences, especially when the ideas are closely related:

Sentence; sentence.

2. Use a comma and conjunction between the two sentences—both, not just the comma:

Sentence, and (but, nor, for, etc.) sentence.

3. End one sentence with a punctuation mark, usually a period (not always—what if you are asking a question?) and begin the next sentence with a capital letter.

Sentence. Capital letter of first word of new sentence.

Definite punctuation between sentences provides clarity for the reader. A lack of punctuation can and does lead to confusion. One way to keep in mind that the right punctuation is in place between sentences is visual. All three of the above solutions actually look larger than a tiny comma or no punctuation at all between sentences.

You might also think of it as the difference between hoping your boat left untied at the dock will not float away (run on, or no punctuation);  tying your boat to the dock with a slight piece of string (comma splice); or  using a solid rope to keep the boat in place (correct punctuation). Your chances of finding your boat when you go back to it are better with the stronger connections to the dock. Your odds of giving your readers a clear idea of what you say are much, much better with good punctuation.

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

Footprints in the Sand

Sometimes, a walk through the beach can be a learning experience. Tracks in the sand might indicate who has recently been there, and perhaps, how many people have been through recently. The location of the sun and the tides of the ocean might suggest the time of day. You might recognize birds by the sounds they make or by their appearance. Still, you may get the sense that the beach is peaceful by the relative calm of the waters or other telltale clues. If you’re attentive to detail and thinking critically about those details, you can learn much about any kind of place.

In fiction, the use of setting works in a similar way. As literary elements go, setting seems not to matter so much as more active elements of a story such as character, conflict, or theme. While setting is passive in the sense that it exists and often serves only as a backdrop to the story, it often reflects the actions of the story. The details of setting can often help establish the background of the story and understand the forces that drive the story.

By decoding the elements of setting, a literary critic can create a larger understanding of a particular time and place and how it influences the course of a story. Remember that setting isn’t just where things happen; it can also include time periods, environments, as well as cultural elements.

Often, the morality and values of the characters are deeply shaped by setting. Hester Prynne’s behavior in The Scarlet Letter might be more acceptable in other societies, but in the Puritan society of Hawthorne’s novel, it was a sin punishable by public shame. This punishment, a scarlet letter, becomes the centerpiece of the book as well as its titular symbol. Ultimately, the societal beliefs of that time and place drive the central conflict of the story.

Similarly, many stories flow from the conflicts brewed through setting. For instance, modern readers might not be concerned with family reputation, but it would have mattered to one of Jane Austen’s heroines in 19^th Century England. This societal preoccupation with reputation contributes to Austen’s larger message about pride. So while setting appears to be a backdrop, it also contributes to the societal pressures that influence the story’s outcome.

Setting also contributes to other literary elements that you might be asked to explore. Setting can be a symbol that represents an idea, as with Kate Chopin’s short story “The Storm.” In some cases, setting can be treated as a character, or as a reflection of a person in the story. Setting can even be used to illustrate theme, provided that you can show how the setting ties into the author’s main idea.

Setting is arguably one of the more overlooked elements of literary analysis. However, setting is also a useful tool in the literary critic’s toolbox. When used effectively, setting can provide depth and context to your interpretation of the story.

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

Resuming the Résumé

The process of composing a résumé isn’t so different from learning how to dive in the water—it’s all about putting your best foot forward. There’s not necessarily any one way to swim either, since there are so many kinds of strokes that will take you where you need to go. Your challenge is to find the best way for you.

That’s an incredibly simplistic way of looking at the résumé, of course. There are many factors that will be out of your control, simply because you can’t always predict that a résumé will necessarily get you hired by the company you’re looking at. It may even be possible that you can have the best résumé in the world, but not be hired because the potential employer is looking for something specific, or that person has someone in mind, or any of a number of other reasons. Sadly, there is no guaranteed winning formula to getting the job you want, even if your résumé writing skills are superb.

However, there are some things you can control with an effective résumé. A good résumé can maximize your chances of being considered for a position, which may be enough to get your foot through the door in some cases. Think of the employer as your audience; you want to persuade the employer that you would make an effective employee.

One way to do this is by focusing on your strong points when you build the résumé. If you have a strong record of work experience, but you’re shaky on education, focus on the work experience when you put together your résumé. If you don’t feel you have much experience, then you can always focus on your education, honors, extracurricular activities, or anything else where your record is stronger.

Also, be aware that you should only cite your last five years of work history. Employers tend to be primarily interested in what you’ve done relatively recently, so there’s no need to cite everything you’ve ever done. This can often help the résumé, especially if there are weak points in your long-term history or you don’t have a long employment history.

Before starting on the résumé, take some time to search through your own experience for details to strengthen the document. If you’ve ever been active in a non-profit organization, you could include this. If you’ve ever received awards or honors of any kind, you should include this. In some cases, you can include the coursework you’ve taken, provided that those courses are relevant to the position you’re applying for. Think about your life experience, and be creative about finding details to send to the employer.

Good luck in your journey through the hiring process. Although there are no guarantees of anything, knowing what to include in the résumé could potentially make a difference in getting the job.

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