The Summer of 2023

 

SWC - Here, There, and Everywhere!

Hello, Roxy Readers! Are you wondering where I've been? If you're a local, we are here at our new campus, Oso Creek. Take note! We have FOUR Stone Writing Center locations to better serve our students - Heritage, Windward, Oso Creek, and online at delmar.edu/swc.

I'll be back soon with writing tips for you.

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

Roxy 

Frequently Asked Questions, Part 1

 

Hi there, Roxy Readers! The Stone Writing Center helps lots of students each semester, and I’ve noticed that many of the same questions pop up time and time again. I’ve gathered the top 10 most frequently asked questions that come up when writing an essay to share with you, starting with the first five.

1. What is a thesis statement? A thesis statement is an important part of any essay because it tells the reader what you are talking about. The thesis statement is often the last sentence in your introduction and sets you up to talk about your main idea throughout the rest of your paragraphs. You might think of your thesis statement as your main argument in the essay. Even if you are not writing an argumentative essay, if your thesis statement is your argument, then the rest of your essay is you trying to prove that argument to your reader. This handout has some tips for writing a thesis statement and an example.
2. What is good academic word choice? This is another one that can be easy to catch but just as easy to do by accident. It is always important to use good academic word choice in your writing, but we often write in the same way that we talk, using second-person pronouns or contractions. These words that we use in our everyday speech would not be good academic word choice. Keep an eye out for words like, “you,” “we,” or “our,” and others like, “they’ve,” “it’s,” or “can’t.” While we might use these types of words all the time when we talk, it is important to find other words in our writing. With contractions, it can be as simple as spelling out the two words, but with second-person pronouns, it can be a little trickier. I’ve found that words like, “one,” “people,” or even, “they,” can be good replacements for words like, “you,” in an essay. 
3. What is a sentence fragment? Sentence fragments are sentences that can’t stand on their own, and they can be easy to miss sometimes. Remember that two main things are important for a sentence: a subject (noun) and an action (verb). A helpful tip to identify fragments is to read your writing aloud. If you ever catch a sentence that doesn’t quite make sense on its own, then chances are that it might just be a fragment. Check out this Fragments handout for more information.
4. What is a run-on sentence? On the other end of the spectrum from sentence fragments, we have run-on sentences. Usually, we may think of a run-on as a sentence that is just too long, going on and on. Run-on sentences are a bit more common than that and can even found in shorter sentences. A run-on sentence is a sentence that is missing important punctuation. For example, if you are using two complete thoughts or independent clauses in a sentence, they will usually need a comma and a conjunction to separate them. For example, “Jim is running and he is jumping,” is actually a run-on sentence. We can fix this one up by simply putting a comma before the conjunction, “and.” That will give us a compound sentence instead! You can find more information about run-on sentences here.
5. What is a comma splice? Now this one is very similar to the run-on sentence. With a run-on sentence, a sentence can be missing a comma before the conjunction. Comma splices, on the other hand, are missing the conjunction after the comma. Going back to our example, the sentence, “Jim is running, he is jumping,” is a comma splice. We can fix this sentence in almost the same way that we did before. Here, we would just put a conjunction, like the word, “and,” after our comma to make this into a compound sentence. See this helpful handout on comma splices for more examples.

I hope I’ve been able to answer some of your writing-related questions today, Roxy Readers, and stay tuned for the rest of our frequently-asked questions!

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

Roxy

Worthy of a Repeat: Do I Really Need a Tutor?

Wow, Roxy Readers! A lot has happened in the last couple of years, and SWC is settling into a new space. Since we're so busy helping students right now, I'm sharing some really important info with you again. 

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

Roxy

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!

Welcome Back!

 

Summer 2022

 

It's Time for Final Exams!

Well, Roxy Readers, it’s about that time again; exams are just around the corner. This might be a stressful time of year, but keep in mind that you can grab a surfboard and hit the waves as soon as your tests are behind you! I suppose you don’t have to hit the waves if surfing isn’t your passion, but be sure to make time for what you enjoy once finals are done. For now, I’d like to share some of my strategies for finals season.

Create flashcards

I recommend making flashcards for important terms, dates, etc. Try to think about what questions your professor might ask on the exam, and format your flashcards similarly. Although there might be premade flashcards out there, I highly suggest making your own because the process requires you to read through your notes and any materials from your class, and the act of writing or typing the information out can help you remember it.

Review study guides

If your professor provides any study guides or lists of what to study, be sure to review them and go over everything the guides cover. Remember that your professors want you to do well in their class, so if they’ve given you a study guide, those materials will likely be on the exam.

Manage your time

Be sure to manage your time well. If you have multiple finals in a brief period of time, whether they’re on the same day or within a day of each other, consider dividing your time between studying for both finals. When studying for one class makes your vision start to blur, it likely means you aren’t retaining information anymore. Try switching to the other class for a while. This might wake you back up, and it will still be an effective use of time.

You might also consider creating a schedule if you’re good at sticking to them. Block off time for each of your subjects so that you can be sure you’re giving each subject enough attention.

Take breaks

Although it might be the last thing you want to do if you feel like you’ve got a lot of studying to get done, breaks are important. Remember that studying does you no good if you’re exhausted and unable to concentrate. Try taking a break. Go for a walk, get a snack, or even just get up and stretch for a few minutes. Your brain will thank you for it, and you’ll likely have much more success when you return to studying. If you’re worried your break will last too long, set a timer, and be strict with yourself about returning to your work after your timer goes off.

Go to study sessions

If your professor holds study sessions or any of your classmates are meeting up to study, consider going, especially if you learn well from others. Study groups are also good because we tend to remember information better when we teach someone else. However, I have been a part of a few “study groups” that chatted more than we studied, and if you find that is the case in a group you meet up with, don’t let yourself get distracted from studying for too long. Either try to get the group back on track or head out early to study some more on your own.

Have a few different study areas

A change of scenery can do wonders for the mind, and if you have a few areas to study (such as your room, a library, or café), you can switch areas when you feel yourself start to lose focus.

Implement rewards

If you’re anything like me, studying might be one of your least favorite activities. To make sure that you study, try to reward yourself for a job well done. You can have several small rewards to keep yourself motivated. For example, you can set a timer for thirty minutes of studying, give yourself a small reward when the timer goes off, and then repeat the process. On the flip side, you can also have one big reward after a day of studying.

Those are all the tips I have for today, Roxy Readers. Keep your chin up; following these tips will help your finals season be smooth sailing!

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