Reading Comprehension Made Easy

As I sit here writing this, I am a mere week and half away from the MCAT that I have been preparing for for nearly seven months. I feel as though my brain is completely consumed with formulas and facts and most of all, loathing for reading comprehension. Whether it’s the GRE, the GMAT, the LSAT, or the MCAT, we here at the writing center feel your pain and can help you with your reading comprehension woes.

The first thing to remember during a reading comprehension test is to take your time… but not too much time. Learning how to read quickly is key, but you also need to learn how to read actively. This was difficult for me at first as I’m a slow reader and would often times find myself thinking about my beach vacation last summer. This is where you need to find the best strategy for you. I’ve found that actively highlighting key words has kept me engaged in the passage so I think about the beach less and get more answers right. Try highlighting, try writing a few words down after each paragraph, try just reading—just find whatever helps you read fast, but actively.

Once you’ve read the passage, you have to do the hard part: answering the questions. This can be hard, but there are a few tricks that can help on test day. Extreme answers involving the words only, absolutely, all, etc. are almost always wrong. Being able to strike out these answers can help narrow down the answer choices immensely. We all hate Roman numeral questions where I and II or only II or I, II, and III could be right, but there’s a trick to them too. Almost always the Roman numeral that is used the most often will be included in the correct answer. This may not get you narrowed down to one answer, but it will help.

Over time you’ll start to find more little patterns and tricks that make reading comprehension bearable. The best advice I can give is practice, practice, practice! That way you’ll be ready for anything on test day and you can sail right into graduate or professional school. Good luck!

Jess

Topic Terror!

Choosing a paper topic can be a difficult and confusing task.While a professor giving you control over the subject matter of your paper should make selecting a topic easier,the multitude of topic possibilities can actually be overwhelming.Luckily,there are methods available to simplify your search.
Select a topic you are interested in and feel comfortable writing about.If you write about subjects you hate or do not understand,the writing process will be very painful.
After finding some potential topics,attempt to write basic thesis statements for each one.This exercise can help you decide which topics are viable choices for a paper.If you struggle to create a thesis for a particular topic,rule it out.
Once you have found a potential topic,ask your professor if it will fit the assignment.Since they created the assignment,they know what will work and what won't.Listen to their advice,and search for another topic if they think the one you have will give you trouble.
Using any,or especially all, of these methods can be very beneficial.If you like your topic,you already have a basic thesis statement,and your professor approves of your choice,you are well on your way to writing a great paper.

Dress Up Your Writing for Halloween

I will begin by admitting that I am a day late, but if you're like me, Halloween keeps you excited for more than one day. Something about dressing up like any person, monster, or character in the world, regardless of your age, is just simply fun. Indeed, young children, to college students, to middle-aged adults dress up in costumes to celebrate this fun and spooky holiday.

Just as you may have dressed up in an outrageous costume this weekend, Halloween is also a perfect time to dress up your writing. That is, add a little style to your papers. Basically, style is the writing component that allows a writer to show his personality in his text. This is not only done by what is said, but by how it is said. Incorporating your own unique style in your writing is not only a great way to distinguish yourself from other writers, but it can also make your text much more enjoyable for the reader.

It takes a wide variety of factors to be successful in the world today, but one character trait that the world's most successful individuals seem to share is charisma. They seem to have a special zest that distinguishes them from the rest of society. A writer can achieve her own success by incorporating charisma in her discourse. One way she can do this is to replace overused, bland words with more vivid, colorful words. For example, when trying to describe the way a dancer moves, a writer might say, "The dancer danced across the floor." Although this does give the reader some kind of picture of the scene, it is vague and boring. Perhaps a more interesting sentence would be, "The dancer glided across the floor." Now, the reader might imagine the dancer dancing with flawless elegance and grace. Simply choosing a more invigorating verb has added clarity and excitement to the scene.

Another strategy a writer can use to enhance his style is to incorporate a variety of sentence structures in his writing. Reading sentences with the same sentence structure and format over and over again can be repetitive and boring. For example, in an argumentative essay for saving the environment, one might write, "The federal government should enact stricter laws to reduce businesses' emission of greenhouse gases because these gases are destroying the o-zone layer. This is an imminent problem because the o-zone blocks the sun's harmful UV rays. These two sentences first make a claim, and then support that claim, thus using the same sentence structure. Simply using a different structure in each sentence can convey the same message with more style; "The federal government should enact stricter laws to reduce businesses' emission of greenhouse gases because these gases are destroying the o-zone layer. Because the o-zone blocks the sun's harmful UV rays, this is an imminent problem." Now, the writer is alerting the reader of a problem that he feels is important while also demonstrating that he can write with style.

If you feel like you've been using the same basic words and sentence structure in all of your writing, use this Halloween as an excuse to try something new. Replace those bland words with more exciting, descriptive ones, and use a variety of sentence structures throughout your paragraphs. Doing so will give your writing the same character and charisma that that spooky costume probably gave you this Halloween.

Mick Snyder

For When You Only Have One Sock Left...........

If you're anything like me, you experience that one week (or two, or three) every semester when everything seems to pile up into one big mess of responsibilities. The dishes are piling up in the sink, you're drowning in laundry, there are about 75 papers due, there's an exam every day, and Netflix is just calling your name. The 24 hours in a day don't seem like nearly enough time to get everything accomplished, and it can be very overwhelming. Luckily, there are some great strategies you can use to ensure that you are managing your time effectively. Time management is an invaluable tool that is worth learning during your college experience.

The most important thing to do in time management is to organize your responsibilities into categories. Placing everything you need to do into smaller chunks has the effect of making it seem as if you have less to do, thereby making your tasks less intimidating. I like to organize everything into these categories: School, Home, and Free Time. Put all homework, papers, and projects into the School section; laundry, dishes, and other cleaning under Home, and any fun down-time activities into Free Time.

The next step to take to improve your time management is to lay out all of your tasks in an obvious, easily accessible place. This ensures that you are fully aware of everything that must be done; it also prevents you from forgetting some tasks that may initially fly under the radar. One place that I find particularly useful to remind me is somewhere I see all of the time: my computer's desktop. Most computers have these nifty virtual Post-It notes, which can be displayed on your desktop. Think about how many times you open your computer to get on Facebook, watch Youtube videos, or use your other favorite form of procrastination (Stumble-Upon, I'm looking at you). These Post-It notes are in a very visible place that is, in fact, probably one of the primary time-wasting tools that you utilize.

Next, plan out a schedule to make sure that you are not overwhelmed with everything you must do. It is unrealistic to assume that everything can be accomplished in one day, so spacing responsibilities apart is key. A possibility is placing 5 virtual Post-It notes, one for each weekday, on your desktop. As you complete each task, delete the Post-It. It is a very satisfying feeling to see it drift away.

Finally, make sure you plan out free time for yourself. The stress from all your responsibilities can be very detrimental, and it is very important to not overload yourself with constant stress. Whether it is exercising, reading a book, or simply taking a nap, down time is essential for keeping your spirits high and your motivation strong. Plus, who doesn't love a good nap? The key to this step is to not give too much free time, which is very tempting. Make sure that all your responsibilities are accomplished for that day before you drift into dreamland.

These time management techniques are definitely essential tools in college students' repertoires. Follow these, and your life will be much less stressful. Also, do your dishes; they aren't getting any cleaner

Charcoal and Run-ons

It's easy to get caught up in the frantic writing fervor that comes about upon realizing a fantastic idea or string of thoughts that can be incorporated into a paper. Whether such an experience comes about from an hour away deadline or simply sitting around deep in thought, the excitement of sudden ideas often presses writers into feeling that all words must be typed or scribbled as quickly as possible onto the empty space and, upon seeing the masterpiece in progress, continue without a second glance at the first splatter of creativity.

This is wrong.

There are several reasons why abandoning momentary light bulbs of realization is bad, with one of the most important being that the enhancing qualities that that creativity brings to a paper can at the same time detract from it if left unattended--not only one of the most common mistakes, but also one of the most correctable. The foundation of a paper is built upon a cohesive flow of ideas that unify smaller components into a vivid "bigger picture," but run-on sentences and fragments of ideas are like blotches of yellow and orange on a charcoal drawing. Readers are attracted to the vividness of what they see, but the connection to the piece's artistic substance is missed.

"What's going on here?"

The solution to this problem is different for the drawing and paper, but the principle is the same: the basis of clear expression rests upon a person's ability to incorporate creativity into and with other ideas in a cohesive manner. Reading a paper aloud facilitates the writing process by enabling a greater sense of mental processing via the vocalization of ideas. Oftentimes words that are silently omitted in a paper are correctly or incorrectly inserted into the recitation of a paper, and catching those little discrepancies is vital to clearly expressing individual ideas for others to interpret.

For example, 'I analyzed Green Eggs and Ham for its artistic substance. Make it a popular children's book."

If I were to read that aloud, I could instinctively correct it by saying, " I analyzed Green Eggs and Ham for its artistic substance [and the elements that] make it a popular children's book." A quick glance at those two pieces of information, however, may leave the incompleteness of the second idea undetected due to the completeness of the first.

The charcoal drawing could be made into a painting.

The Sickest Email of All

Cold season is here! Flu season is very near! Oh, how I dread this time of year!

All right, I promise I won’t rhyme this entire entry, but a girl has to have a little fun. Many of you probably have already had the sniffles, congestion, sore throat, and headache that usually accompany a cold this year. I definitely have. It might keep you off your feet for a day or two, or maybe a few, depending on how severe. Though, very soon you’re back on your feet and ready to hit the books once again (just what you were thinking of doing once you got better, I bet)! You’re proud of yourself, too. You only skipped the classes that gave you free absences, instead of the ones that you’re required to go to every day.

Along you go, on your merry way in the fall! Then, BAM! Like a brick wall, you’re hit directly with the flu... before flu season! You were just about to get a flu shot next week too… Chills, fever, aches, nausea, and everything else rain down upon you in bed and you struggle to keep warm (or cool, depending on what mood the flu is in that hour). You think about your classes this week. In a panic, you realize that, although you have enough freebie absences left to use up for the week, your mandatory classes are coming up. You decide that you don’t feel that bad – you could probably make it through the class, at least. As the week progresses, and your un-missable class draws ever nearer, you begin to feel worse than before. Soon, you are too weak to even leave bed. You think about emailing your professor, but what good would that do? The syllabus says that you can’t miss class for anything.

So what do you do?

Do you email your professor? Do you try to make it to class? Do you just skip anyway?

Never fear! In fact, I was recently in this exact situation. Here’s some advice: don’t be afraid of your professors! They are people too, not bent on making your life miserable. In my crisis, the same as above happened. Too weak to do much of anything productive, and in a fever-induced stupor, I fretted for hours over what I would do about the classes that I couldn’t miss, or what I would be penalized with if I did miss them. I had been sick for over a week and getting worse, and the plan was to try to get a free few days from class to be able to rest, go to the doctor, and go home with my family to take care of me (who doesn’t love his or her mother bringing them hot tea, soup or maybe some sprite when sick?).

What did I do?

I simply emailed the professors of the classes that I was worried about.

Now, before you get too excited, there are some guidelines to the sick email:

Keep it professional:

As with any email to a professor, despite the fact that you’re sick, you need to still be cordial and professional. Just because you’re ill, doesn’t mean you can jumble up words and letters and not use greetings. Trust me, it won’t make you sound more ill, just like you don’t care. Spell out whole words, use correct punctuation and grammar, and employ good sentence structure, please.

Get the right subject:

I’m not talking about the fact that you’re sick – you know this. I’m talking about the subject area in your email. Most professors prefer their students to type the class title in the subject with another short subject after (ex. PSYC 241 – Class Wednesday). Some professors also like you to put the section number in the subject. Professors often teach more than one class; this just helps them prioritize emails and stay organized. It’s nice to help them out.

Greet your professor:

“Dear Professor Smith,” “Dear Dr. Smith,” “Greetings Professor/Dr. Smith,” and so on. I’m sure you’ve heard all the different ways of greeting someone in a letter – use them! Even a simple “Professor Smith,” or “Dr. Smith,” will do (I personally use this one). As long as you greet your professor cordially, your email will start off being well-received.

Explain, but don’t write a novel:

Chances are that your instructor will want to know what will be keeping you from class. It’s a good idea to tell him or her that you are sick, what is wrong, and why exactly it’s keeping you. However, no professor wants to open his or her email from a student and read an entire novella on the woes of the flu and how you are slowly dying in your bed. Don’t be melodramatic. Keep it simple. Usually, I will tell my professor what I have (if I haven’t been to the doctor, what I think I have), give a few major symptoms (usually the ones that will be keeping me from class), inform him or her that I will be missing class, and ask if I will be penalized/how I can make it up. No sob story needed. Most professors will be more than understanding. After all, most have children.

The end:

End on a good note. This you must do! Be sure to thank your professor for his or her time. Close properly (using “Thank you,” as a closing works too). It will be greatly appreciated. If your instructor responds, be sure to email them back, thanking them for responding to you, or responding quickly, if it’s the case, and acknowledging that you received the email.

Following these rules, you’re sure not to offend a professor, but rather get on his or her good side when asking for a day off or explaining an absence. Usually, instructors are more than happy to accommodate serious and polite students.

Happy fall!

5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Writing in 5 Minutes

Everyone wants an easy way to fix all of our writing woes, but it takes practice and hard work. Here are a few tricks of the trade that can improve everyone’s writing in just a few short minutes.

1) Use sentence opening variety

Why you should use it: Sentence opening variety is using better, unique words to start an opening sentence in order to draw your audience in. It’s better to say, “Throughout the film The Social Network, the foundation of social media is discussed” than “The Social Network discusses the start of social media.” You may not see much of a difference at first, but you will with time, and so will your English teachers! Here’s a list to start with:

Therefore As a result of On the other hand

Throughout Another In order to

Since Whether Upon

Through While However

According to In addition Consequently
Furthermore Moreover Nevertheless
Similarly On the contrary Whereas

Where you should use it: The good news is you don’t have to use sentence opening variety in every sentence. It’s perfectly fine to start a sentence with ‘the’ or ‘a’ when it’s buried in the paragraph or as a sentence starter a couple of times (but not too many). Start by trying to write your topic sentences with one of the words above and see how it feels. You may need to move some words around, but I bet your sentence will sound better.

2) Spell Out Numbers

Why you should do it: It is much easier to hit the 8 button than type out eight, I know. However, some professors, especially those in English, get picky about typing out numbers. In general, it makes you look more professional so for most college papers you’ll want to spell them out. If you’re writing an informal paper it’s okay to stick with the number keys, but be careful!

Where you should do it: Everyone has a different preference of which numbers should be spelled out. Spelling out 0-10 is most common, but it’s best to check with your teacher. You definitely DO NOT have to write out 26,439!

3) Don’t Use Conjunctions

Why you shouldn’t use them: You’re probably saying, but you just used a conjunction! I did, BUT this is an informal piece of writing so it’s okay. Basically if you’re writing a paper in college you’re probably going to want to spell contractions out.

It sounds more professional to say, “I cannot believe her argument is not in support of the government.” versus “I can’t believe her argument isn’t in support of the government.” It may not seem like a big difference, but it will be to your English teacher and it’s an easy fix!

Where you should/shouldn’t use it: You have to know if your paper is formal or informal. Usually if you’re talking about yourself or your life, it’s informal and you can use contractions. However, if you’re writing about another subject and can’t use ‘I’ or ‘we’ then it’s probably formal and contractions are a no-no.

4) Eliminate that

Why you shouldn’t use it: Often ‘that’ is just a filler word. There are times when you have to use it like, “that ride was really fun,” but there are also A LOT of times when it isn’t needed. For example “when I blew out the candles I wished that I would get good presents” still makes sense if you just say “when I blew out the candles I wished I would get good presents.” You still understood what I meant and I didn’t say ‘that’! Woah, it’s mind blowing, I know!

Where you should use it: EVERYWHERE! This may not be something teachers focus on, but you never know. Cutting out ‘that’ can make your writing more concise. If that’s (this one’s okay!) something your teacher says you’re lacking then I suggest looking at an old paper and circling all of the ‘that’s, it could be the problem.

5) Don’t start with because

Why you shouldn’t use it: We’ve all heard since Kindergarten not to start a sentence with ‘because’, but sometimes it may seem unavoidable. The next time you start a sentence with ‘because’, see if replacing it with ‘since’ or ‘as a result of’ would work.

Where you shouldn’t use it: I can’t think of a place where ‘since’ or ‘as a result of’ couldn’t take the place of ‘because’. For example, saying, “Because I went to the bar last night, there’s no way I can go to class” sounds better if you say, “Since I went to the bar last night, there’s no way I can go to class.” Same with “Because of my exam grade, I got a B in Biology,” which can become: “As a result of my exam grade, I got a B in Biology.”

Give these 5 quick types a try and see how it goes. Your teacher may not notice a few of them, but they will make you a better writer and help you in the future, I promise!

Get Your License!

As a Creative Writing major, I tend to have to go through my papers for other classes to make sure I did not throw in an ungrammatical sentence. Like this.

Just thinking about the topic of Creative License, or Artistic License, gives me the warm fuzzies inside. I love the freedom I have in a Creative Writing class to write however I choose, however my brain sees fit at the time. How comforting it is to know I don't have to use correct grammar (though most of the time I do) and structure! What I place on the paper is right, no matter what. With Creative License, we have the power to do anything with our stories, poems, essays, etc.

...
Take
this, for
example. I
canwrite a poem
shaped like a Christ
mas tree about the love
of others during the season.
And I can putspaces and periods
andcommas
wherever
I choose.

That's a poetry example. For prose, we could do the same thing, but it is not very common. Usually in prose, the creativity comes from the structure and the language. Once I wrote a nonfiction essay consisting of five short paragraphs separated by white spaces. They all narrate completely different scenes, but they share a common topic.

And for the creative writer, it makes perfect sense.

If it weren't for the solid training I had in formal writing in middle school, I would not have proceeded to write creatively in high school. Similarly, if it weren't for the solid training I had in creative writing in high school, I probably would not have grown as a stronger formal writer in the rest of high school and college. The two types of writing complement each other. What good is a formal piece if there is no creative voice, nothing that stands out from the rest?

And, well, what good is a creative piece if there is no skill in writing in general?

So, will you get your license?

As Summer Draws to a Close...

A commonly used cliché states that you should go out with a bang. Working at the WVU Writing Center, a common problem I see is in a neglected conclusion. Most professors stress the necessity of a strong introduction, and while this is essential to any good paper, so is a good concluding paragraph. In my experience, I have come across many wonderful introductions, yet it was obvious that the writer focused most of their energy on the beginning, causing the end of their paper to be lacking. Therefore, as the new semester begins, I hope that you will begin to consider the necessity of ending your paper with a bang.

Concluding paragraphs, along with the introduction, provide the back-bone for a good essay. This said, a conclusion can be one of the most difficult things to write in a paper. The point of a conclusion is to help a reader relate the ideas in your paper to their everyday lives by establishing a logical ending to your writing. Abrupt or inadequate endings can suddenly cut readers off in the middle of an idea, and long, wordy, conclusions may leave a reader hanging or confused on specific issues. Therefore, writing a good conclusion is essential. For an ending that reinforces the main points and flows smoothly, a couple strategies can be used:

• Ask yourself "so what" about the information and ideas presented in your paper to help yourself discover what you want to say in your conclusion.
• Start the concluding paragraph by finding new words in which to restate your original thesis.
• Synthesize, don't summarize. Blend your main ideas in a brief summary.
• Have a clincher to end your paper. For example, challenge the reader to seek more information, point to the broader implications, or look to the future.

Additionally, there are a few things that you should strive to avoid doing when writing a conclusion. For instance, you should try not to introduce new ideas, use clichéd phrases such as "In conclusion," and reword the introduction instead of restating the thesis. A conclusion is meant to wrap up your paper. It should not be just another body paragraph with a concluding sentence tacked on the end, nor should it be only a sentence or two. Good conclusions will hopefully leave your readers happy that they read your essay.

On the whole, while concluding paragraphs can sometimes be difficult to write, with the proper help and knowledge, not all endings have to be painful. Whether a conclusion lacks substance because the writer just wants to finish their paper quickly or because a person is ignorant of what a proper conclusion should contain, I hope with the information I have just provided, you will now know enough to not be able to claim the latter as an excuse. Alas, as the conclusion allows you to have the final say in your paper, I will conclude this blog entry by wishing you good luck and happy writing for the fall semester!

7 Ways to Be Successful Early in the Semester

Now is the time of year when classes have just started, and students are beginning to force themselves back into the academic routine. While everyone probably feels like they can slack off at the start of the semester and make up for it later in the year, starting off on your best foot can really help you once it comes time for mid-terms and finals. In order to help out with the end of the summer drag, the WVU Writing Center is offering seven easy tips to help students be successful early this academic year.

1. Come to Class: I know that no one wants to be awake and thoughtful for an 8:30 AM class, but simply showing up on time, listening to lectures, and taking a few notes will seriously aid you in the long run. By doing this, students know what the teacher covers from a particular chapter in the book or section of the class and can be better prepared when it comes time to study. Not to mention the fact that nobody should lose any easy points for attendance.

2. Write down Due Dates for Assignments Early: Once I receive all the syllabi for my classes, the first thing I do is record every due date for a paper and every test date. This way, you can see which week or day will be particularly difficult from having multiple assignments and exams overlapping. Later, on, you will thank yourself for the early warning.

3. Put Your Best Effort into Classes Early: Even though everyone is tempted to put off readings, papers, and studying at the beginning of the semester, it’s always best to keep on top of your class work at the start so that you won’t get overloaded with work once it comes time for the first exam and mid-terms. Also, you will perform better overall if you stay ahead of the work early before finding out exactly how difficult a class will be.

4. Make Lists: Sometimes the pure act of listing what needs to be done will help you remember to do school or house work and give you the motivation to complete it. I know that it’s tempting to simply watch TV or surf the Internet whenever you get a break, but keeping a to-do list will remind you to budget that time wisely. Then once you feel good about crossing off your work as done, you’ll enjoy checking up on Facebook or watching TV that much more.

5. Get on a Good Sleep Schedule: Figuring out the time that you should be in bed by may seem very juvenile, but getting a good night of sleep is imperative to being rested and ready for class the next day. Not to mention the fact that you’ll be more motivated to do school work when you aren’t drowsing off into a mid-day nap. While becoming adjusted to a different bedtime routine is difficult at first, once you get into the groove of being in bed by midnight or so, you’ll find it hard to break your new healthy pattern of sleeping, that is until the weekend rolls around.

6. Don’t be Afraid of Your Professors: Making a good impression on your teachers early on in the year will definitely help you at the end of year when grades are given. I’m not saying that you will automatically get the best grade in the class without putting in any effort, but I am saying that your professor will look upon you more favorably. First, you should try to sit at the front of the class and not be afraid to participate if the opportunity presents itself. Second, you should try to visit professors during their office hours to get extra help. Not many students take advantage of the opportunity to get to know their teachers during this time and get extra feedback on papers and studying.

7. If you get behind, don’t get stressed out! This advice doesn’t mean that you should give up or not try; it means that getting overly stressed will only hurt your performance and health in the long run.

The WVU Writing Center wishes students good luck and a great job this new semester. Following these tips is an easy way to get a head start on the academic year. Though some may sound like common sense, it’s always helpful to have a reminder of what we should be doing, especially when it seems like the hard choice.