The Expert’s Guide to Multimodal Projects
Hello, my name is Rylee McKinney. I am a Writing Center Consultant and Elon Teaching Fellow. After college, I plan to use my English Education major and minors in Coaching and TESOL to teach high school students. Freshman year of college is a big adjustment, and most of us have been told that college is no walk in the park. We come to college with a thousand worries in our heads. The scariest thought: college papers. However, in the age of technology, the lengthy college paper has begun to take on new forms. Many first years are introduced to the term “Multimodal” in their foundational classes. As a first-year student, I was completely lost when I heard this term for the first time. It was hard to imagine replacing the standard ten-page paper with something more creative. I had spent most of my high school preparing for college papers. I…
Read MoreWriting for Social Media
My name is Jacqueline Dieker, a communications major and senior who graduated in Fall 2021. Happy writing! Engaging Social Media: Why Written Content Matters When you think of social media, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Photos and videos, right? Although visual content is a big part of digital media, writing is also essential. Although social media managers, influencers, and regular users don’t always consider themselves writers, their success and impact relies on the written text in their posts. As a social media manager and senior communications student, I created this post to shed some light on the necessary strategies for writing on social media. Why It Matters As college students, we will undoubtedly have to “sell” our personal brand: how we develop and present our unique public persona. Everything you publish online reflects your personality and views, and therefore might reach future hiring managers (for jobs)…
Read MoreWriting Tips To Make Your Writing More Effective & Enjoyable
It’s harder to stay motivated and engaged when you lack interest in your topic. Here are 4 tips to help you get interested in your writing and to stay on task!
Read MoreWriting and Brainstorming For Any Presentation
You are not alone if you have ever dreaded having to give a presentation, speak to a professor, or attend a job interview. However, when you know the rules and are adequately prepared, it is much easier to express yourself and impress the person on the other side of the PowerPoint slides.
Read MoreWords Enact Change: Supporting Social Justice in The Writing Center
In this blog post, I offer some strategies used by Writing Center consultants to work towards a more inclusive language practice in The Writing Center.
Read MoreCollaborative Writing and Group Projects
Collaborative/ group writing projects are widely used throughout academic and corporate worlds. Drawing from my own experiences and the expertise of other writing centers, I’ve compiled a list of do’s and don’ts when completing collaborative projects.
Read More4 Reasons You Should Bring Your Creative Writing to the Writing Center!
Whether you’re in your first-ever Creative Writing class, a senior putting together a portfolio, or you write just for fun, the Writing Center can be an amazing resource to polish your favorite pieces. If you’ve ever debated whether or not to schedule a consultation for your piece of creative writing, here are some reasons why you definitely should.
Read MoreStaying Motivated while Writing Papers Remotely
Today, many of our classes will have more online components than before as we strive to stay safe and physically distanced. It can be hard to stay motivated when we are working on online modules and at our own pace. In addition, uncertainty about what the future will look like, or whether the Covid-19 virus will spread, might impact our motivation. You’re not lazy or a bad student for this drop in motivation; however, your coursework is still important and papers still have to be written. To help spark your motivation during these uncertain times, here are five tips that help me stay motivated and focused.
Read MoreYou’re Required to Go to The Writing Center. Now What?
Sometimes, when I am required to do something, I immediately want to do that thing less, even if it’s something I want to do or had already planned to do like a household chore. The Writing Center is not immune to this aversion. Occasionally you might be required to attend a Writing Center appointment even if you think you don’t want or need to. So, I’m here to talk about how to make the best of this situation and to get the most out of it.
Read MoreHow to Come Up with Topics for Open-ended Assignments
When it comes to writing papers for class, I have found that most difficult assignments are the ones that are open-ended. Sure, it’s nice to have the freedom to write about a topic of my choice, but when I’m juggling the work of other classes, it’s much easier to answer a specific prompt. Nonetheless, we will all continue to get assignments where we are responsible for coming up with the topic. Generating ideas is something I often have trouble with as a writer, but thankfully help is available!
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