Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with writing and college

Club Fundraising

Holygrail2 — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:53:18 -0800

I'm trying to think of ideas for creative-writing-related fundraisers I'm involved in a college club dedicated to promoting and cultivating creative writing among members. We get together and have free-writes and brainstorming sessions, etc. I'm trying to think of some fundraising ideas for our club that will both a) be effective and b) incorporate creative writing.

I'm not great at this sort of thing. Any ideas?

(I'm trying to find a way to incorporate the upcoming NaNoWriMo too but, again, I'm not great at this sort of thing).

Books on cover letters geared to new college grads?

cymru_j — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:30:39 -0800

Books on cover letters and resumes geared to new college graduates? I know there are some fabulous resources online, but I'm looking specifically for books here, since I'm trying to build a small library in our college writing center.

Thanks in advance!

How would you approach this college admissions essay prompt?

caroljean63 — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:26:05 -0800

How would you approach this college admissions essay prompt? "Discuss anything you wish you understood better than you do now. " Background: At this point in his life my son has wide ranging interests: politics, American history, economics, web design and web hosting/servers.

He has worked on several political campaigns and has won a couple awards/honors in web design competitions.

His biggest strength is leadership. He's worked as a project leader on several successful projects, team captain of most of his sports teams, etc.

Biggest weakness: He's extremely concise when writing and thinks this prompt is really not very open ended. From his POV, if he wanted to "understand something better than he does now," he would just do it! He wouldn't spend 3 days writing an essay about it, he'd google it, listen to a podcast, or read a book about it.

To a 17-year-old homeschooled kid who has grown up in the age of information at his fingertips, a question like that is foreign to his vocabulary. Still, this essay has a due date looming...

January, it's just this month, you know?

Rinku — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:57:55 -0800

I have a month in which to do a project. What kind of project, you ask? Good question. Perhaps something fun, perhaps something educational, perhaps something mind-expanding. The options, they are endless. The college I attend has a "winter term" between fall and spring semesters. It lasts through most of the month of January. The three official options for winter term are as follows:

1. Academic Study: a faculty-sponsored, academically-focused research, study, or performance project that can be conducted on- or off-campus, individually or as part of a group project.

2. Field Experience: a learning activity that could include career exploration, social or political action, community service, or an unpaid internship.

3. Personal Growth and Development: an opportunity to learn a skill, try something new, or pursue subject matter outside of traditional academic disciplines.

As you can see, the possibilities are endlessly broad, especially the third - under its banner of "personal growth and development" a student in the seventies (it is told) once etched the word "potato" into every tray in the dining hall. I'm wouldn't be surprised if this was true, considering how every single tray in the dining hall has the word "potato" etched into it. Given, these were the Seventies, and if I were to propose this to a teacher today (your project must be approved and sponsored by a teacher) I doubt they would accept.

Still, you can do pretty much anything, as long as it's more or less worthwhile. Last year I did a private study of Buddhism, where I read books and went to Buddhist services at a local shrine, but the shrine's only monk was gone on a tour of India for three weeks out of the month, and the books, they were long, they were dry, and the project devolved into me attempting to win every achievement from the Orange Box.

This January, I'm hoping for fewer gnomes in fewer rockets, that is, less boredom. Not that my project last year wasn't interesting, it was, I really enjoyed attending the few services I did, and the books were interesting, even if I didn't read as much of them as I probably should have. I am aware that no matter what project I choose, I will be a little bit bored, just because January is a long time. The exact dates you're supposed to be doing the project are January 2nd - 27th, weekdays, supposedly about 5 hours a day, but most people don't do quite that many hours. It can be all at once, too - I've heard of a group project that only took a week, but the kids were working almost solid, save sleep, during that time.

So, what do I do? I'll have access to a computer and the internet, (obviously), a good reading couch, a kitchen, and Seattle (an hour away) if I choose to do it at home, which I'm leaning towards. Travel is an option - I could go somewhere and write about it, propose it to a Journalism teacher - that works but it costs money. What projects can I do at home, on a relatively limited budget? Seattle specific recommendations would be cool (oh hey you should totally just go volunteer at ___) but, more generally... what kinds of projects could I do in a snow-locked cabin for the winter? That's really not too far off from what I'm talking about here.

The only thought I've had so far is of an "Ambient Music History and Appreciation" kind of thing, which sounds interesting in one way but also devastatingly dull in another. I've also thought of learning to play the guitar, or writing a comic of some kind, or writing songs in Reason, and while those might be fun I'm sure there are more creative ideas out there. Oh, also: I cannot get paid.

There are sponsored projects and team projects and things like that, but they haven't really started to be advertised yet. I'm asking this early because I've been thinking about it the last couple of days, and on the off chance there's some awesome program I have to apply for now, or what have you.

This is a really awesome opportunity, MeFites. Help me make the most of it. Thanks in advance.

How to fill 70 minutes of in-class writing time?

toomuchkatherine — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:08:17 -0800

Help a freshman comp teacher out! I need a fun writing exercise to fill 70 minutes of class time. I'm teaching freshman comp. The students are not stellar but they're all right, though most of them hate writing (and see it as drudgerous and formulaic). The three main assignments I have to give them this semester include a process essay (basically a how-to article), a short research paper, and an essay on a novel. We also have a textbook but they seem to hate it, and I can't say that I blame them much.

Tomorrow we have a fairly free day; on the syllabus I inherited, it just says "in-class writing exercise." Actually it says "timed writing exercise." Either way, I need to fill 70 minutes of class time with writing, or writing and group work...and I'd like to make it fun, because we haven't been having enough fun in class lately, and I think that anything I can get them to do to enjoy writing and use it to explore their thoughts and feelings will be useful.

Any comp-teacher ideas?

Sample Essays (not for sale)

saoyama — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 18:10:11 -0800

What are some good sources for examples of well-written essays? I've been having a very hard time writing essays in college. I've read Strunk and White multiple times, which also goes for Orwell's Politics and the English Language. They're great and helpful but now I'm looking for essays that exemplify the good writing that Strunk, White, and Orwell write about. I'm not having much luck googling and I can't find anything in the archives, though there may be threads I overlooked.

I'm not necessarily looking for essays by famous writers--any author as long as it's writing that you consider outstanding. In fact I'd prefer essays by students or non-professionals. I just want more than the limited examples I've found in the books that teach you how to write.

Ultimately, I just need to read more but as a science major I don't often read essays and my writing probably reflects the dry and rigid writing found in abstracts. I'm looking for essays specifically because they are short (compared to entire books) and focused.

How do I physically write faster?

ajp — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 07:38:57 -0800

How do I physically write faster? Does anyone have any tips for how to physically write faster? So far I've been advised to try using soft pencils on good paper, but I'd be interested in other suggestions. I'd also like to reduce my chances of developing tendon irritation from all the repetitive movement of writing. I sit exams regularly, and need to write continuously and legibly for between 1 and 2 hours. This is currently killing my thumb.

I've trawled the net of course, but all my search terms seem to hit pages more targetted at approaches to creative writing.

* Are there any guidelines for how to write clearly and avoid strain injury?

* What is the perfect writing implement, given the requirements of speed and pain-avoidance? Oh, and relatively low cost :-)

* Hand-writing guides. Is there an optimum style? I suspect that "cursive" or "Nelson" handwriting is best. Are there any figures to back this up? I'm willing to put in the time required to adapt my writing style if it will pay off.

Things I am not concerned about:

* Creativity, style, etc. This is about the physical aspects of writing, not the cerebral.

* Being more concise in my essay responses. Good advice, but already taken. I'm aiming for maximum output with minimal physical effort.

* Shorthand. The writing has to be easily and clearly comprehensible by any English speaker.

Other salient points:

* I'm considering asking for extra time in the exams so I can minimise the pain.

* Exams have to be written in ink, and anything that smudges easily is likely to be out. I'd like to try a fountain pen, since I believe the nib would morph with age to complement my writing style; but I think the smudge factor rules them out.

* Anecdote is great, evidence is better!

Much obliged.

How can I improve my students' writing?

obliquicity — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 20:34:14 -0800

How can I help students improve their writing via comments on written assignments? I am an art history professor with plenty of experience teaching art history and no experience teaching writing skills. At the moment, I'm primarily teaching undergrads -- mostly juniors and seniors. I grade my students' written assignments on the quality of their prose as well as that of their content, and generally make corrections on their papers to grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. But the larger issues -- organization, sentence structure, etc. -- I generally just note with an "awkward," or similar short, not-particularly-instructive comment. I'd like to be able to give them more than a critical response and a suggestion to use the writing center (that they inevitably don't follow up on).

After the first assignment in any given class, I usually make a handout that addresses common problems, such as: the use of broad generalizations to introduce or conclude the paper; lack of proofreading; citations and appropriate sources; etc. (I find they vary from class to class, otherwise I'd hand this out with the syllabus.) But again, these categories of problems are more straightforward than the organization/sentence structure/logic problems I feel like I'm failing to address.

Last semester I tried asking students to hand in an outline of their final paper (something an undergrad prof of mine did, and that I found incredibly useful as a student learning how to write long papers), but I discovered that I was pretty terrible at addressing some of the problems their outlines presented. Basically, if a student demonstrates an inability to create logical arguments, I don't even know where to start helping them address that issue. While my front-page question is about written comments, I do have a mandatory meeting with my students once a semester, so in theory I could also address these concerns in person.

Is this something that people who teach freshman-comp-type classes are taught how to do? Is there a book you'd recommend? Or am I crazy for trying to teach my students writing skills that they should have learned in those freshman comp classes, and should I just stick with the "awkward"s and let them sort it out?

Looking for a resource to have a graduate admissions statement of intent read and critiqued please.

iamkimiam — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 10:11:26 -0800

I am applying to grad school. The deadline is approaching. Where can I go to get my letter of intent (personal statement) read and critiqued? I am seeking some feedback on what I've written. Is there a resource out there for this? Preferably at minimal cost, with a very quick turnaround, and knowledge about the system and what the admissions professionals are looking for.

Other info: I'm applying to SF State for the Masters Program in Linguistics. Any specific info or resources about this program and/or graduate studies is also very helpful to me!

Aging journalism student worries about debt, future

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 07:48:29 -0800

I'm a 25 year old journalism major riddled with major debt who has two years of school to go. How should I go about handling my debt situation and finishing school with the ultimate goal of becoming a successful print journalist? Furthermore, am I a fool to enter this field considering my rather unpleasant financial picture? Life advice, please. For the past three years I've attended community college on a part-time basis as part of a journalism degree track. Due to my having spent a couple of years in the workforce after high school, I started college at the relatively late age of 22. In doing so, I've racked up considerable debt in the form of deferred Stafford loans and deferred private bank education loans to the tune of 35K+. On top of that, I have ~25K in credit card debt, (albeit generally on interest-free credit cards) with minimum monthly payments of ~400 total. Beyond making those payments, nearly all of the borrowing has been put toward housing and living expenses, considering that my tuition itself was quite affordable. I took part-time jobs here and there, but I also had an aversion to work and clearly lived beyond my means (though not to the point of any grand extravagance, I would argue). My father is the co-signer on my bank loans (which account for ~25K of above), and although he has offered to eventually help me pay them off, my parents had no college fund set aside for me and are by no means rich - upper-middle class might be a stretch. Thus I'm not sure to what extent I can count on this help as being realistic.

Moving up to the present day, I applied and was accepted as a transfer student at a large and fairly prestigious public university. The school accepted 52 credit hours from my community college, leaving me at least two years away from a bachelor's degree by my calculations, assuming I go full-time. Furthermore, I was not accepted into the journalism program proper, but rather into my second choice as an undeclared liberal arts major. Tuition will be covered by financial aid, leaving me with roughly the same amount of funds for living expenses as I got from the comm. college, but with a higher percentage of it coming from Stafford loans vs. grants. Thus, I sink deeper into the abyss of debt. I plan to trim back on housing costs and certainly get a part-time job, which I'm estimating will bring in $10-12/hr at best.

Beyond any general advice on my situation, some specific questions for your perusal:

1. Should I put bankruptcy on the table as a (terribly unpleasant) option for the credit card debt?
2. Writing is my one true passion - I've won awards for it and I spent two years writing and editing at my community college paper - but at what point should I consider the possibility that I may need to enter a more lucrative field, given my financial situation?
3. Lacking that, should I consider foregoing financial aid, working full-time and taking only one or two classes per semester (thereby dragging my degree plan out even longer)?
4. Or should I forget about writing and college for the time being and find the best paying full-time job I can to get the debt paid ASAP?

I guess the general theme is: to what extent should I be concerned about my level of debt, and how do I balance that concern against my desire to do something I love and the value of immersing myself in the intellectual and social environment of a university campus?

I keep writing but I don't get to the end.

Brainy — Mon, 14 May 2007 19:23:56 -0800

I'm going back to school and I haven't written essays in about...oh...five years. I can brainstorm like crazy, but I can't seem to structure it properly. As my girlfriend puts it: my essays are just black holes that suck up my time, and I get no where. Forgive me if the answer is out there hiding behind the simplest search, if I try to look up "how to write an essay", I'll get all caught up in something and I'll get nowhere.

Like I said above, I can brainstorm/pre-write like crazy, the problem is that I end up saying things I didn't even mean to...and then fleshing out those ideas...and then realizing they don't fit into what I was originally trying to say.

I don't know how better to do this: I'm spinning my wheels. How do I write better?

By the way, I know the phrasing of this question sucks, but if I don't get it out there, I won't get it out there. I'll clarify anything in responses. I just need to start the process.

What is your favorite highlighter?

coolhappysteve — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 09:14:56 -0800

The best commonly-available highlighter? Highlighters have such a proclivity for crappiness; what's your favorite that I can pick up at the local stationer?

Also, how has this question never been asked - so many pen threads, no highlighter-love!

Should I rewrite my undergraduate thesis?

Anonymous — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 11:20:26 -0800

I studied philosophy in college. By my senior year I had decided that I wanted to pursue a career in academia. I had co-founded a conference. I was writing a thesis. I had intentions of applying to graduate schools. However, during my last semester I experienced a crisis of faith and delayed my thesis for six months, eventually earning a "C". I want to go back and do the job right, but I don't know how. The thesis was a disaster in part because I had not developed the necessary skills to conduct basic academic research independently. My college is exclusively seminar-based and most of the "research" I used in my papers was gleaned from my participation in class. Paper-writing for me was typically an intuitive affair wherein I would try to come up with complex interpretations of the materials provided in class rather than seek out new information from new sources. This approach gave me a false sense of security in my supposed ability to find connections between anything, conveniently ignoring the fact that all of the materials were connected by virtue of their inclusion in the course. Nonetheless I succeeded in my endeavors and held excellent academic standing until my last semester when I crashed on the thesis. Suddenly I wasnt being handed assignments anymore and I began to doubt the relevance and quality of my work. I fell into the rut of deleting chunks of text and rewriting everything until it became dense and esoteric. I was also reading hefty courseloads of Heidegger and Wittgenstein at the time and I precociously felt inclined to emulate their writing styles in combination, which further drove me into protective esotericism. I eventually abandoned my bibliography altogether, instead opting to rely upon the whimsy of my own thoughts as the basis of my research. My advisor was aloof throughout this catastrophe although in hindsight I probably should have been more insistent on demanding his time. When I finally handed in a stack of papers six months after the original due date it was clear that the project was a failure. I immediately moved from NYC to Providence and began an entirely unrelated creative project that is just now, one year later, beginning to wrap up.

Now I want to go back, write the thesis properly and start working towards graduate schools or at least to just write productively in any context, but I don't exactly trust my workflow management, research methods or organizational techniques. I also have less of an advisor than I did the first time. WHERE TO BEGIN?

What essays for freshman composition?

wheat — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 12:37:04 -0800

Pimp my freshman composition class: what essays would you put on the syllabus? The fall semester is rolling around again. Our college uses one of those custom published text books, for our first-semester freshman composition class. I've never been very happy with the selections (and the lack of support material). There are a few favorites which will surely make the list, but I'm interested in your opinions about other essays, classic and contemporary. The emphasis of the class is essay writing and using secondary sources. The reading focus is non-fiction. These are junior college kids, if that matters to you.

Here are some things I've used in the past and will probably use again: MLK, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail," Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant," Lars Eighner's "On Dumpster Diving," Joan Didion's "On Morality," and Olaudah Equiano's "Interesting Narrative."

Pieces dealing with political/ethical quandaries are okay, but I don't want to turn it into a political science class. I also would like to convey that political/ethical opinions come in lots of flavors--not just the polarized versions presented on the cable new shows.

I'm looking for software that will help me write my undergraduate thesis.

anjamu — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 16:14:07 -0800

I'm looking for software that will help me write my undergraduate thesis. I'm writing an undergraduate thesis consisting of a translation of a number of short stories. I'm currently in the preliminary stages, wherein I'm reading books of stories in order to determine which ones I'll eventually translate.

What I'm looking for is a piece of software that will allow me to jot down citations and tag fragments (for example, note the title of a story and then tag it with some themes) so that when I'm going back through to find possible themes, I can easily see which stories fit what.

TiddlyWiki doesn't quite suit my needs, and I've got a PC. Most of the software that I've found that fits this description is for Macs, so I'm out of luck so far.

Also, any other types of software useful for writing a thesis (citing, documenting, et cetera) would be welcome.

What should I use for a blog in my classroom, and why?

fionab — Wed, 31 Aug 2005 15:53:47 -0800

Blogging in the classroom. I've decided to set-up a blog for my students this semester. This will be the place for their response papers, writing exercises and a few other tidbits. It needs to have access for 5-10 members, a very easy set-up, free-to-near-free pricing (although I would pay or find the dollars to fund if it was warranted), and very clear posting/linking instructions for the students. Advice on selecting a blogging system needed. What should I use?
- Blogger has a free version, with "team blog" as an option, and it looks like a Microsoft Word plug-in or something. This looks pretty attractive. What is the downside of Blogger? Privacy? Ads? The searchbar? Support?

- Moveable Type has educational pricing at $40 for my needs, but is it rather difficult to install, customize, set-up, etc.? I don't know anything beyond very basic HTML; I'm pretty techno-savvy [as in, I can do lots of stuff on computers and other gadgets but no programming] so I could follow instructions, but as the semester has already started, I don't want to put oodles of time into this. Is there a way to have it ready-to-go for me instead?

- I use TypePad for my (currently neglected) blog, so I'm familiar with their process and keys, but don't see how it would work for our class right now. Could it? With 5+ members?

- What about Drupal?

- What else should I consider? I found this old thread, but I know that the last year-and-a-half has been busy in the blogging industry and educational blogging. What do I need to know about blogging with my class? Dangers? Advice? Good grades for all who respond!