The popular Academic Writing Workshop can help you:
- Improve your command of academic English,
- with a special focus on grammar and mechanics.
- Develop as an academic writer, with an emphasis on citation, argumentation, organization, and use of empirical evidence.
- Improve your persuasive skills, particularly in terms of persuasive writing.
- Improve your writing in the humanities and social sciences. sharpen your critical thinking skills.
- Use the experience you gain in the workshop to further your academic career.
During the academic writing workshop you will work closely with a faculty member from your graduate program or one from your undergraduate program. You will be given careful guidance as you develop your paper. The workshop is facilitated by two experienced consultants, one of them working as a member of the faculty at your school, and the other as a professor at another local university. The two of you will meet once or twice weekly for forty-five minutes, at times guided by the workshop leader. You will have the opportunity to discuss complex ideas through a series of dialogues with your advisor.
In the writing workshop you will also explore topics that you do not have enough information about. As you analyze the information you have read and discussed, you will be developing theories about your topic. As the concepts that you have developed are tested in this way, you will be developing more about the topic. You may ask your advisor questions about your research, paper, essay or topic; he or she will be happy to answer them. This will help you gain insight into how best to organize and present the information that you have studied.
At the end of the workshop, you will have the opportunity to present your work to your advisor. He or she will help you revise your paper for its best presentation. Your advisor will also give you feedback on your writing and help you choose a better topic for your next project. Your advisor will also be able to give you pointers on how to make your writing most impactful.
The benefits of the writing workshop
You gain new insight into how to structure your research and paper, how to select the right topic, the structures to use in presenting your research, and many other things. The ability to use your research and to present it effectively will serve you well throughout your academic career.
The workshop also allows you to make connections between the various elements of your paper. It will allow you to see how to take one concept and develop it into several different concepts, all of which will help you write and complete your paper.
If you have an assignment due soon, or if you need some additional help with a writing project, consider having a writing workshop with your advisor. This can help you get over some writing difficulties, especially if you find yourself struggling to develop proper concepts and presentation of your information. Your advisor will be able to provide support throughout the process and to help you stay on track and successful in your writing efforts.