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KCEW’s First Event

First Success

This past Wednesday, November 16, 2022, the Writing Center held our first event! It was a very interesting test and we want to than those who showed up. There are plenty of things to note that should be adjusted for future reference and we have taken them into account.

If you have any ideas of events you would like to see hosted by the Writing Center please let us know. We would be more than happy to receive suggestions.

Review

At the event we had several people show-up. Some of them wanted to just join us in doing some homework, while others had some genuine questions about writing. Both were welcomed. We shared laughs together and joked around, what else is a group of students to do?

There was an iced coffee bar, Hope Cookies, assorted cookies and some delicious pretzels. All were supplied by Hope College’s catering and we were so pleased to begin setting up and finding that they had already set up the food.

We also had some Lofi music playing in the background that created a very peaceful environment to complete assignments in.

Looking Ahead

We do really hope to keep getting good turnouts for our future events. While we are not sure what those events will be we can promise you have some to look forward to. There won’t be anymore events this semester, but some for next semester are already in the works. Keep an eye on the screens and tac-boards in the buildings for different events to look forward to.

A last note; in the last blog post the Instagram tag is incorrect as we have recently changed it for easier access;

@klooster-center

Please do reach out with any questions! Have a great Thanksgiving!

Welcome, Amanda Presswood to the Klooster Center for Excellence in Writing

This fall, the Writing Center will have a new writing center coordinator! Meet Amanda Presswood.

Amanda Presswood
https://www.brandeis.edu/writing-program/people/faculty-instructors.html

Amanda and Writing Centers

Amanda is thrilled to be getting back into writing center work. Currently, she teaches at Brandeis University in Massachusetts and will make the move to Michigan this summer. She is excited to meet many new students. She is also excited to be welcomed into her new home – the Hope College community.

From a young age, Amanda always wanted to be a teacher. She had a haphazard way of getting there, but she got to her end goal. As an undergraduate, she jumped around majors for the first half of her academic career until she began working at her own school’s writing center. It was love at first write! (See what I did there?) She was sold when she found she could turn writing center work into a career.

Amanda will be teaching ENGL 113 alongside directing the Klooster Center. She says she prefers to teach introductory English courses as they bring in a plethora of students with all types of backgrounds. Working alongside students has always been a passion of hers. She believes that tutoring strategies are the best resource possible for students. Valuing student voices is also something important to Amanda, and she looks forward to working alongside the student leadership team at the Writing Center to make it a next-level collaborative experience for everyone.

Community is something that the Writing Center has been working on this year, and with Amanda on the team, it is only going to continue to transform into the best it can be.

Life Outside Writing Centers

Outside of work, you can find Amanda chilling with Boo, her fluffy white cat, and Brownie, her chocolate lab. Also, in true English teacher fashion, she loves to read. It doesn’t matter what kind of genre, she will read it. Amanda prefers fiction and biographies. The lives of others interest her. Recently she has been bitten by the Colleen Hoover bug. She just finished It Ends With Us and plans to read Verity next.

Please join us in welcoming Amanda Presswood to Hope College!

Reigning in the New Semester

Another semester over and another one beginning. Some of you are excited for the new semester and some of you are nervous. Both of those feelings are valid. Below are some tips for starting off a new semester on the right foot.

Find your study space

A place with limited distractions and noise levels. This could be your dorm room, place of living, or the library on campus. If you aren’t entirely sure what kind of environment is best for you to learn in there are a lot of assessments on the internet that can help you. The one that I used to determine what kind of learner I am to better my studying experience is “What’s Your Learning Style? 20 Questions”.

It can help you understand how you process information and how to find the best environment for completing homework or other tasks. If you learn visually you might not want to study where there is a lot of movement around.

Train your Brain

The more you train the more you gain. If you train your brain continuously, like any other muscle in your body, it will become stronger and more flexible. Interval studying can help you train, and take care of, your brain. Taking frequent breaks can help prevent burnout which is something that occurs quite often in college students.

The Pomodoro Technique is very popular in terms of interval studying where you break down your tasks into 25 minutes of continuous work with 5 minute breaks. Only 5 minute breaks, not; “well, I’m too invested in this Tik Tok, or the meme my friend just sent me to stop now, I’ll get back to studying in a little bit”. I’ve done that before and ended up on my phone for 30 minutes.

Another way to help train your brain if you don’t want to plot out your study time would be to complete mental puzzles and games. Tackle some crosswords or puzzles. Those can easily be found online with a variety of difficulty levels.

Organization

Be organized from the very beginning; write down your assignments, deadlines, and important dates in one place. You can write it by hand in a planner or use a Google Calendar. I prefer the Google Calendar because I can’t misplace it. It doesn’t matter which you pick as long as it works for you.

Block off your class times in your calendar. This ensures that you are less likely to forget about it or overbook yourself. Even if you are in a self-paced class block off times to get the work done to keep from falling behind. Write down as much as you can in advance. Even though dates and assignments are given on the syllabus they are always open to change, so keep your calendar updated. If you are struggling in a class then it could be helpful to mark down your professor’s office hours as well.

Resources

Hope has a ton of resources to help you as well! If you are coming back from break a little nervous there are many programs here to help you. From starting and finishing a paper, doing research, or organizing your life. Most student tutor organizations at Hope will eagerly meet with you in-person, or online if necessary

Another strong resource that is offered to Hope is the Academic Success Center. The Academic Success Center at Hope College focuses on supplying students with resources that they can use to become more confident, reduce anxiety and worries, achieve goals, and more.

For any additional help there is DAR: Disability and Accessibility Resources. They assist students and help educate faculty about disabilities. They believe that every student should be able to get where they want to go and have access to all the same experiences.

Connecting and Getting Help

If you don’t understand something, your classmates are most likely in the same place. Everyone is starting a new semester with new classes, not just you. Utilize study groups whenever possible, discuss with your professor about helping your organize a study group within the class. Even just getting to know your peers and spending time with them can develop relationships where you hold each other accountable. Ask questions when they arise, don’t wait until the last minute.

Set goals and ask friends, coworkers, and family to offer support and help hold you accountable. Celebrate your successes with them. You don’t have to do this alone. If you could use some help, ask for it, most people are going to be very willing to assist you along your journey.

The Balancing Act

I have always struggled with balancing life, work, and school, but it is very important to maintaining your sanity while trying to get the full “college experience”.

Explain to those in your life, from friends to family and to employers that while you begin the new semester you will have responsibilities so that everyone understand that you will be dividing your time instead of fully committing all of it all the time. Explaining this early on will allow you some wiggle room if things that turns you weren’t planning on.

Determine what in your life will come first and what can wait.

Among all of this, make sure you are making time for yourself to workout or do something that benefits your health. Ask a loved one or some friends to join you if you are looking for some social time. One hour of physical activity can be rejuvenating and help you take in more information then if you were to cram it all in without taking care of yourself.

Take care of yourself. Plan ahead. Find your learning style. And most importantly, breathe, you got this.

Wrapping Up; tips for finishing the semester

Hooray!

Congratulations! You are officially in the last weeks of the Fall semester! This semester has had it’s ups and downs for everyone. Yet, be proud of yourself, you’ve made it this far, only one “week” left to go.

As we come up on the end of the semester and dream about going home and eating good homemade foods, I know there are some of us who are worried about finals. Yikes. But don’t fret, I have collected some tips from your peers that they have found useful in the studying/writing process.

Separating Documents

One thing that students have found helpful is to create a document separate from the paper where they can copy the prompt, brainstorm ideas, do research, write a thesis and outline the paper. This allows you to have everything in one place and organized before writing the actual essay so that you don’t feel like you are starting from scratch.

Looking at a blank document can be terrifying, where do you even start? By creating a separate document to track your ideas you ensure that you never lose your ideas and can organize them to flow before even placing them onto the final essay.

Color Coordinating

This one has helped me personally; color coding my notes. I use this to separate ideas, help me remember things and categorize. It may seem like a lot of work but once you get into it, it’s actually kind of fun. You can pick your colors and assign different colors to mean different things.

Or, if you are more persistent and ambitious, rewrite your notes using color coordination. But, what if you have a ton of notes from class and don’t need all of them? Use highlighters to follow a study guide, if one is given, and mark the notes you need to memorize. Then, open up to a new piece of paper and rewrite what you need to know. Organizing these new notes by color can be very helpful as our brains tend to remember associations better when there is color.

Pace Yourself

Finally, the one that is often deemed most important; pace yourself. Don’t cram everything all at once in just a few hours. Space out your time and be sure to include breaks. These breaks do not include sitting on your phone for hours before “remembering” you have work to do. These breaks are productive, go for a walk, make some food, talk to friends, try and distract yourself.

A couple suggestions from some peers on how they manage their time; work from 9 am – 5 pm with 3 scheduled, hour-long breaks. Stop after 5, no matter what, to keep from overwhelming yourself. Or; do 20 minutes of intense work sectioned by a 5 minute break and repeat this until your work is over. Make sure your 5 minute breaks don’t progress into hour long ones.

Final Notes

Coming up on finals can be very stressful and worrisome for some students and that is okay. Just make sure to keep your mental health in mind and take care of yourself. Eat good food, take breaks and breathe. You got this.

As always, the Klooster Writing Center will be there for all your writing needs. As students ourselves we are in the same boat, you aren’t alone and can get all the support you need.

This is the last blog post of the semester so I will see you all next semester! Have a great Christmas Break and stay safe!

Welcome to Your Local Writing Center

We are over halfway through this semester! Hooray! That tends to mean a lot of upcoming final projects are being announced and essays are being assigned. I know that I have recently been given two essays to write and a final presentation to plan. The struggle is becoming real. But, no need to fear! Your fellow peers at the Klooster Writing Center are here to help with any kind of essay you are assigned. From Lab Reports to Application Letters, the Writing Tutors are trained to walk with you through what you might already have written or through the outlining process.

Do you have an essay you need to write in Chicago Style Formatting? The Writing Center can help! A Personal Reflection, research paper, response essay, or argumentative essay? That’s what we are here for! 

From stubborn Thesis Statements to overlooked grammatical errors, the Writing Tutors have been taught to catch the littlest complications and walk you through ways to fix or accomplish your goals for any paper. We understand that no two people write the same and that everyone is unique. The Writing Center is a judgment free environment that strives to make you feel comfortable and accepted. Candy is on each desk that you are more than welcome to help yourself to during appointments. You can also meet our mascot Ollie the Schefflera, an Australian umbrella tree. He provides us with the beautiful clean air we breathe in our little section of the Library.

Things to Look Forward To:

We are happy to announce that we are working on setting up Workshops where students can come learn all kinds of writing tips and be given pieces of advice. From different format styles to what a comma splice is, we are cooking up ideas of topics that will be discussed. Keep an eye out for more information on these Workshops as the Writing Center finalizes the details to get these “Gatherings of Community Learning” settled.

Upcoming Events:

We have one workshop that is currently planned; on Wednesday, November 16 from 6-9pm there is going to be a writing workshop in the Granberg Room on the 2nd Floor of Van Wylen Library. Come and go as you please! There will be engaging discussions about writing and time for pieces of writing that you may have to be read over by one of the Writing Students working the event! There will be amazing food; cookies, pretzels and an iced coffee bar! Everyone is invited and the Writing Center is looking forward to hosting their very first event for the student body.

Question? Comments? Concerns?

If you have any questions regarding the Writing Center; what we do, who we are, etc. or if you are simply curious, please reach out! Comment on this post, go to the Klooster Writing Center’s instagram page, or shoot an email over to the front desk! We would be more than happy to help!

Email: kc@hope.edu.

Instagram: hopewritingcenter

Klooster Center Open for the Fall Semester

As of Tuesday, September 6, the Klooster Center for Excellence in Writing will be open for the fall semester. We’re looking forward to working with Hope College students on all of their writing at any stage in the writing process.

Our regular hours this semester will be Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Sundays we will also be open from 10:00 a.m. to 10 p.m.

This semester we’re also excited for several new Klooster Center updates!

First, the center has a fresh, new look so please come check us out in Van Wylen Library.

Also this semester, the Klooster Center will begin using a brand new platform for scheduling appointments called WC Online. This new system will make it easy for students to choose times that work for them and tutors with experience that matches their needs. This new system will also allow us to develop an archive of our interactions with students. We’ll know what they worked on each time they visit so that we can better help them develop their knowledge and skill as writers over time.

Find our new scheduling system at hope.mywconline.com. All students will have to register one time on the site to create a new account.

Once students are registered, they will be able to click on any of the white spaces that signify open appointment slots. If they choose to, they can also scroll through the focus options on the top of the page and find appointment slots with specific writing focuses. Once students select an appointment slot, they can choose to schedule either a 30-minute or 50-minute appointment.

From there, students complete the rest of the form, attach a file (if they have one to share) and they’re done! Their writing tutor will have access to the student’s information and will meet them at the appointment time.

This new system will also make it easy for us to communicate with faculty about the student’s work in the center.

Remember that the Klooster Center tutors can help with any student writing at any stage in the writing process—from analyzing assignments to final editing.

The Dreaded Group Project

Written By Writing Assistant and Student Director (Spring 2019), Irene Gerrish 

A common complaint I hear from fellow students, colleagues, and even myself, is that our classes don’t teach us how to do things that are really, really crucial to survival in adulthood. Filing taxes, understanding how mortgages work, and being financially responsible all play integral roles in our adult lives; but understanding each of these is absent from much of our educational experiences. Instead, we learn and memorize rules and proofs in geometry, specific steps of biology lab reports, and the most efficient ways to cram for exams overnight.

    Something required in many college seminars, however, that proves to be very useful into adulthood, is the completion of a group paper. Now, I know what you’re thinking—“How can group papers be of any use to me in the future? They’re miserable, unnecessarily stressful, and I’m more comfortable writing one on my own.” Many of us at the Klooster Center understand and agree with you (we really do). But the challenges implicit in constructing a successful group paper mimic those familiar to those in a collaborative work environment. In any mix of students or coworkers, you’re sure to face stark differences in writing strategies and preferences, research methods, and abilities. For this reason, group papers can certainly be one of the harder college assignments, but certainly, one of the more informative ones. Here are a couple of tips to keep you and your peers on track as you navigate the murky waters of group work.

  1. Delegate, delegate, delegate. While it’s tempting to want to take on either all of the work or leave it to be completed by the group’s most competent writers, you are all receiving grades for the same assignment. If your tendency is to try and take on all of the work, divide up the portions of the project and ask your group members which sections they’d be most comfortable with. If your tendency is to let others initiate, make your group members aware of your willingness to tackle things that need to be done. Please know that many professors require peer evaluations to be completed by each group member, and your performance, good and bad, will be noticed by your colleagues!
  2. Be smart about task division. Choosing how to divide up tasks can be difficult. Try to rely on the strengths of your group members; strong writers might be more comfortable with editing the final product, whereas strong researchers might appreciate collecting information instead. If you each choose to write sections of the paper, try to have someone look over the rough draft so the voice of your project is (relatively) consistent throughout, which brings me to my next point.
  3. Come to the Klooster Center! We are more than willing to assist you with your group papers. All members of the group project are welcome during any one appointment, and we have chocolate!
  4. If all else fails, communicate with your professor. If the working dynamics of your group are frustrating and/or fostering a negative environment, let your professors know. They are aware that conflict is a natural part of forcing students to collaborate, and are also equipped help you resolve any rising tensions.

Ultimately, group papers can be a positive collaborative learning opportunity—if everyone is willing to make it work. Overcoming differences and striving towards a common goal are situations we will continually be in throughout our professional, academic, and personal lives, and group papers can be wonderful introductions to this process. Best of luck, and write on!

Mountaintop Reading and Writing

Written by Writing Assistant and Fellow, Will Lake

Last semester I had the pleasure of living and learning in the beautiful state of Oregon. Through a program sponsored in part by Hope, The Oregon Extension, I was able to travel to a secluded mountain top ex-logging town where we lived in cabins, turned in our phones, and read. The goal of the program is to “get out of the mainstream” but, in doing so, you accomplish so much more. We were offered chickens, goats, wood-burning stoves for heat, and a community of professors and students for intimate learning. The program offered seclusion, to be sure; we lived about an hour from civilization, on top of a mountain, in the middle of federally protected wilderness. On account of the seclusion, we lived distraction-free. Without phones, WiFi, or electronics, we looked around and saw nothing but mountains, trees, and books. Books, books, and more books.

    On average, we probably read between about 600-800 pages of text every week (when we weren’t out backpacking or on a trip). Over a 16 week period, this adds up. I was ashamed to say that, before going out to Oregon as a senior in college, I had almost never picked up, started, and finished a book, cover-to-cover, in my entire life. Why would I? I mean, with Facebook, Instagram, and Netflix, my free-time schedule is pretty booked up. My academic schedule (professors: cover your ears) is about getting things done. When it comes to reading, there comes a difference between “reading” an assigned book, and “ reading the first chapter, skimming, then looking at summaries, then reading the last chapter a month later before the test”. I must say, I am ashamed, looking back, of my poor reading history. It wasn’t till Oregon, when I had nothing else to do but read, that I discovered the joys, benefits, and realities of reading.

    Reading is like working out – the more you do it, the easier it becomes. The more you read, the faster you read, the more you comprehend, the less it strains you. If this analogy holds, in Oregon, I became an Olympian, of sorts. The other thing about reading whole books, versus summaries, quick articles, etc, is that you begin to feel an intimacy with the book – a kinship. It is said that there exists a spiritual relation between human and dog; the same can be said about human and book. They become your friends, whom you understand on a deeper level. You have seen all their inner workings and mysteries. You have toiled over them, you have laughed with them, cried on their pages. And then, when you’re finished with them, they stand proudly upon your shelf, perhaps for years, waiting for that sweet, precious moment when you return to them to reminisce, and to have a chat with your long-lost friend. Other than being your friend, there is one indirect consequence of reading: your writing drastically improves. When I arrived in Oregon, I could write. By the time I left Oregon, 12,000 pages later, I thought in quotes. I wrote in terms of language, style, and ideas that I had collected from thousands of pages of text. It happened sub-consciously, but the effects were more than evident. I realized that my whole life was connecting to what was going on in the texts, and I was able to process it far better in terms of text then I ever have been before. I was writing effortlessly, with my gears lubed; I had fresh ideas constantly on my mind and thousands of examples of argumentation, proper structure, and fascinating style. I spent hundreds of hours in the intellectual gym, and it had paid off. My writing biceps were bigger than ever before.

    Now I am home, and I write now and then, and I read less and less. I edit and write papers, and yet, I feel my biceps thinning. I’m realizing that there is no substitute for the real thing – for reading. As for me, it’s time to get back to the gym. Maybe I’ll start with some Hemingway for calisthenics, then perhaps move into Socrates for my power-lifting. As long as pages are turning, there are myriad ways that I am growing.

Hey wordy writers! Have you heard of A.P.?

Written by Writing Assistant Becca Stanton 

It’s hard enough to write a college-level paper with so many citation styles and formatting rules to keep track of, but living in a world full of social media can throw another banana peel under the writer’s foot. I’ve had to learn that the hard way. I’m an English major, but I’ve recently started taking Communication classes, and the writing required of a Communication student is a whole different ball game. There’s a writing style that is specific to the world of journalism and online media, called “A.P.” style, or Associated Press. The bones of it are the same as most other writing styles, but there are certain things to keep in mind.

    The A.P. style paper isn’t argumentative. It doesn’t necessarily have a thesis, but instead has a lede. The lede follows the headline of the article to draw a reader’s attention into the content. The headline is like a paper’s title, but very matter-of-fact and to the point. A.P. articles are usually news-related, so it would be typical to see an article titled something like, “Woman saves cat from tree branch.” Doesn’t sound very creative, right? Journalism is all about reporting the facts. The lede acts like a thesis in that it encapsulates the main point of the written piece, but it doesn’t present something to be analyzed or challenged. It presents a fact that the journalist has decided represents the feature story the best.

    Now, why does this kind of writing matter to a college student? From my perspective, I think that it can be useful to not only know how to analyze work, but to inform people when the need arises. I can see myself having to come up with a report or even an article of some kind at a future job, so having some knowledge of A.P. style under my belt is reassuring. Another reason to be aware of it is to understand press releases. There are times when companies send out press releases about their new products or events, which generally have promotional information. They have to be factual and detailed, but also short and sweet. There also has to be a contact person for the organization listed. In the Communication classes that I have taken, I have learned that it pays to be wary of press releases. An organization always tries to frame their product or event in the best light while presenting things factually, so it is important to look at journalists’ work reporting on press releases to get unbiased and cross-referenced information. Practicing this observation can be helpful for college students who are trying to budget and who are trying to land a job anywhere. Being able to work with a marketing team to give people honest and attractive descriptions of what your company is doing is a great skill.

    One of the most important things that I have learned as a writer about A.P. style journalism is the power of being concise. Most journal articles are between three hundred to five hundred words, and all of the really important information is crammed in at the top. This can throw people off, because it is a lot different than the buildup of thesis-driven essays. The A.P. article almost launches the conclusion at you first. I have always struggled with verbosity and wanting to explain things in great detail, so looking at writing from this approach has helped me to think about how to start with the basics and then expand where there is a need and where there is room. Based on the length of this blog post, you can see I’m still working on it!

Being a writing assistant, I’ve seen a lot of different writing styles that work for a lot of different fields of work, but I recommend that you check out A.P. if you don’t have a career choice in mind yet. It’s a great backup for wherever your dreams and talents might take you.

Here’s how working at the Writing Center has prepared me for a Career in Healthcare

Written by Writing Assistant Rebekah R. 

When I was first nominated to work at the writing center during the summer before my Sophomore year at Hope, I was interested in the opportunity to get paid to help my fellow students with their writing. I was excited to have an on-campus job that I would enjoy, but I didn’t really understand how it would connect with my future career goals. At the time, I was considering a career in the medical field. After I told this to one of my fellow Writing Assistants (WAs) on the second day of our August training, she asked me a question that puzzled me: how do you think that working at the Writing Center will tie in with your future career?

In that moment, I had no idea how to answer her question. I told her that I didn’t think that working at the Writing Center would have any connection to my career goals, but I was excited to have the job and explore writing as one of my interests. I assumed that if I were looking for a career in writing, editing, or journalism, like some of the other WAs were, that the job would actually prepare me for my career. On the other hand, since I was interested in science and health care, working as a WA would have little to no impact on my future. At this time, I didn’t realize that the job would allow me to improve or gain skills beyond writing and editing.  

About a year later, I decided that the medical career that I wanted to pursue was physical therapy (PT). The first time that I job shadowed a physical therapist, I was surprised. Much of the work that she did looked a lot like what I do at the Writing Center. I began to see how I could have answered the question that the former WA posed the year before. Here are three ways that working as a WA will help me be a better physical therapist in the future.

1. Teaching –
Other than their role as medical professionals, PTs act as educators. During appointments they teach their patients stretches and exercises for alleviating their pain and/or other symptoms. They teach patients how to perform these exercises at home and how to continue them throughout their lives in order to maintain improvements. Similarly, as a WA, I work with students to teach them how to become better writers, not only for the paper that they are working on in the session, but for all of their future writing endeavors.

2. Sensitivity –
PTs are professionals who must be sensitive to the personal issues that their patients face. Many patients come to the clinic with chronic and/or debilitating pain. Others face frustration with their injuries or are hopeless, feeling that they will never improve. In the same way, many students bring their papers to the Writing Center having put enormous amounts of time and effort into them. Some feel that they are terrible writers, and no matter how hard they try, their writing will never improve. As a WA, I have to be sensitive to the work that my fellow students have already put into their papers before they meet with me. Like PTs, I am constantly looking for encouraging ways to guide those I help in improving their weaknesses and maximizing their strengths.

3. Intercultural Understanding –
As a future PT, one of my goals is to be able to use my Spanish skills to work with Hispanic populations, but even PTs who don’t seek out these opportunities find themselves in situations where cultural competence is key. As a WA, some of my most memorable appointments were working with students for whom English is a second language. Right from the start of the appointment they would often ask me to please check for their grammar mistakes, but typically, the majority of my feedback actually had to do with their writing style. In order to direct the students towards the direct and concise U.S. English writing style that their professors would expect, I had to have a good grasp of how writing style in other languages and countries differs from the one that I grew up knowing.

All things considered, I am excited to graduate and move on to a career that I will enjoy at least as much as I have enjoyed working as a WA. Sometimes I wonder how I ended up deciding to pursue PT and I think about how I slowly fell in love with helping other students improve their writing. Maybe, while experiencing how satisfying it is to teach others and help them achieve their goals as a WA, I realized that this was the type of thing that I wanted to continue doing for the rest of my life.