Happy April! I can’t believe it’s already April, especially with this bipolar weather we’ve been having lately. With the end of classes approaching, stress of finals and final projects is increasing. On top of that I have my personal statement that I need to write for graduate school. Although it technically isn’t due until I apply, the health department wants us to turn them in to the health advisor at Hope by mid-April, so that’s somewhat overwhelming as well.
Since things seem to be piling up on me, I thought I would take advantage of some of Hope’s services just to relieve some pressure. Therefore, I made an appointment through the Center for Writing and Research. All I did was go online and say when I want to have an appointment, who my professor is and what kind of paper I will be coming in with so they know what to expect. Therefore, these proofreaders are available for all types of writing: personal statements, English papers, Economic or Physiology reports, etc. I was always intimidated using this resource because I never knew how it worked and flat-out did not like people reading my writing. However, I’m totally fine with you all reading my blogs…ironic, right?
Anyway, today I had my appointment and it was actually really helpful. I got there and sat down with one of the readers and I explained to him what I was trying to convey in my personal statement and what field I’m going into. After that, he read my paper for a few minutes and simply discussed it with me. It was really nice having another pair of eyes going over what I said because he helped me clarify a few points that were vague before. Not only was my grammar corrected, but he was able to make me think on a larger scale and organize my thoughts in a clearer manner. He gave a few suggestions and was certain to point out the good areas in my paper and how I should capitalize on them to make it stronger overall. I truly believe that a good reader should comment on both the positives and negatives so you have constructive criticism but also a confidence boost. We’re all human and it’s always nice to have good things said about ourselves or what we have done.
All I can say is that it was a positive experience and anyone who needs that extra help should really look into it. I’m a junior and this was my first time going and I wish I would have had my papers for other classes proofread before, so take advantage of this opportunity. It’s FREE!
Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @hopeleslie15.