Category: Tips and Tricks

Tips for Those Final Papers

Posted on by Laura Denlinger

2701841Dr. Ryan Shirey has some great advice for those tackling final papers this week!

1) Write with and in response to any texts that you’re supposed to be using. Don’t wait to “add quotations later.” Your professors want to see you engaging meaningfully with the readings or data you’re using, so if you’re writing a whole essay and then sprinkling that material in later, your work is likely to suffer.

2) Take breaks. It’s tempting to try to do everything in one or two sittings, but building in short breaks can provide an incentive to keep writing and, more importantly, valuable time for your brain to recharge so that you can revisit your work with fresh eyes.

3) Don’t focus on the size of the task but on what you can do in each moment. There’s an old adage that goes: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” If you let the overall scope of the task overwhelm you, you can feel paralyzed. If you focus on writing a good sentence or paragraph, however, you can manage your writing process one step (or bite) at a time.

4) Leave yourself time to proofread and revise. It’s tempting to want to mop the sweat from your brow and close the file once you’ve finished a draft, but make sure that sense of relief doesn’t extend to never reading back over your work. Taking the time to read your work again, especially after a break, can mean the difference between a polished draft and one that is rife with avoidable mistakes. Better yet, take the time to read the essay aloud (either to yourself or a roommate) and imagine how your audience is hearing your words. If you find yourself struggling to catch the right emphasis or rhythm to make your meaning clear, you have a pretty good indication of which sentences might require some work.

5) Reward yourself! Give yourself some treats for each of these steps. If you can delay the gratification of playing that next game of Call of Duty or making that Subway run until you’ve reached a goal, you’ll have all the more reason to focus on the task at hand. If you have to get back to work, though, make sure you’ve set some limits on just how long that game or that meal should last…

and…

BONUS: Visit the Writing Center [the finals week schedule is now up on our website, If you aren’t finding an open spot on the schedule, make sure to sign up for the wait list by clicking on the clock icon next to your desired date.

#myzsr Guide to Finals Week: Finding Your Happy Place

Posted on by Laura Denlinger

kb_exams2-1024x851ZSR and the The Writing Center are teaming up to bring you the #myzsr Guide to Finals Week– a weekly series of valuable advice, tried-and-true strategies, and insider information to help you survive THRIVE during exam week! Week Two: Finding Your Happy Place.

You don’t have to be a New York City real estate mogul to understand the key concept in property valuation– it’s all about location, location, location! Just ask any seasoned WFU student about their study habits & they are likely to provide a list of reliable campus locations that provide the ideal setting for an effective study spot. Location is key. And not just any location, but one that matches the desired characteristics for a comfortable & efficient study space. If you are still searching for your perfect study space, check out our list of recommended spaces in ZSR, on WFU campus, & beyond!

ZSR Spaces:

For Absolute Silence

The 6th, 7th, & 8th Floors of ZSR are designated Quiet Zones
The 24 Hour Study Room (across from Starbucks)
The Basement floors on both Reynolds & Wilson wings
The Ammons Gallery / Red Room (Room 401)

Hidden Gems

The ZSR Special Collections Reading Room
Balcony Nooks on Wilson 4 & 6
Video Conferencing Room / ZSR Room 204: Located on the hallway that runs behind the Circulation Desk on Level 2 of the Reynolds wing (ask for directions at any service desk). The room seats 38 and provides access to ample power outlets.
Study carrels and tables on Wilson 6

For Group Study

Book a Study Room
Tables in the Atrium & on the 4th floor of the Reynolds Wing (GovDocs area)
Room 476 (Wilson 4)
Starbucks

Soon the Writing Center will be posting information on their Facebook page about how you can win study time in the Writing Center classroom during finals week. Like our page and check back soon!

Elsewhere on Campus:

Campus Grounds
Zick’s
Reynolda Hall
Benson study rooms & public areas
Tribble
Kirby & Manchester
Business Information Commons at Farrell Hall
North Campus Dining Hall
The Green Room in Reynolda
Subway

Venturing Beyond Campus:

Twin City Hive
Camino Bakery
Krankies
Ardmore Coffee
Panera

More Advice for Setting Up Your Study Space:  (for students, by students!)

“The most essential part is that if you’ve allocated a certain time to study, use it to study. That means do whatever it takes, but don’t end up on that same old social media haunt or trawling the internet instead of doing the work that needs to be done.”
– Matt Avara (’17)

“If you don’t have a space reserved it’s helpful to have a short list of spots in your head for when you are looking for a place to study in ZSR. Find some areas that are suitable for your type of studying (dead silence for some, a little activity for others). Most importantly in choosing a spot in ZSR is finding a place with outlets. The majority of areas around here have plenty, but there is nothing worse than working for an hour then having to move because your computer is about to die.”
– Evan Altizer (’17)

“After having worked in the Special Collections archives this past summer (6th floor of ZSR), I would recommend that students visit and take a look at some of the rare book collections/displays, as most people seem unaware that Special Collections even exists. The main room looks like a scene straight from Harry Potter, and students are welcome to study there when researchers aren’t using it!”
– Kristin Weisse (Graduate Student, English Department)

Share your expertise!
Let us know what you look for in your ideal study space, or provide a recommendation! Add your comments below, or share with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.
Don’t forget to add #myzsr!

Laptop or Longhand?

Posted on by Laura Denlinger

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We’ve recently come across a few articles that speak to the technology-age old question: pen and paper or computer?

Should I fill notebooks and binders with my handwritten notes? Or maybe I should click away on the keys during a lecture?

A recent study found that students remembered lectures better when they took notes by hand instead of on a computer. From their study, researchers concluded that

“Prior studies have primarily focused on students’ capacity for multitasking and distraction when using laptops. The present research suggests that even when laptops are used solely to take notes, they may still be impairing learning because their use results in shallower processing. In three studies, we found that students who took notes on laptops performed worse on conceptual questions than students who took notes longhand. We show that whereas taking more notes can be beneficial, laptop note takers’ tendency to transcribe lectures verbatim rather than processing information and reframing it in their own words is detrimental to learning.”

Continue reading “Laptop or Longhand?” →

Yoga At Work (and class)

Posted on by Laura Denlinger

1296551257135009We recently ran across a cool article in Fast Company that shares easy yoga techniques you can do to feel better at work (or class).

What do you think? Could you incorporate these mindful exercises into your study routine? You might see the Writing Center staff taking some writing yoga breaks soon!

Also,did you know that faculty at Wake Forrest (and elsewhere) are incorporating various mindfulness activities in their classrooms? Check it out here!

#myzsr Guide to Finals Week: 5 Research Hacks to Know

Posted on by Laura Denlinger

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ZSR and the The Writing Center are teaming up to bring you the #myzsr Guide to Finals Week– a weekly series of valuable advice, tried-and-true strategies, and insider information to help you survive THRIVE during exam week! Week One: 5 Research Hacks to Know.

5 Research Hacks to Know:

 

1) Get started with a Research Guide!

ZSR Librarians have created comprehensive online Research Guides to help you get started with any research assignment. We offer Research Guides in every academic discipline, and guides for research-related tools (such as our Citation guides and Zotero guide). The guides offer recommendations for relevant databases, journals, and other information resources– all librarian-approved. A great starting point for all assignments!

2) Database Search Tricks

Boolean Operators
Use AND, OR, NOT to combine your search terms, so the database understands what you are looking for. Using AND indicates that all words must be found in the results (ex. violence AND media AND children), using OR indicates that at least one of the terms provided must be found in the results (ex. sea OR ocean OR marine), and NOT excludes results containing a particular term (ex. bears NOT Grizzly).

Truncation
Use the root part of a word with an asterisk, which will provide search results that include all forms of the root word used (ex. chin* will retrieve China, Chinese . . . religio* will retrieve religion, religions, religious, etc.)

Phrase Searching
Use quotation marks around keyword phrases to indicate that these words be searched as a phrase, in the exact order you type them. Ex. “global warming” OR “stand your ground law” will provide results with both of these exact phrases.

3) Citation Aids

One word– Zotero.
This incredible Citation Manager is free, easy to use, and ZSR offers instruction on how to get started with this software.

Our search interfaces also provide citation assistance through various “cite” functions. You can cite search results from the homepage search by hovering over the item, and selecting “CITE” from the right column.

You can also cite items directly from their record in our catalog. From the item record, select the “* Cite this” option above the featured item. For more help with using these Citation Aids, please Ask ZSR.

**KEEP IN MIND**: With all automatic citation generators, you still need to check these citations to make sure that they conform to their appropriate style guidelines. They give you a starting point, but they may have errors.\

WANT TIPS 4 AND 5? Head over to the Library Gazette blog to read about using filters and the library’s drop-in sessions.

What to do When You Can’t Get an Appointment

Posted on by Laura Denlinger

So you have a paper that you really want to review with someone, but all of the Writing Center appointments are filled up. Now what?

– Get on the waitlist. WCOnline has a great waitlist feature that will actually text you when an appointment opens up. Click on the little clock button for that day and you’ll be able to sign up.

WC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Just walk in. While there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to see a tutor (or that you’ll have a full 50 minute session if you do), you can always stop by 426 and see if we have an opening (for example a student might not have shown up for his or her appointment or a session ended early).

– Definitely not getting an appointment? Ask your roommate to look over your paper. Sometimes a new set of eyes can help point out small errors. No roommate? Take a break from your paper, take a walk, get a snack, and then come back. Fresh eyes are helpful, too.

– Read your paper out loud. This is something our tutors often ask students to do because reading work out loud really works. It’s a great way to catch errors and to make sure the paper flows well.

– Stop by the ZSR reference desk. Student workers and librarians can help with citation and research questions.

– Have a question about a specific portion of your paper? Stop by your professor’s office hours and see if they can go through it with you.

Really, really want to meet with a Writing Center tutor before turning in your paper? Then the best thing to do is make those appointments well in advance. And a few appointments are best when working on larger assignments.

And in case you missed it, here’s a look back at the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday