This Was a Terrible Idea!: Developing Your Research Topic

Before majoring in Communication Studies and working towards the goal of becoming a teacher, I wanted to be a photographer. When I started community college, I took all the photography courses available and dreamt of traveling to foreign countries in my pursuit of becoming a successful war photographer. During that same period, I can also remember having an interest in owning my own business. I knew I wanted the business to revolve around art and build a community centered around accessibility. One day, whilst walking my dog, I landed on an idea! What if I open an art gym?

The idea was wild! It would be a center built around various mediums of art with a photography studio/darkroom, painting studio, digital media center, a large kitchen with multiple appliances, or even a podcast studio. This would be an accessible center, where individuals pay a monthly subscription to utilize the space and its materials. I thought it was a winner; however, I figured it would not be possible to accomplish this goal until I was older.

A few years later, I was catching up on one of my favorite YouTubers: Casey Neistat. In his video “368 The First Episode” Neistat introduces his viewers to his new business idea he’s launching with fellow creators Dan Mace and Sam Sheffer. The central idea for the business is building a space for fellow creators to congregate and work on their creations. I was shaken to my very core! I love Neistat and his mind-blowing creative endeavors, but dude… that was my idea; I just hadn’t acted on it. This made me think, maybe ideas are like people. If you don’t give them the right amount of attention, care, or support they deserve, they’re more than likely going to seek it elsewhere.

During our time as graduate students, we are constantly on the search for new, relatable, or contemporary topics to write about. For some of us, especially during our first semester, we might gravitate towards the safer topic or maybe the one we feel is inherently familiar. Perhaps in the back of our mind, however, we’re holding onto another topic – one not as established and maybe a bit on the wild side. Should we let these traits stand in the way of our possibilities? Our fears might cause us to believe that maybe our ideas are not scholarly, serious, or ambitious enough – that these trivial thoughts are mere amusements we fidget with while walking our dogs. The truth is, it’s in these mundane thoughts that some of our most brilliant and exciting ideas unfold. The real question is whether you decide to act on them.

I recently watched a TedTalk titled “Let Curiosity Lead” where speaker Yara Shahidi talks to her audience about our unique curiosities and how she has allowed her own to freely guide her ambitions as an actor, producer, and scholar. Rather than regulate our curious minds, Yara compels us to take advantage of our many interests and let those catapult us towards whatever aspirations we may have in life. In her TedTalk, Yara states:“But also, I’d go as far as to say all of us juggle multiple interests, passions, and jobs. Yet there comes a moment on our paths where we’re expected to get serious, to find out one thing, stick to it. We’re told that our multiple areas of interest that we are equally drawn to are incompatible. And hit with that all-too-familiar, ‘Are you sure about that?’(3:50)”

For the longest time, I thought I wasn’t grounded enough as a scholar – that I wasn’t being consistent with my interests. During my B.A. my term papers jumped from analyzing the rhetorical function of colors in the TV series The Handmaid’s Tale, to studying personal and academic rapport between teachers and students. Even during my M.A., I studied various topics like parasocial relationships, female comedians of color, or courtroom perceptions and the ethics of defense attorneys. It wasn’t so much that I became bored with the topics I chose, rather I hold a plethora of interests and never want to tie myself down to one distinct area of focus. I began to feel a bit spontaneous compared to some of my other cohort members who were honing their specialties in media, cultural, or organizational studies. What was I going to do when it came time to start working on my thesis?

If someone asked me what I was doing for my thesis, would I like my answer? I have a hard enough time telling people what Communication Studies is, let alone informing people what I do in life. In past seminars, I’ve had the privilege of learning from scholars like Kimberlé Crenshaw or Sara Ahmed about the significance of intersectionality. Understanding not just through our race, gender, or sexuality but also through our other intersecting identities (such as what roles we play). This helped my come to the understanding that each of our intersecting identities are integral to the telling of our story and who we are at this moment in time. If we shouldn’t regulate our interests, perhaps we shouldn’t set strict parameters around what we say we do.

“I mean, think about how many times we ask each other the question ‘what do you do?’ Which is really a proxy in my mind for a much more pressing question, ‘who are you right now?’ Because what we do is only a fraction of who we are. And this culture of heralding expertise means that are curiosities are often mislabeled as distractions (4:24).”

So, when it came time for my thesis, I chose a topic that projected who I am right now: someone who’s currently interested in writing about media studies and who has a thirst to get back to her old roots in photography. When it comes to what we want to write about as scholars, at the end of the day we should choose something that matters to who we are now; something that will never exhaust you; something that you want others to know about and find impactful.

If you are struggling with your topic, brainstorm by making a list of possible ideas. Allow your curiosities to flow freely and remove any fears of topics you think are insufficient. Sometimes, while making your list, you’ll find patterns throughout. If it seems that one idea or focus is being repeated or stands out more than others, it might be beneficial to pursue it as a topic. Remember, however, research topics are in continual motion and are influenced by our on-going research. Don’t be afraid of how your topic may alter over time; instead embrace this natural step of your topic’s developmental process. Remember, this is not the finish line for your ideas or interests; save these ideas for later application because even when we graduate from this institution, our identity as scholars isn’t removed from who we are. Rather, it remains by our side as a part of our intersectionality.

By Simone Mingua-Lopstain

Academic Accountability

When my co-worker, Ronald, suggested I write a blog post about “academic accountability,” I immediately felt a tightness in my chest. The word accountability on its own usually evokes a shame response in me. As a perfectionist, I rarely believe I am holding myself to a standard that achieves anything close to my “academic potential.” Essentially, at the mention of “accountability,” I have flashbacks to all the ways in which I have failed at holding myself accountable. In this particular instance, at Ronald’s suggestion, the tightness in my chest coincided with images of incomplete essays, house projects, books, and missed appointments. I thought, “Who was I to write about academic accountability if I couldn’t even hold myself academically accountable this summer?”

Now, if you are like me, a perfectionist (or somewhere on the achievement-oriented spectrum), you probably like to think big. You probably make endless lists of far-fetched dreams and goals you hope to achieve. Additionally, there is a chance that you prepare tirelessly: overbooking your future self and assuming you can handle anything. In theory, these are useful skills and people have always complemented me for having this tendency. On the flipside though, after the initial dopamine high of making lists and dreaming big, you probably (like me) have abandoned those lists almost as quick as you made them. Then, as your various obligations to approach (appointments, meetings, etc.), instead of cancelling in a timely manner (admitting defeat), you may not show up.

Maybe you can relate; maybe you cannot. There are many iterations of these patterns. Either way, the end-result is usually a feeling of stress and shame.

Therefore, as a new academic year approaches, perhaps the best tool for academic accountability is to be kind to oneself. For me, I need to look at what I have accomplished and give myself some grace for what I haven’t. I should make an effort to question the validity of the internal narrative telling me I should not set goals anymore because I never achieve them. When I feel the need to make a list, I try to remind myself to pause and examine if there something deeper hidden beneath my desire to daydream about the future. Instead, maybe there is something I can achieve (right in that moment) that will help me accomplish the goal I have already set (instead of just adding more goals to the list of future accomplishments). In this pause, what I usually find is that I am feeling overwhelmed, hungry, or maybe I need to move or sleep. I may even realize that going to my already scheduled Graduate Writing Studio appointment (that I am dreading because I have convinced myself I am unprepared) will actually help me connect with others and see that the feeling of burnout is mutual/normal.

In reflection, I would argue that academic accountability comes down to being realistic and being realistic comes from being present with yourself: acknowledging your needs in the moment. It is important to remember that our lists and goals will change on a day-to-day basis and we don’t have to abandon them when we feel overwhelmed. So, if nothing else, try being kind to yourself and that may open the door for an honest assessment of where you are at and what you need. Remember, 2021 has been a tough year and we are in grad school! Each day that we acknowledge our purpose, show up, and make an effort to be present, we are one step closer to reaching a major milestone in our academic lives.

By: Rosie Bates

Summer Flow

We are heading into the summer and many of us are probably breathing a sigh of relief that we’ll get reprieve from homework and weekly discussion boards. We can focus on our hobbies, our research, spending time with our families, or just enjoying weekends without the dread of getting behind on assignments. With that being said, while summer presents a time to breathe, it is not a time to completely “peace-out” from our studies. Rather, I would argue that summer provides us with space to check back in with ourselves and our routines, create goals for the upcoming school year, and infuse enjoyment back into our scholarly pursuits (if it has been lost over the course of the semester)—remind ourselves of why we decided to pursue a graduate degree in the first place. For me, this final component is the most important one and, in many ways, reminds me of my feelings when I was performing optimally, or in other words: “in flow.”

You have probably heard about the concept of “flow” or what athletes describe as being “in the zone.” If you haven’t, this is a concept coined by positive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi to describe optimal experience. Flow is when the challenge of the task at hand meets our ability to complete that task; and therefore, flow is something we create, something we make happen. “It is what the sailor holding a tight course feels when the wind whips through her hair…It is what a painter feels when the colors on the canvas begin to set up a magnetic tension with each other, and a new thing, a living form, takes shape in front of the astonished creator” (3). As described by Csikszentmihalyi, your senses are heightened in this flow state. Time seems to drop away and tasks feel almost effortless. It is a fluid connection between body and mind; you are completely immersed in the activity at hand. So, even if you haven’t heard of this, or aren’t and athlete, you probably have experienced this feeling while driving, reading a book, or even writing a paper. There are thousands of opportunities that we face every day to challenge ourselves and to get into this state.

So, what does “flow,” or being “in the zone,” have to do with summers during graduate school? Well, for starters, “flow” is probably one of the reasons we decided to pursue a graduate degree in the first place: to immerse ourselves in something that is both challenging and rewarding. Of course, throughout the semester, we may lose sight of this as we get bogged down with the academic pursuits or our other responsibilities. So, while summers are an important time to breathe and relax, summers are also a time to reconnect to our love for the subject and practice our craft by researching, producing content for our thesis, talking to others in the field, or seeking out rewarding ways to challenge ourselves.

There are many resources on how to create conditions that support “flow.” Headspace, the meditation app (and now a Netflix series), has created a list of suggestions for how to lead your body into the “flow state.” I have adapted this list for graduate students. These are important conditions to consider when working to develop good habits over the summer in preparation for the upcoming semester:

1. Do something you love.
   1. Summer is the perfect time to reconnect with the parts of your subject that drew you to it in the first place. There is a chance at the end of the semester you aren’t thinking of what you are studying as something you love. That is normal, we are all tired, but there is probably an ember of that original flame still burning. For example, maybe you are getting a Master’s in Education Administration because you wanted to have a say in how students are supported in the transition from middle school to high school. Perhaps the rigors of the semester have caused you to briefly forget that original passion and intention—I can relate. In that way, breaks are good, and you should take a rest. However, it is important to build in time this summer where you can reconnect with that original passion and reignite the flame before the fall semester starts again. In this example then, maybe the task is dedicating a few hours each week to finding intriguing articles on the topic of middle school to high school transition and writing short summaries on what you have read.
2. Create a routine.
   1. As you begin preparing for the task you have chosen (maybe it is reading articles and writing summaries), create a routine that precedes the activity. Maybe that is going for a run, doing a quick meditation, listening to your favorite playlist, or making a healthy snack. Whatever it is, make sure it is something that indicates to your brain that you are about to sit down and make some magic.  
3. Choose your most important task.
   1. If your most important task is to read and write summaries, create the time to do just that. Remember, the task should be challenging and rewarding. If you find yourself unable to focus, maybe look for a different article that captures and demands your attention. Multitasking is the main thing that will impede your ability to initiate “flow.”
4. Identify your peak creative and productive times.
   1. This is where you can get curious about when you are best able to be creative and productive. For some, this is first thing in the morning after a strong cup of coffee. For others, this is late at night after the rest of the house is asleep. Play around with this and, once you find your time, set a hard boundary around that and get to work; this is your time to create.  
5. Eliminate distractions.
   1. Put away distractions (like your smart phone) and find a quiet space free from your family or roommates. We are all distracted by different things, so identify what those are for you and take some time away from them while you are focusing on this task.

If you are interested in learning more about “flow,” please check out Czikszentmihalyi’s book and read Headspace’s article:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/66354.Flow

https://www.headspace.com/articles/flow-state

By: Rosie Bates

Finish Strong: Tips and Tricks for the Last Week of Classes

Why is it that at the end of the semester, everything always ends up due on the same day? My to-do list is more of a novel than a post-it, and it can be difficult to manage some semblance of balance in the last few weeks of the semester. Here are some things to try if, like me, you’re a little busy at the moment. I’ll try to keep it quick.

Get organized.

• Itemized To-Do Lists: I’m working, graduating, taking a full course load, applying for jobs, AND moving—all in the month of May. To stay on top of each deadline, I make separate to-do lists for each of these big-ticket items, and list each smaller step under the larger ones. Put them up somewhere where you’ll see them, like above your work space. This way you can keep track of every step you’ve taken toward your goal, rather than having the entire project hanging over your head. (Sometimes, I’ll put something I’ve already done on there, because it feels good to cross it off!)
  1. Example: Finish Class
     1. Weekly blackboard posts
        1. For 4/28
        2. For 5/1
        3. For 5/10
     2. Final Paper due 5/15
        1. Research topic
        2. Prospectus due on Blackboard 5/1
        3. Draft for peer review due 5/10
           1. Group?
        4. Peer review comments due 5/12
           1. Notes from peer review:
              1. Revise transitions
              2. Consider adding research on background
           2. Check APA
              1. Make appointment with writing studio?
           3. Print
           4. Turn in: 5/15
              1. On Blackboard too?
           5. Return books to library

• Post-It Method: Write each task on a post-it note, and stick them up somewhere you’ll see them often. Once a task is complete, recycle the post-it note. This works well for people who would rather see their list get smaller as tasks are completed, rather than seeing lots of crossed off items.
• Bullet Journal Method: If you’d rather your to-do list be portable, try keeping it in a journal. The Bullet Journal Method allows you to track larger tasks and schedule each step. It’s great if you’re balancing multiple deadlines with limited time. Best of all, you don’t need to buy a new planner, you just need a notebook of some kind. For information on how to set yours up, visit the website here.
• “GTD Method”: David Allen, author of Getting Things Done: the Art of Stress Free Productivity, explains his method for time management and task completion on his website and in his TEDtalk. Allen’s five steps to GTD are: 1) Capture 2) Clarify 3) Organize 4) Reflect 5) Engage.
• Syllabus: Revisit your syllabus, and cross of all the tasks that you’ve completed to get a full view of what you’ve done, and what you still need to do.
• Tech: There are tons of apps and websites that can help you organize your tasks and manage your time (I’m partial to Evernote). You can use what you already have, with your school Gmail Update the calendar with all your due dates, set reminders, and create a to-do list that you can access from your phone or computer.

Don’t add on.

• Table some things for later: Make a list of the things on your list that can be put off until after the semester is over. Do you really need to plan your vacation this week? Does your dog absolutely have to go to the vet on Thursday, or can you reschedule? What about that dinner party? Get your responsibilities down to a minimum so that when you do have the time to do them, you’ll actually enjoy it.
• Block out distractions: I downloaded an extension (WasteNoTime) to limit my time on various time-sucking websites to 10 minutes a day (including email!). You can also delete apps from your phone so that you don’t waste time scrolling mindlessly.
• Set realistic expectations: Let family and friends know that your next few weeks will be busy, so that there are no hurt feelings or unrealistic expectations of your time.
• Optimize your time: As soon as I need to write a big paper, my junk drawer suddenly looks like a very necessary thing to organize. Getting out of the house helps to minimize this kind of “productive procrastination.” Stake out a study room in the library, a booth in your local coffee shop, or anywhere else where you won’t be tempted to distract yourself with other tasks. In the same vein, find the best time of day for you to get things done and maximize it.

Embrace it.

• Make stress your friend: Hey! You have things to do. Isn’t that exciting? Not everyone gets to do this. Own it, enjoy it, let it propel you forward. Kelly McGonigal’s “How To Make Stress Your Friend” and Daniel Levitin’s “How To Stay Calm When You Know You’ll Be Stressed” are two great TEDtalks that can help you do this.
• Get into it! At the Graduate Writing Studio we know that hardest part is getting started, and once you do, you usually flow through the assignment. If you haven’t picked on up on my writing style yet… surprise! Here’s a TEDtalk to prove my point.
• Set a reward: You’ve been working hard, so don’t forget to reward yourself. Setting a big reward for finishing a task helps me stay focused and inspires me to keep trying. It can be big, like a weekend trip, or small, like treating yourself to your favorite bad-but-so-good drink at that coffee place that always has a line around the block (I’m looking at you, DutchBros).

Good luck! And, as always, the Graduate Writing Studio is here all week to help.

By: Tricia Savelli

RIGOR: Thoughts and Comparisons Regarding the Initial Drafting Processes for Poetry and Academic Writing

Last month was National Poetry Month and, due to the prompting of a fellow employee, I found myself contemplating similarities between the early stages of drafting processes for essay and poem writing. I feel that it’s necessary to ​inform you that I am a poet; however, I am also a supervisor/consultant​ for the Graduate Writing Studio at Fresno State. It is my daily duty to help students with their writing and I am often engaged in the necessary discussion of how to get writers started on a project, any project.

​Sitting down to write a poem is a struggle. Most writers, of any genre, find themselves in this position and I speak to students on a daily basis regarding this dilemma. Often, I find myself boring our over-worked students with a brief anecdote intended to help them feel less alone—that I, too, have writing troubles. I make sure that they know that from the moment I sit down to write, I—like them—inevitably trip over several types of stumbling blocks: self-doubt, comparison (to my past work and other writers I admire), a vacancy of ideas, whether or not I should be folding laundry or washing dishes or taking out the trash instead, or I’m asking the big question: why is my writing important or necessary? These thoughts are problematic and should be avoided. This avoidance, though, is easier said than done.

As writers, we are all faced with the initial problem of getting started with that first draft. In Anne Lamott’s edifying essay Shitty First Drafts, she claims that “the first draft is the child’s draft, where you let it all pour out and let it romp all over the place, knowing that no one is going to see it and that you can shape it later” (22). I wholeheartedly agree; but how do we get to that place of play or freedom? The answer is not magical; there is no easy way to turn on the stream-of-consciousness-Kerouac-switch in our brains. The answer comes in the form of rigor, hard work, an unrelenting schedule, and draft after draft after draft until we have something that can be let loose into the intimidating world of scholarly works.

As poet Richard Hugo so eloquently states in his essay The Triggering Town, “The hard work on the first poem is responsible for the sudden ease of the second. If you just sit around waiting for the easy ones, nothing will come” (17). Hugo is not only revealing a disappointing truth about the illusion of inspiration, he is also letting us know that, if we spend our time waiting, nothing will get done. With that being said, a poet should begin writing whether or not there is something to write about. A student/essayist, similarly, should be taking notes while reading source material. These actions motivate the writer to begin thinking about the content of their first draft in a way that is almost subconscious. But, thinking about adding one’s poems to the world of the great poets or contemplating that jump into the bigger academic conversation can be intimidating.

Academia is scary. We read scholarly articles and studies and we may find ourselves shrinking away from that kind of writing. Perhaps we are thinking: “how in the world can I write this way?” This is a similar experience for the creative writer. A dedicated artist should always be engaged in the work of others, whether contemporary or classic. In addition, we poets are always thinking about the development of our individual voices. Students should also consider their own voice when composing an essay. Intellectual or unique language in one writer’s work will never be another writer’s way of speaking. Ben Lerner, author of The Hatred of Poetry, makes clear the problem of a poet aspiring to sound like another. He says, quite bluntly, “if poems are impenetrable, they are elitist” (77). This is important to keep in mind if one finds oneself attempting to emulate the apparent intellect of another author, no matter what we are writing. The truth is this: our own scholarly voice comes from our knowledge of our subject matter/material, along with the ability to construct a clear sentence, and nothing else. The statement “write what you know” has been a mantra for poets since it was first mentioned by Mark Twain. The same goes for any writer of any genre. First know your stuff and then, as Hugo would say, “get to work” (17).

That first “shitty draft” will never write itself. Create a rigorous schedule and make it a necessity to be productive during the hours of the day when your brain is most active. For me, this is early in the morning. For others, it may be late at night, in the middle of the day, or at the horse races. Then be sure to give yourself a goal. My goal, for instance, is to create one finished poem a week. This means that two or three poems (or multiple drafts of the same poem) may need to be written in order for me to end up with an acceptable result after seven days. If your essay requires fourteen sources, perhaps you can attempt to write seven summaries a week for two weeks. It is also extremely important to offer yourself a reward for each weekly accomplishment. Remember to be strict with yourself. Be responsible for your goals and your rewards.

Finally, write about something that is of interest to you. Your subject matter needs to have relevance to you on some level. Richard Hugo knew that the “trigger,” or motivation, for a poem should be one that lights that flame of inspiration for the writer. So pick a subject that is meaningful: “Your triggering subjects are those that ignite your need for words” (15). There is nothing worse than a poet who writes about something that doesn’t interest them or that they know very little about. For instance, I may want to write a poem about the Great Depression, but if I have no experiences or have not taken the time to gather research to support or add to my knowledge of the subject, I will inevitably fail in my attempt. Similarly, a student who writes an essay about something to which they are not attached will truly dread the process of gathering research and will write a lackluster piece.

All writers, at any level, should remember that we are in this together. Writing is difficult for everyone. ​There is no romance in the act of writing poems, nor is there a need for intellectual prowess in academic writing. We learn, as students of any subject, that we are responsible for our own contributions. Putting in the hard work, maintaining rigorous practices, finding the courage to resist our own insecurities, and maintaining productivity despite our fears and busy lives, are ways we can learn to have confidence in ourselves as scholars and as participants in a conversation that will always seem bigger than us.

by Ronald Dzerigian

Works Cited:

Hugo, Richard. “The Triggering Town.” The Triggering Town, W. W. Norton & Company, 1979​, pp. 15 – 17.

Lamott, Anne. “Shitty First Drafts.” Bird by Bird, Anchor Books/Doubleday, 1994​, p. 22.

Lerner, Ben. The Hatred of Poetry. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016, p. 77.

Self Care to Support Graduate Student Success

Yes, friends, we’re going to talk about “self-care.” This phrase gets thrown around a lot on social media, and, as my undergrad students tell me, is trending. Basically, it’s exactly what it sounds like; self-care means taking care of yourself. It encompasses any activities or practices that you can do for yourself to support your physical, mental and emotional health, like: listening to music, taking a nap, or taking time away from your responsibilities. See Guy Winch’s TED Talk on “Why we all need to practice emotional first aid” if you need more convincing. I’m sure you’re wondering why now, at the end of the semester, we’d be talking about this. But, at least for me, this is when everything becomes a little less bearable, and when I need a little extra help.

In previous posts on the GWS blog, consultants advised us to get enough sleep, eat a balanced diet, exercise, and socialize. And you may be thinking—okay, I’m doing the best I can in these areas already (and I’m not about to stop going to Taco Bell after my late night lab), so… what else? Here are some other self-care strategies to support your overall well-being as you complete your graduate work.

1) Change your point of view. 

Get away from your desk for an hour, a day, or a weekend. Take the 41 out to the mountains for a literal perspective change, or head to the water (the central coast, Shaver Lake, or the San Joaquin River are some local options). A walk through an orchard, the closest park, or even just five minutes around your block can help clear your head. Whatever is within your own means, availability, and ability—get out there. 

Some options include: The San Joaquin River Parkway, which offers nature walks and river tours, as well as monthly readings. For the ultimate change of perspective, visit our own Downing Planetarium, which costs $3 for students. Take a treewalk around the campus, which is an arboretum, using this map! Visit the Shinzen Friendship Gardens in Woodward Park, which costs $1 for students. Or, go underground at the Forestiere Underground Gardens ($15 with student ID). Drive along the Blossom Trail using this self-guided tour map. Or visit Yosemite via bus, which offers a student discount.

2) If you can’t get out, go inward. 

Okay, you just can’t go anywhere right now. Deadlines are around the corner, money is tight, and you can’t justify any more time away. Meditation is a great way to access the benefits of an escape without having to leave your desk. Guided meditations can be found online for free. Or, you can visit the Meditation and Prayer Rooms on campus, located in the Cross Cultural and Gender Center (Thomas Building 110A) and the Henry Madden Library (3^rd floor, old library side). In addition, the Health Center offers a free Meditation Group. Another place to meditate on campus is the Peace Garden, which can be found here.  If meditation isn’t your thing, free yoga and other fitness classes are offered weekly at the student recreation center.

3) When you can’t go out OR in: explore where you are. 

Socialization and community are important to our mental health and happiness (see this article if you’re doubtful). As graduate students, we often isolate ourselves in order to get work done. This may cause us to miss out on important opportunities to interact with others. Try to make room for something fun this week with friends, neighbors, or your family. The feeling of connecting with those around you has been linked to happiness, and I know anecdotally that this works for me, too.

Spring in Fresno is ripe with community events, like the upcoming international potluck, the Theater Department production, the Downtown Clovis Wine Walk, the 9066 Exhibition in the Henry Madden Library, LitHop in the Tower District, local farmers markets, a Fresno Filmworks screening in the historic Tower Theater, on-campus readings and concerts, and local block sales. Do something that makes you say, “Hey, I live in a place that other people also live, and we’re all doing cool/weird/interesting things and are a part of one community.” For other ideas, click here.

4) And finally, unplug. 

Take some time to yourself. Stuck on campus? Try a nap pod. If you’re home, consider cleaning up your space, listening to a podcast that has nothing to do with your discipline (I like this one, this one, and this one, and a few others that I probably shouldn’t list here), putting on your favorite record, or taking a bath. Protect your time in these last few weeks of the semester. Be cautious about taking on extra responsibilities, and practice saying this word with me: “No!”

 

Your friend in over-achievement and self-induced stress,

Tricia Savelli

Revision as a Strategy to Overcoming Impostor Syndrome

Impostor syndrome, also commonly called impostor phenomenon, is the feeling that despite your many successes, you don’t deserve the recognition you are receiving. It’s most common in minority populations and those who are trying something new (read: graduate students). Students struggling with impostor syndrome feel like they don’t belong in graduate school, they link their successes with luck rather than skill, and they experience heightened anxieties about being discovered as an “impostor” by their peers. This can make students less likely to be open with their peers, submit their work for publication, feel ownership over their achievements, take risks, and make connections, due to the fear of being “found out.”

As we start out the semester, I find that many of the students I consult deal with impostor syndrome in one way or another. Either they don’t feel like they belong in a particular class, in graduate school, or in academia in general. Writing can be a huge block that prevents people from acquiring academic discourse and entering into the academic conversation. Even (and, in my experience, most often) the brightest students struggle with articulating an idea in a coherent way. This barrier can increase feelings of being an impostor, causing frustration (why can’t I just do this), self-doubt (I don’t deserve to be here), procrastination (I’d rather not do this at all than try and fail), and anxiety about writing in front of a consultant (I don’t want to bring my work in to him/her, because then he/she will know that I don’t deserve to be here). Overcoming this in a 50-minute appointment is no easy feat, but it is necessary in order to be able to help the student.

I’ve found that establishing rapport, and creating a safe atmosphere early on, to be an important first step. Demonstrating vulnerability to a student who you feel exhibits signs of impostor syndrome gives the student the freedom to be vulnerable and open as well. This safe, personal connection can help bridge the divide, and encourages students to share their writing at any stage in the process.

Beyond simply being friendly and open, breaking down the misconception that good writing comes naturally is another way to address impostor syndrome. Reinforcing the idea that everyone in academia must revise extensively (barring a few annoyingly talented writers, but even they have had years of practice) levels the playing field. This strategy, commonly used in writing classrooms, comes from Anne Lamott’s Shitty First Drafts. Lamott argues that the best strategy to overcome writer’s block is to write with abandon. Maybe don’t “write drunk, edit sober,” as the advice commonly misattributed to Ernest Hemingway suggests, but certainly don’t be afraid to write ugly. Encourage students to write that long, clunky sentence, and then help them edit for clarity. Emphasizing the idea that writing is a process, which relies heavily on revision, takes the pressure off those first attempts at articulating an idea, and gives hope to students who feel like “bad writers.”

A revision activity that I like is to break up a paragraph line by line, so that each sentence is its own line. The visual space between each sentence makes it easier to revise, without the clutter of the overall paragraph. Have a conversation with the student about what each sentence is saying (summarize the ideas) and what it is doing (introduction, defining, transitioning, etc.). This helps to visualize the structure of the paragraph, and the student can move the sentences around to restructure the paragraph into a logical order. After that, the student can add transition phrases, introductions, and conclusions as needed, and can ensure that the sentence structures are varied. This can help students practice revision skills, build confidence, and break through writer’s block.

Revision Activity Example

Free Write:

Writing is a process which requires reading, critical thinking, writing, and revision. Nobody writes perfectly without revision. Every good writer must revise their work. Even the ugliest, longest, most redundant sentence can be revised to be clear, concise, and to the point. Sometimes students feel embarrassed to write this way in front of consultants, because they don’t feel like they belong in graduate school, or don’t feel comfortable making a mistake in front of their consultant. Consultants should emphasize revision to make students feel more comfortable about making mistakes, and to help them feel like they belong in graduate school and will be successful. 

Step One: Saying & Doing

1. Writing is a process which requires reading, critical thinking, writing, and revision.

            –defines writing process

2. Nobody writes perfectly without revision.

               -furthers argument

3. Every good writer must revise their work.

            -furthers argument

4. Even the ugliest, longest, most redundant sentence can be revised to be clear, concise, and to the point.

            –furthers argument

5. Sometimes students feel embarrassed to write this way in front of consultants, because they don’t feel like they belong in graduate school, or don’t feel comfortable making a mistake in front of their consultant.

            –a reason why students struggle with this

6. Consultants should emphasize revision to make students feel more comfortable about making mistakes, and to help them feel like they belong in graduate school and will be successful.

            –the reason this activity will help

Step Two: Restructure

5. Sometimes students feel embarrassed to write this way in front of consultants, because they don’t feel like they belong in graduate school, or don’t feel comfortable making a mistake in front of their consultant.

6. Consultants should emphasize revision to make students feel more comfortable about making mistakes, and to help them feel like they belong in graduate school and will be successful.

1. Writing is a process which requires reading, critical thinking, writing, and revision.

2. Nobody writes perfectly without revision.

3. Every good writer must revise their work.

4. Even the ugliest, longest, most redundant sentence can be revised to be clear, concise, and to the point.

Step Three: Revise  

5. Many graduate students feel like they don’t belong in graduate school, a phenomenon called impostor syndrome. This can contribute to a student’s fear of making a mistake in front of their consultant, a common problem early on in the semester.

6. & 1. To make students more comfortable with making mistakes, and to help them feel like they belong in graduate school with their peers, consultants should emphasize writing as a process which involves reading, critical thinking, writing, and revision.

2. & 3. Nobody writes perfectly without revision, and even the best writers must revise their work.

4. With revision, even the most redundant sentence can be revised to be to the point. Creating a welcoming environment which applauds risk-taking and mistakes helps students feel at home in graduate school, and will help them overcome writer’s block in a consultation.

Result: Polished Writing

               Many graduate students feel like they don’t belong in graduate school, a phenomenon called impostor syndrome. This can contribute to a student’s fear of making a mistake in front of their consultant, a common problem early on in the semester. To make students more comfortable with making mistakes, and to help them feel like they belong in graduate school with their peers, consultants should emphasize writing as a process which involves reading, critical thinking, writing, and revision. Nobody writes perfectly without revision, and even the best writers must revise their work. With revision, even the most redundant sentence can be revised to be to the point. Creating a welcoming environment which applauds risk-taking and mistakes helps students feel at home in graduate school, and will help them overcome writer’s block in a consultation.

Impostor syndrome can be a huge barrier to success in higher education. A student who doesn’t feel like they belong will be less likely to be open with their peers, make connections, submit their work for publication, or take risks, all of which are important aspects of succeeding in graduate school. Fortunately, consultants have the power to bridge that gap by providing tools for students to acquire academic discourse, enter the academic conversation, and feel like they have an ally and friend on campus who they can come to for help without judgement. This is just one example of using revision to overcome an obstacle. What are your favorite revision strategies? Have you encountered examples of impostor syndrome in your consultations? How did you work to help the student overcome it?

By: Tricia Savelli

Further Reading:

http://wrd.as.uky.edu/sites/default/files/1-Shitty%20First%20Drafts.pdf

http://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2013/11/fraud.aspx

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/26/your-money/learning-to-deal-with-the-impostor-syndrome.html?_r=0

Starting the Semester Strong as a Graduate Student

We all know the feeling of coming back to another semester of grad school. Intense lectures and seminars, long hours of studying and preparing for exams, meeting after meeting with professors and advisors, and of course hours upon hours of writing. Simply put, life as a graduate student can be extremely demanding and at times, very overwhelming. For the most part, no matter the program you may find yourself in, the truth is you will be required to do lots of writing and eventually write a thesis, dissertation, or project. As a second year graduate student, I would like to share several tips on how to start the semester off strong, successfully make it to finals week, and eventually graduation.

1. First, it’s important to begin with organization. Plan out your coursework and study times. Use Google calendar or an agenda to record your class times, work hours, meetings, and of course, study time. With all the responsibilities you have going on, it is crucial to be organized. This is also a way to avoid procrastination and falling behind in your coursework.

2. Once you have attended all your classes during the first week, you should figure out the writing assignments your courses require. Depending on your program, the writing assignments will differ. Some will keep you busier than others, so you want to know, at all times, what assignments are coming up and when they are due. Doing this will keep your time balanced so that you don’t find yourself working on two 10-page papers at the same time.

3. Visit your university’s graduate writing studio/center and make an appointment to see a writing consultant. No matter how confident you feel as a writer, you should be aware that it’s always good to have someone else look over your paper and give you feedback. Set up weekly or biweekly appointments for the entire semester. Furthermore, having appointments will help ensure you are writing on a weekly basis and, therefore, avoid procrastination.

4. Set aside “writing time” on various days during the week. Depending on how far you are in your program, and what assignments you are drafting, this time should be used to focus solely on the writing process. For example, if you are a second or third year student, this time should be used to work on your thesis and any preliminary research for your thesis or project.

5. Once you have set aside a time/day for writing, you should find a location where you will do your writing. Because some writing assignments can be more difficult than others, there will be times when you will need to force yourself to write. Book a study room, find a corner in the quiet area of the library, or pick your favorite Starbucks location. Ideally, you want to make sure your “writing time” is at the same time every week. This will help keep you motivated and accountable to yourself.

6. Form a study/writing group with other graduate students in your program. Working with a graduate writing consultant is an excellent way to receive feedback on your writing, but know that giving feedback is also an integral component of growing as a writer. Get together with two other peers (ideally the same ones) and meet as a group once a week, or once every two weeks, to share your writing. Since these students are in the same program as you, and are taking/or have previously taken the same instructors you’re taking, they’ll be able to provide you with tips on how to write an effective paper. Additionally, this will give you an opportunity to read what other students are working on while allowing you to offer them some constructive criticism. Research has demonstrated that one of the most effective ways for students to grow as writers, is through offering feedback to others.

7. Once a paper has been graded and returned to you, set up an appointment to meet with your professor to discuss your writing. No matter the score you received, in order to grow as a writer, you want to be sure you are constantly reflecting on your writing and finding ways to improve. Meet with your professor and discuss the things you need to improve as well as the areas in which you are doing well. Students need to be reminded of their strengths and weaknesses in order to grow as writers. If you are working on your thesis or dissertation, be sure to meet with your chair/advisor for this as well.

Keep in mind that apart from making sure you stay on top of your writing and other coursework, it is also important that you allow yourself some free time. You can (and should!) set aside a specific time during the week just for this. On your calendar write out “Free time” or you can use mine–“Relax and enjoy life”–and remind yourself that every Friday from 2-6 pm (or whatever day/time you choose), you will do just that. Giving yourself time to refresh is crucial to your success. It serves as a way to reward yourself for your hard work during the week, and motivate as well, by giving you something to look forward to.

By: Guadalupe Remigio Ortega

Plagiarism Ponderings

Plagiarism is a serious issue and has become more prevalent even at the graduate level. It is true – many students do not understand the multiple facets of plagiarism, and most are not intentionally copying the works of others. Access to internet sources has made it easy and convenient to copy and paste passages (short and long) from websites, peer-reviewed journals, and e-books. Many have employed this as a form of note-taking as they comb through their research. The problem is that as they copy/paste and write their own words, the two get intertwined. The student author may not remember what was copied, what has already been paraphrased, and what constitutes their own original thoughts.

It is important to educate our students on how to identify plagiarism, how to avoid it, and how to cite correctly. In fact, our librarians at California State University Fresno’s Henry Madden Library, offer workshops on “Avoiding Plagiarism” and our Grammar for Grad Students Series has also included a session on plagiarism.

While it is crucial for students to know how to avoid plagiarism, we also must equip them with strategies of how to incorporate information from sources into their own writing. They need to master the art of paraphrasing. We have seen many students who come into the Writing Studio poorly equipped with paraphrasing skills. They look at a paragraph and try to rearrange words or replace words in the hopes of making it their own. When this occurs, it is apparent that the student is engaging with words and not the overall topic itself. As they research literature related to a specific topic, they need to be gaining understanding of that topic based on what the experts in the literature are saying. They need to be able to understand the ideas embodied in the research and know how to cite appropriately. This requires much more than substituting a word here and there or re-ordering a sentence. If a student has taken the time to research and understand the topic, they will be able to communicate the issues embodied in the topic in their own words.

The progression of moving from reading and researching to creating the draft is crucial, and it is one reason we encourage students to come in and meet with a writing consultant early in the writing process. It is during the stages of brainstorming, research, outlining, and drafting where students are forced to articulate the information as they talk to the consultant. This gives them the opportunity to verbalize research themes and ideas and leads to a better understanding of the topic. In addition, it is at this time that paraphrasing skills can be developed with the guidance of a writing consultant.

I think that students need to be made aware of plagiarism. Consequences need to be in place when plagiarism occurs. I also think we need to continue to support students in their own writing processes, so they can confidently convey the research found in the literature while giving credit where credit is due.

Here are some helpful sites that provide more information, strategies, and exercises for paraphrasing and avoiding plagiarism:

http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/plagiarism/: this is a great article from UNC. It outlines common knowledge, paraphrasing, avoiding plagiarism, and strategies for taking organized notes.

Several universities have created Plagiarism Tutorials:

The University of Southern Mississippi http://www.lib.usm.edu/legacy/plag/plagiarismtutorial.php

Duke University: https://plagiarism.duke.edu/

Penn State: http://tlt.psu.edu/plagiarism/student-tutorial/

Simon Fraser University: http://www.lib.sfu.ca/help/academic-integrity/plagiarism-tutorial

The plagiarism-checking platform (Turnitin) also has some resources: http://turnitin.com/en_us/resources

By Debra Neufeld

An Abrupt Release of Responsibility: A Constructivist Approach for Graduate Writing Consultants

Q: At what point does a consultant step back and let the student take the reins?

A: At the moment they enter the session.

We, as writing consultants, are often expected by graduate students to be their editors. We cannot let ourselves fall into this trap. This will not help these students grow to be the writers they feel like they should be or help them accomplish their goal of completing a thesis, project, or dissertation. The primary issue being addressed here is that we may find ourselves so comfortable with our students that we can sometimes forget that they are the ones who are doing the writing. How do we avoid this predicament?

Perhaps the answer to this question can be summed up in one word—listen.

In my three years of experience as a Graduate Writing Consultant I have found that when I’ve been listening too much to my own voice, during a consultation, I know I must immediately stop talking. At this point, we, as consultants, need to stop and ask them how they would go about fixing the sentence, or paragraph, or entire first chapter. We are not the end-all-be-all and, on top of that, I’ve found that the students, with whom I’ve worked, often have a more interesting voice than my own. All writing consultants, and/or tutors, should stop themselves if they have talked longer than 10 seconds and ask questions that lead the students to their own conclusions, which will give them time to have their own moment of realization. I have found that these pauses are very important.

On a personal note, I was rarely given my own amount time to think and come up with my way of learning/retaining information. This was often the case as a high school student and especially as an undergrad. I didn’t figure out how to solve mathematical equations on my own until I took the CBEST test. I had a moment of realization during that seemingly unending time frame when I suddenly learned my way to solve math problems—by drawing. All students have subjects with which they struggle. When it comes to writing, I find myself comfortable. Yes, I may know how to construct a sentence, but how can I help a person who is uncomfortable with the written word become comfortable? They need a guide to help them find their way of writing.

One way of teaching a child to swim is to throw them into a body of water without telling them what to do. This may seem sudden and cruel, but the child has seen the water, has probably seen others swim, is probably being thrown in by a person with whom she/he is familiar, etc. The child, mid-air, is subconsciously evaluating the situation, and is searching their biological instincts to find a way to survive the experience. They also trust that, if they fail, they will be saved. Throw the student in, but be there to save them from drowning. Grammar, logical continuity, syntax, research, outlining, the drafting process, and other processes have been a part of every graduate student’s life at some point—this is their pool of water. They may not have the vocabulary to explain these things and they may not know how to explain the functions of language on the page—they may not know that they already know how to swim—but they have been exposed enough to paddle their way to safety.

Students often get caught up in sounding scholarly. When encountering this, try to ask them, “How would you write this sentence?” Often, after they have let go of that Jiminy Cricket on their shoulder who is telling them that they need to write to a scholarly audience, they dismantle the facade and rewrite the sentence in their own authoritative voice. These students haven’t quite learned that they have already become the scholars and they definitely do not trust themselves. How do we show them how to trust themselves? We ask them to explain the subject in their own words. We should listen, ask, and then listen again. They have the tools and a constructivist approach would assume that they would find their way. A consultant should say “there is the pool,” throw them, in and be the “life jacket” in case the student flounders. Nine times out of 10, the student will find their way toward a clear, scholarly, voice that belongs to them.

Ronald Dzerigian