The Write Stuff

A recent article on The Huffington Post discusses a growing concern in higher education: how should we teach writing? What should our students learn?

Love/Hate Relationships…with college

I caught this “13 Things Students Love to Hate About College” article on the excellent Professors’ Guide page on USNews.com. They pick up on several common complaints that students have in college and I thought I’d offer my two cents on a few that resonated the most with me. 3. My professor is unbelievably boring. What you can do: Drop the course and find another one with a better professor. Every college has its duds, but there’s no reason why you have to get stuck with one. Even if the professor is the only person teaching a required course, there are always possibilities of getting the adviser or the department chair to authorize a substitution for a requirement. Or just wait until the course is next offered, ideally with an instructor who at least makes a minimal effort to keep you awake. Okay, now this is a bit extreme…I didn’t [...]

Tackling the college admissions essay

So you’ve toured the campuses, taken the SATs, and filled out a mountain of paperwork. And yet…the dreaded personal statement/statement of purpose/epic essay remains. Whatever its name, the college admissions essay is crucial for an application to just about any school. Many times you can use (or at least tweak) the same one for several applications that have fairly basic prompts, while other schools might pose a more specific question. Whatever the case, a few basic rules of thumb may help smooth the writing process… 1) Be yourself It’s a cliché for a reason. Now is not the time to insert random polysyllabic words you just looked up or adopt the voice of your favorite author. The admissions essay is your chance to break away from the standardized test scores and tedious forms—be yourself, but take the opportunity to be your best self. Just strike a balance between striving for [...]