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The most important tool for academic success is writing. If you cannot disseminate your research, communicating clearly and concisely, you will never make it in academia.
When I began my grad school career, being able to write well to succeed was a foreign concept for me. I knew I would need to be organized, structured, and put forth my full effort to be successful as a grad student but I had not thought about how my writing would play a part in who I was as an academic. My first graduate class showed me I was wrong.
I am fortunate that my chair is a great writer and writing instructor. She actually helped start a graduate writing service on Texas A&M University’s campus called POWER writing (POWER- Promoting Outstanding Writing for Excellence in Research). With her guidance and support (along with a POWER writing course) I started my academic writing journey with a stronger foundation than most graduate students.
Taking what I have learned from both my chair and POWER, I have set out to assist other graduate students in improving their writing and overcoming the anxiety and procrastination that comes with writing and pubication. Part of this endeavor (made available through my work at Texas A&M’s Center for Teaching Excellence) includes a program I have named “The WRITE Thing to Do” with weekly writing sessions with graduate students, monthly writing groups for feedback, and online resources for review and guidance.
Through my work with graduate students, I have also been asked to speak to classes of graduate students to extend my reach and support for graduate student writing. It is an amazing opportunity as the POWER model that guides my graduate writing program is unlike the normal writing advice. It begins with establishing a strong writing habit, seeing yourself as a writer, and strategies for enhancing productivity. It is not a grammar lesson or a “ways to get around writing” resource.
I have begun to create a series of videos geared toward strategies for enhancing academic writing. No matter where you are in your academic path, if you want to find ways to enhance your writing, this program is for you.
The newest video (Establishing a Strong Writing Habit) is located here.
Stay tuned for more videos in the series. If you watch the video, leave me a comment and let me know what you think.
