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12B - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, March 31, 2005
Stdiu "V
Tutor gives advice for writing papers
By C. C. Song
Daily Arts Writer
Coffee, Red Bull, all-nighters ...
What do these things have in com-
mon? They are all associated with a
project that bothers students - the
final paper. In an effort to do sal-
vage their grade in a course, stu-
dents always strive for their best on
this assignment and hope that it will
assist them in getting a better grade
on their final transcript.
But that grade does not come with-
out effort. Students have heard the
warning from professors, lecturers
and GSIs about not starting a paper
the night before its due. date. Still,
many refuse to listen and often run
into difficulties getting started.
If troubles arise when brainstorm-
ing, there is a place on campus where
can always go help - the Sweet-
land Writing Center, located inside
Angell Hall.
The tutors and peer tutors are very
willing to help students think of top-
ics that they would be interested in
"Sometimes students
won't discover the
real thesis they
want until they're
halfway through
the paper.
- Ben Taylor
LSA sophomore and
peer tutor at the Sweet-
land Writing Center
writing about.
"The most daunting thing about
writing is the thesis," said LSA
sophomore Ben Taylor, a peer tutor
at the Sweetland Writing Center.
His advice for students is to try
to write an organized paper and not
think too much about the thesis at
first.
SHUBRA OHRI/Daily
LSA junior Katie Lorenz tutors LSA freshman Adam Lax at the Sweetland Writing Center during the peer mentor
session. The Center is located in G219 Angell Hall.
"Sometimes students won't dis-
cover the real thesis they want until
they're halfway through the paper,
or even when they are almost done
with the paper," he said.
Taylor also suggested that students
could go back and change the thesis
a little bit to fit the paper instead of
altering the whole paper to match
the thesis.
Students are advised to write
about something they feel passionate
about, so they shouldn't let one sen-
tence distract them from that topic.
Students who start the paper at
the last minute are advised to sit
down and take a deep breath. This is
where an outline can be essential to
a paper, even though many students
are not in the habit of making one.
According to Taylor, a good paper
has good organization. but when
students are under pressure, they
often start throwing words into
their papers. Taylor advises people
to relax, jot down the main points
you want your paper to have and try
to outline what you want the para-
graphs to look like. It's important
to remain calm and think clearly to
write a paper, Taylor said.
Additionally, when writing the
paper, be comfortable - but not too
comfortable. Play some music that
will allow concentration and relax-
ation at the same time. Do some
stretches to let the blood flow better.
If caffeine is needed to stay awake,
be careful not to over-consume.
The staff at the Sweetland Writing
Center recommends that students
always plan the paper before typing
it on the computers
The number of pages needed
to write might seem daunting, but
it will be a lot easier to tackle the
paper with a plan.
Most importantly, remembering
that there are people available to help
- be it friends, professors or tutors
at the Sweetland Writing Center
- is always beneficial. If students
aren't afraid to ask for assistance,
they can more easily write a paper
they can be proud of.
I
WEEKEND
MAGAZINE.
WE'VE GOT
THE 'WRITE'
STUFF, BABY.
SHUBRA OHRI/Daily
-- LSA junior Will Bornstein types a paper for his political science class in
Angell Hall yesterday.
AM ".
______ iiiuu
Ask
II
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r
wow
Dear Career Counselor,
I know that intemships are the all-
important gig these days, but I plan
to be in Blissfleld, MI forthe summer
for family reasons. ALL the
intemships listed on Mploymentlink
and general. job boards
(monster.com, wetfeet.com,
intemshipsusa.com) only list things
in big cities.
-Dissed in Blissfield
Dear Dissed,
Network by telling family, friends, old
teachers, etc. that you are looking
for work this summer. Next, find
organizations in Blissfield and
neighboring towns that may need
your help over the summer.Think
broadly - if you are looking for an
internship to build on your business/
office skills, consider doctor or dental
offices where you learn managerial
and professional skills. Have your
resume ready, contact employers by
phone and visit them to create the
perfect fit! The Career Center can
help you construct a plan.
Dear Career Counselor,
I'm a junior who plans to attend
graduate school. I'm told I need
recommendations from my
professors for my application. All
my classes so far have been taught
by GSIs. How can lget letters from
professors when I don't know any?
-Frantic to find Faculty
Dear Frantic,
The most compelling references are
provided by people who know you
best; and can speak highly of your
abilities, motivation and suitability for
graduate school. You still have time
to take upper level classes or
independent study from professors.
GSIs who know you well and can
address your fitness for graduate
school, are able to write strong
letters of recommendation. An
alternative solution that many
students use is to have GSI letters
co-signed by professors for
additional credibility. To open a
reference letter file at The Career
Center, go to http://
careercenter umich.edu/students/
refletter/index.html.
E-mail your career question to
"Ask the Career Counselor" at
careercenter@umich.edu
Mh Career Cetr
www~c ew eraMs d
32** *74-6-76
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Hanoi Jane
On Nov. 21, 1970 Jane Fonda,
"Hanoi Jane" to Vietnam vets,
told a University of Michigan
audience of. 2,000 students,
"If you understood what
communism was, you would
hope, you would pray on your
knees that we would some day
become communist."
Gary Lillie & Assoc.,Realtors
www.garylillie.com
==m
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