Late Night Writers! The best time to be in the Writing Center

 

    One of the best times to be in the writing center at Coe College is the late night. For the past 2 years I have worked late night hours from 8 pm to midnight in the library. At this time I have seen many different types of writers come in. I have also seen some big changes due to Covid-19. Also what it feels like to be in the library for the long late night hours.

    One of the things that I love about the late night hours are the late night hours. staying up until 12 and 1 am is something that I have gotten used to in my short time as a college student. Think about it: who needs sleep when you have a paper due at midnight and it 10 o'clock. I don't even know where to start besides putting my name on the top. Those are the types of writer I like to see. The procrastinator who wants to put there brainstorming ideas into papers. Then we have those that just want there papers looked at. these types of writings come into the writing center all day. They can have rough drafts, faculty read drafts or just a few paragraphs put together. 

My favorite writers are the Night Owls. These writers like to stay up late and put there papers together. very rarely do you ever see them working in the day time. They like the night life because it is quiet and relaxing to them. But only after a certain time. I am what you would call a night owl. I can only work on anything after 9 pm at night and keep going strong until 3 am sometimes. How am I able to do it?

    Before Covid -19 in my first year working as a night owl we would get no more than 5 walk in during the times I would work during the week this was between 9pm and midnight. During this time the library still had a good number of people. the writing center itself had a good number of consultants working during that time and there where a lot of interesting conversations. This year was different. most of the time it was only me and the rest of time, there was at most 3 consultant in the room we still had good conversations. But the foot traffic was slow and I barely had over 10 consultations this whole year. 

One of my best moments this year, however, was one of my very last appointments where I helped a junior with her final paper for a medical thermology class. the next morning I got a thank you letter in an email. she told me that this was one of the first A's she had ever gotten on a paper in college. We had an hour long appointment the night before stating at 9 pm. It was great because it reminded me that I don't have this job to give me an excuse to stay up late, but to help people. 

Besides being an Night Owl, there is nothing else that I enjoy about being in writing center at night than helping those with there papers. Every year might be different with the hours and the people I see workers or clients but one thing will stay the same. Me walking into the writing center at 8 or 9 pm at night and not leaving until we close. 

Finding the Top 3 Places to Study at Coe College: I did it so you don’t have to!

Studying is already a grueling task for most students, so i’m here to make your life just a little bit easier.

Do you want to find a nice, quiet place to study? Maybe you’ve already found one but you’re looking to broaden your horizons. Or maybe you’re like me and you hate studying in the same drab, dull classrooms as everyone else.

I’m here to tell you that you’ve come to the right place! Today, we’re counting down the top three prettiest places to study at Coe College!

3. To Start Off Our List: The Intercultural Center

The Intercultural Center (IC) is hidden in the corner of lower Gage. This spot contains many places to study. If you prefer a couch, they’ve got four of those! Private study room? It’s here! Need to borrow a computer? There’s four ready at all times. Another plus is the kitchenette that’s both nicer and bigger than most residence halls. The printer here also saves you a trip to the library. Perhaps the most convenient thing about the IC is its proximity to the cafeteria, so you’ll never have to be away from your studying for too long!

IC Computers

2 ½. Honorable Mention: Coe Writing Center

I don’t think i’d be a proper writing consultant if I didn’t mention the Coe Writing Center (CWC) at least once in this post, but there’s a reason we’re always begging you to visit. Not only can we help with any part of your writing process, we’ll also provide you with candy and a warm drink as thanks! The CWC has one Mac computer and two PCs ready for you to use at all times and the couches are comfortable- even more so with a hot cup of chai in hand. The printer is also an added bonus! We do have a BYOM- Bring Your Own Mug- Policy for the time being, but that shouldn’t turn you away from visiting. In the cabinet, we have a large array of games and a beautiful glass chess set that we’re always eager to use. Our extensive collection of books on grammar also prove to be compelling and useful reads. Anyone is welcome in the CWC- let us help you with all your writing needs!

2. Almost At The Finish Line: Peterson Hall: Biology Floor

This one’s a little more well-known- but for good reason. The green walls really set a pleasant mood for studying and the plants make for good Instagram pictures. The whiteboards are great for brainstorming and there’s plenty of outlets so no one’s computer is going to die on them. If you’ve been studying for a little too long and need a break, there’s a comfortable couch only five feet away that’s perfect for power naps. The glass windows also provide some of the best views on campus and Starbucks™ is a short walk away.

Peterson Hall: Biology Floor

 

1. AND THE WINNER IS...: Struve Communication Center

This small building is hidden on the far corner of campus- you’ve probably walked right past it a few times. Inside Struve, there are a handful of classrooms and two computer labs. The printer and small lounge area with a microwave make it possible to spend the entire day at Struve. Almost no one except security (and Jane Nesmith) drops by this building, so it’s usually always quiet. My absolute favorite part about this spot is the amazing sunsets. Unfortunately, the classrooms have been locked 2 out of the 5 times i’ve visited, but if you can find an open room (or ask security to open one for you) or a spot on the couch, Struve is an excellent choice.

Struve Lounge Area

 

How will the COVID year at Coe have a long term effect on the writing center?

by Ryan Eddy

It has been a very strange year. As a freshman I can’t say I have had the greatest experience so far but I am hopeful that in the coming years everything will begin to normalize. One aspect that I look forward to normalizing will be shifts IN the writing center.

Non-Covid Year writing Center

As a Freshman in the writing center I had to do a research project on how much each class has utilized the writing center over their years at Coe. While this information was extremely informative and useful it really did not answer the question I really wanted to find out. 

How will the COVID year at Coe have a long term effect on the writing center? This question will really only be answered in the coming 4-5 years as we will have to look at the statistics for writing center conferences and the quality of those conferences.

With the writing center being primarily online this year, there were far fewer conferences than in years past and most of them occurred because many professors required more meetings presumably due to being online

2020-21 Writing Center

My class, the class of 2024 will be the most valuable data when reviewing how COVID has affected writing center participation as a whole. Will the students struggle more because of the shift to in person class and harder deadlines? Or will these students use the writing center less because they have had less exposure to it as freshman?

It will be really fascinating as to how this will play out. The incoming class of 2025 has been robbed of their Senior year of high school and missed out on some important experiences and development that would have been made in their final year of high school. When these incoming freshmen arrive will they need more help? Will they seek more guidance from tutors, writing centers, and speak out? Because they lack the development of years past.

 Just as the year 2020 arrived with no one having any clue as to how it would turn out, 2020 leaves us going into the next decade with very little knowledge of how it will have lasting effects. The writing center may have to increase marketing and reach out to new students to better educate them on the usefulness of its staff.

Working with faculty will be extra important in the future. Consultants may have to reach out to better communicate and advocate their jobs.

I have one ask of future consultants. When you begin your research projects in your spring Topics class, could a inquisitive consultant research the long term effects on the writing Center of COVID and the 2020-21 academic year? It will be important to see how the writing center is able to recover and Coe as a whole as well from a challenging and difficult year.

The effects of Covid won’t just be on the writing center; it’ll hit each and everyone of us for years to come ;)

Fun Things to do Over the Summer (or How to Interact with People After the Pandemic)

Well here we are, hopefully approaching the end of a very long pandemic. While it is exciting to finally not have to social distance and wear masks everywhere, this means that we actually have to meet strangers again.

If you are anything like me, you have spent the last year in a near comatose state, hiding from the light and responsibility and doing as few things as possible. Between online work, online class, and a lack of any social events, morale dropped like a rock and hobbies quickly were replaced by more vegetatvie activities.

Unfortunately this makes small talk...difficult, to say the least. People don’t like to hear about the longest I have gone without showering (writing from experience).

With summer on the horizon, it seems that we are given another chance to do some interesting things to boost our ability to interact with strangers and make new friends.

Those who are returning to school in the fall are going to see a lot of people you have never seen around campus before, and those who are not are going to have to meet new people in new places.

Why not use this summer as an opportunity to fill the gaping hole that seems to have swallowed the past year? Here are some fun things you can do this summer to prepare for conversations with strangers on and around campus.

1. Read a book

Whether fiction or nonfiction, prose or verse, reading is a great way to find new information and interesting ideas to share with others. Perhaps try reading something that you are not super familiar with to better connect with others who are more different from you.

Perhaps try reading a book on natural science so you can point out birds or plants to strangers and impress them with your large brain.

2. Watch T.V. shows or movies

Similarly to the point above, popular culture is an easy way to connect with others, and what screams popular culture more than popular movies or shows?

Many of these have interesting themes that can spark deeper and interesting conversations (after all, a stranger is only a stranger for so long), but it is also easy to geek out about fun scenes or characters.

3. Learn a new hobby

Doing things is cool, and people like people who do cool things. Try picking up a new hobby like knitting, sewing, smelting, lock picking, or apiculture.

The possibilities are endless! You may meet people who are interested in the same hobby, or you might meet people who have no idea what apiculture means. Either way you can nerd out about something you are passionate about and they get to do the same (assuming you give them the opportunity to nerd out as well).

4. Write!

What would a writing center blog be without some mention of writing? Writing is a great way to express yourself in ways that are difficult to do otherwise. Whether the work is creative or expository, writing is a good way to make ideas and feelings more concrete.

This makes it easier to talk with others about your ideas. It also makes you seem super cool. People will swoon at your poetic prowess. If you do any amount of writing, people immediately want to know about it. Writing is an excellent way to pass the time and to prepare conversation topics. Plus, you get to practice up for the coming school year!

With these ideas, you will be a pro at talking about the super interesting and cool things you can do with the strangers who don’t know they are your friends yet.

Happy summer Kohawks!

Write For Yourself

5 Reasons I Write For Myself

As writing consultants we are of course used to writing because of our jobs at the CWC here at Coe. In addition, most of us are also college students who are writing for multiple classes. However, even though I find myself writing everyday, I have noticed that I hardly have time to write for myself. By the time I have finished my assignments I almost never find the desire to write something solely for myself. 

Writing For Yourself, How is it Different?

Well, firstly, when I am writing for myself nothing about this process is stressful. I don’t have to keep in mind the audience, there is no grade that will be assigned, and there is no responsibility of needing to provide a fellow writer with good assistance, it’s just something for myself only. Writing is very important to me, it is something I love to do but it is also something I find to be a crucial part of myself. So, why should you write for yourself? 

1) Writing Reduces Stress.

Especially during the time of COVID where we find ourselves restricted from social contact, I know that my stress levels have been extra high because of these circumstances in addition to being a college student. Writing has always been my way to relieve stress if only to escape from the real world into the recesses of my mind and imagination or to bring my fears and anxieties out from the recesses of my mind into the real world to confront them and often realize they aren’t nearly as scary or as big as a deal as they had seemed in my head. I find that writing down things like this by hand are much more effective than simply typing them down in notes or the like. Maybe the reason for this is that it seems more tangible and real, not something out of my grasp. Something I like to do when I am feeling extremely stressed out is to write every fear and/or stressor on a little slip of paper and then I burn them. No one but me ever reads them and they are destroyed. Of course while at Coe this perhaps isn’t something easily done so please, don’t try anything dangerous.

2)Writing Gives an Me Escape

I think all of us can admit we have at least one time in our lives wished we were someone else or somewhere else. I find my life dreadfully boring sometimes or wish I had some talent, power or trait that I don’t. Writing is a way that allows me to channel these wishes by creating characters and worlds different to the ones that exist in my own life. I guess that I live vicariously through my characters by giving them the stories and adventures I would love to have in my own life .

3) I Feel a Sense of Obligation to Write.

This may sound silly but, seriously, there are so many characters in my head that are begging me to tell their story. New ideas pop into my head all of the time, a plot line, a new world, a conversation, a relationship etc. I feel that it would be a dreadful waste if I didn’t at least write them down to come back to later. 

4) My Head Would Probably Explode if I Didn’t

Okay, this might be an exaggeration but really I have so many ideas and thoughts in my head that I need some way to empty them and writing so happens to be that outlet. For some people, you may find that writing is a way to release a burden you have been carrying or emotions you don’t want to share with anyone.  

5) I Am a Writer

Writing has become part of my identity. Everyone in my family knows I am a writer, as do my friends. They ask me, “what have you been writing lately?” as often as they ask “How have you been, what’s new?” I don’t really need a better reason to write for myself other than the fact that I am a writer and I want to write.

So there, that’s five reasons why I write for myself. Why do you write?

NB: this blog post was created by Andrea Glandt.

Making Conferences Comfortable!

Whether you’re a first year consultant or an experienced one, we have all experienced those pesky pre-conference nerves. You know exactly what I’m talking about. That rush of adrenaline when you realize someone has scheduled a conference with you. Then the subsequent fear that you will completely forget how to speak when the time comes. 

This is normal, I tell myself after the fifth time of convincing myself I actually do

know how to write. And it absolutely is. That stress just means you genuinely care

about your client’s experience in the Writing Center, which is definitely a good

thing! But there is a way to combat those feelings of uncertainty, and it involves a

list of carefully organized steps. I call them…..

R O B M A G S 

Sorry, I tried to make it sound cooler but I couldn’t figure out how. On the bright

side, it does sound kind of literary! Rob mags? Almost like it's short for “robbing

magazines”? No? We can move on. 

Remember who you are

I know that sometimes it might seem odd to have the authority of a Writing Center consultant. 

You feel like you are supposed to be an expert in your field, and this can often be isolating for

consultants. But it’s important to remember that you are a peer! Though you have a title,

you are meant to connect and relate to your client. You are a student too, and you don’t

have to know or be a master at everything. With that in mind, smile and be confident! This

client trusts you and could potentially be a future friend. Who doesn’t like making new

friends? 

Open Body Language

When I’m nervous, I notice that I tend to shrink a little. Most of the time this is totally

involuntary (though sometimes I do it on purpose when I’m attempting to be invisible),

but it closes your body off to any interaction. Suddenly you look a bit more intimidating,

even though you might be the one feeling intimidated. To break out of that anxious

mindset, try open body language that says "I'm listening". Essentially, let the client

know you're listening (nodding, leaning forward). This could be as simple as 

maintaining eye contact or trying not to cross your arms. You’ll feel your body relax

naturally, and your client will feel more comfortable too. 

Be an active listener

It’s easy to feel distracted when you’re experiencing worry. You feel tense and the only

thing you can think about is when it’ll all be over. While it can be helpful to visualize

the end of a stressful situation, this can backfire in a Writing Center conference. If you’re

only thinking about getting through the consultation without embarrassing yourself or as

quickly as possible, you may not be hearing what your client is telling you. The best way

to fight this? Treat your client like they’re the most important person in the room. 

You probably already feel like they are, but if you remind yourself of this you’ll be more

likely to hear everything. And when you’re actively listening, you’ll remember that you’re

helping someone perform to the best of their ability. Knowing that you’re being useful can

definitely alleviate some of the stress!

 

Make a joke

Now I know what you’re thinking. Why would you make random jokes during a Writing

Center conference? Well let me explain myself. Everyone (and I mean everyone) likes a

good joke. They break the ice and can tell you a lot about a person. A dad joke? That

person is probably fun to be around and doesn’t take themselves too seriously. A dark joke?

That person is mysterious and potentially in need of a hug. A knock knock joke? That person

might require an actual sense of humor, but I’m sure they’re good at heart! Either way, 

jokes make people feel relaxed and can instantly lighten the mood. You don't have to tell

random ones, they can also be related to your day. Nobody expects you to be a perfect

comedian, they just want to know that you are comfortable showing your sense of

humor. If they don’t laugh, it’s okay. Just try again! The worst thing they can really do

is reply with a knock knock joke.

Ask About Them

We all have bad days. You were late to a class, you have a ton of work, you found out your

friend secretly hates milk chocolate, etc. It can be particularly stressful during this time of

the year, when everything is winding down and the workload is increasing. But when a client

seems to be having a bad day, make sure you check in on them before you start the conference. 

You could also sing a sad song just to turn it around (I’m sorry). But the point I’m trying to

make is that the same principle can be applied to a Writing Center conference. If you and 

your client feel stressed, try turning that nervous energy into positive energy. Ask your

client about their day! Are they tired? Were their classes hard? What was the most interesting

part of their day? When do they think flunk day will be? Asking someone else about 

themselves can make them feel heard. You’ll learn something about your client and make

them feel at ease. Basically, it’s a win-win. 

Get them involved

I’m sure that we’re all aware of how important it is to engage your client in a Writing Center

conference. Nobody wants to feel talked over or dismissed, so it’s imperative that you

make sure your client is speaking up and feels comfortable enough to do so. Have them 

read certain sections of their work, or ask them what they feel the least confident about.

Sometimes it’s also helpful to validate their concerns. If they’re telling you that they feel their

introduction is a bit disjointed, make it clear that you understand their issues. In general, let

them know that this is about them and their work. They can tell you whatever is worrying 

them about their writing, and you will be there to help. These can be good ways to encourage

them to lead the conference in the direction they want to go, and to create a more comfortable 

environment for both of you.

Slow and steady

One of the easiest ways to tell that you’re nervous is if you suddenly begin talking faster than

the speed of light. Your brain and your mouth are not entirely synced, and you find yourself

overcompensating just a little bit. Don’t worry, it happens! I once asked someone how their

day was twice because my brain was just telling me to keep speaking. But in order to stop

this from happening in a conference, remind yourself to slow down. Your client will not

judge you or even notice that you’re functioning a little slower than is usual for you.

The more measured you are, however, the less stressed and anxious you will feel about the

conference as a whole. You’ll have the time to focus and process what’s being said, as well

as appear more confident than you might feel. Remember, slow and steady wins the race. 

And there you have it, my almost foolproof way to relax and have a comfortable conference. 

Also, I’m taking suggestions for good knock knock jokes….