Back to (Graduate) School?

Greetings again. I hope that all is going well for you.

For many of us, a new school year will begin soon. Here at Texas A&M University, the fall semester will begin August 30. A Chinese colleague said classes at her university also will begin then.

For some in the AuthorAID community, the start of the school year means entering graduate school—for example, a master’s degree program or a doctoral program. Congratulations to the new graduate students!

Graduate school is a great opportunity—but it requires some adjustments.

For example, graduate students typically must write more than they did as undergraduates. And the writing assignments tend to be longer and more difficult.

Adjusting to these facts can be hard, especially for new graduate students who didn’t write much as undergraduates or who have been out of school for many years.

Here are some suggestions to help new graduate students meet the demand for more and better writing:

• Start writing assignments early, to make sure there’s enough time.
• Revise writing—perhaps several times—before submitting it. Proofread thoroughly.
• When you read books or articles for your graduate courses, notice how they are written.
• Look in the AuthorAID Resource Library for items that can help with your writing. Also consider looking for previous AuthorAID blog posts that might help.
• If English isn’t your native language but you’ll be required to write in English, consider reviewing materials you used for language study.

I hope some of you will use these suggestions or share them with others.

Wishing you a very good week— Barbara