Currently viewing the tag: "writing"
Resolution: Be more productive!

Tool Roundup: Productivity Helpers for the New Year

By On January 11, 2012 · 5 Comments

A new year brings a renewed resolve to really get things done. As graduate students, finding strategies to improve productivity are worth their weight in gold. While there are countless mobile and web applications that can improve one’s workflow, I thought I would highlight a few here that have helped my workflow in my [...]

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The Daily Dozens – A Writing Exercise

By On January 9, 2012 · 1 Comment

Just before Christmas, I finished the second of a set of challenging comprehensive exams in my doctoral discipline of rhetoric and writing. For months, I had been studying the concept of rhetorical delivery, combing through countless journals and books, constantly stumbling upon things I’d missed, and walking (or writing?) in circles more times than [...]

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Image by flickr user evmaiden / Creative Commons licensed

First Day of Class Rituals

By On January 4, 2012 · 6 Comments

Because many of us are approaching a new semester, I’d like to reflect on “first day” rituals. As a section leader, instructor of record, or professor, how do you begin the first day of class, and why? This year, I’m the section leader and grader for an introductory American Studies course. Prior to this appointment, [...]

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Narrating Your Professional Life: Writing the Academic Bio

By On September 23, 2011 · 7 Comments

For our launch in June, I wrote a GradHacker post on Writing the Academic Conference Proposal. Since one commenter made the fantastic suggestion that we follow up with a post on writing an academic bio, I decided to do just that! This post is based on my limited experience writing and reading a variety [...]

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Distraction-Free Writing Tools

By On September 7, 2011 · 22 Comments

This post was written by former Gradhacker author Trent M Kays

I’ve seen the blinking cursor on my laptop screen awaiting my commands before. It taunts me, and there are times when I just can’t write. I’ve always found it a bit humorous, since my job is teaching writing, but even writing teachers can’t write [...]

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7 Ways to Survive a Lit Review

By On August 26, 2011 · 14 Comments

This summer I experienced a grad student rite of passage: crafting a review of literature.  The way was fraught and I had to overcome everything from an avalanche of articles (let’s just say my snowball method raged out of control) to  a complete inability to conceive of any kind of organization. I also developed fascinating [...]

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Summer Writing

By On July 4, 2011 · 3 Comments

It’s the summer, and you want to write?! Aren’t you asking a bit much of yourself? The summer is almost the only time of the year when graduate students don’t need to write. It’s okay. I understand. Writing is a tendency that most graduate students have in common, and I know I have a [...]

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Be Silly, Have Fun, and Write!

By On June 29, 2011 · 18 Comments

This post was written by former Gradhacker author Trent M Kays

I enjoy writing. I have always enjoyed writing, but this doesn’t mean my students always enjoy writing. Often when I enter the classroom, my goal is to make my students laugh and to make sure they have fun. My colleagues often joke that part [...]

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Journals

Keeping a Teaching Journal

By On June 15, 2011 · 13 Comments

One of the key elements of my pedagogical practice—and how I’ve gotten so darn good at my job—is my teaching journal. Keeping a teaching journal gives you a space to generate teaching ideas, work out pedagogical problems, reflect on your successes and struggles in the classroom, and put your past insights to work in [...]

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Writing the Academic Conference Proposal

By On June 1, 2011 · 19 Comments

With another conference season about coming to an end, I thought I’d write my first GradHacker post on writing the academic conference proposal. Presenting at conferences is a big part of graduate student professional development and has traditionally been a key place for professional networking, both formal and informal. Attending conferences is also great for getting a [...]

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