I’m an MSW student in the Vancouver program. I recently returned to school to work on a master’s degree after a long break from my undergrad work. Prior to starting the program, I hadn’t done much writing except for my somewhat sarcastic, annual Christmas letters. I knew that graduate-level academic writing was far different. I was also unfamiliar with APA style. I was worried about my ability to write well enough for the program.
When I heard about the Writers’ Center from a fellow student, I decided to give it a try. The response and input for my first paper were incredibly helpful. The responder first noted what was working in my paper and then went on to walk through the areas she thought could be improved. She also helped guide me through the elements of APA style and referencing. I sent my final draft of this same paper through the Writer’s Center, and the same responder helped me fine tune it. I ended up getting an excellent grade on that paper, which helped boost my confidence in my ability to handle graduate-level work.
As I became more familiar with the Writers’ Center, I began to ask for input on specific parts of my papers. Each time I’ve worked with the responders, they have provided feedback that helped me to improve my writing. Most recently, I was tasked with my first twenty-page paper. The length requirement alone was intimidating, and I struggled to set the paper up in a coherent fashion. I had an appointment with the Writers’ Center a couple of weeks before it was due. As the appointment approached, I found I was not as far along as I’d hoped I would be.
I had intended to send in a fairly complete rough draft. I considered canceling the appointment, but at the last minute decided to send in what I had done and requested help with the structure and organization of the paper. The input I received for that paper, at such an early stage of the writing process, helped me to get the paper set up in a way that made sense. This, in turn, helped me to know what to focus on and what to do next. It helped me break the project down into smaller steps and made working towards completion easier. This was huge because it took something that felt entirely overwhelming and made it feel possible.
I am so grateful for all of the work the Writers’ Center has done for me. I am a far better and more confident writer for having taken advantage of their services. Thank you!