Workshops
Orientation Workshop
This presentation summarizes our available services and the hours associated with each service. Please note that students who would like feedback on their written work need to plan in advance (2-3 academic days) or visit us during walk-in hours. Students who would like to use self-guided software are welcome anytime the room is not reserved for instructional use. Throughout the semester there may be additional opportunities available to students such as thematic workshops; these workshops are available for download on our website if students’ schedules do not allow them to attend.
Tutoring hours are updated each semester based on the availability of our tutors. Because tutoring is done by NOVA students and we want them to perform well on their own exams, we end tutoring services for the semester prior to exam week.
Honing Thesis Statements
This workshop will help students understand what a thesis statement is, where it should be located, and how it functions within the broader context of an academic essay. You will see examples of theses that need improvement and examples of the suggested revisions for those flawed statements. We recommend this workshop for students whose thesis statements need improvement or for students whose papers need more direction or a higher- stakes level of argumentation from the outset.
Writing Interesting, Grammatically Correct Sentences
This workshop reviews the four different sentence structures, provides examples for each, and describes the punctuation associated with each. This workshop is recommended for students who have trouble with comma splices, run-on sentences, or fragments. It is also recommended for students who would like to learn the grammar associated with each sentence form so that their language is less stilted.
Writing in-class Essays
Do you get nervous when you have to write in-class essays? This workshop will provide you with specific strategies that you can use to “imitate” the conditions of an in-class essay experience or examination before the actual examination period. In addition providing specific checklists and timetables, the workshop is designed to demonstrate what not to do when answering detailed questions on the fly.
Voice and Authority in College Writing
Voice and Authority in College Writing: This workshop is designed to support students taking English 111 or 111.009 at NOVA. In addition to providing a review of the terms logos, pathos, and ethos, the resource highlights common pitfalls of student writing. The final slides offer advice for students who want to improve the authenticity of their voices.
Writing College Essays and Personal Statements
From this workshop students will learn what admissions representatives have said about the difference between successful and unsuccessful college essays. This resource includes tips for brainstorming a topic if one is not provided for you, writing and editing strategies, and advice for students who want to consider using the same essay for multiple schools.
Writing Annotated Bibliographies
This workshop walks students through the process of writing annotated bibliographies, which is a common step in the research paper process. Sample annotations in MLA and APA format are included.