There are many resources at our disposal that can aid in our professional growth. As we approach the end of the semester, many of us are likely starting to utilize these resources. However, these resources are available all year long, which means we should be maximizing their use. For my fellow graduate students, I want to make you aware of resources that can help you in various writing tasks common in graduate school and remind you of other resources that can be used all year long. These valuable resources can be used to help you move your writing forward by getting feedback or discussing a writing assignment, article for publication, thesis, or dissertation.

Often, all we need is someone new to discuss our writing with. The University Writing Center (UWC) is probably one of the most used resources besides the library. This valuable resource provides students with 45-minute writing consultations to improve writing and acquire the techniques necessary to improve a paper. These sessions accommodate students' needs by providing feedback through various mediums: face-to-face (in-person), synchronous (in real-time), or asynchronous (delayed).

The Writing Center consultants have supported me in various ways, like introducing writing techniques or advice on organization, which has led to discussions and improvement of my paper. Additionally, the feedback, coupled with an outsider objectively reading my paper, contributed to things that had not been considered.  If it is not to improve your writing, the UWC can also be someone you can talk to about your writing. Keep in mind that appointments with the writing center have to be booked a day or two in advance during peak times due to their high demand. 

As we delve into our thesis or dissertation, we wish we could have one person to support us all the way.
The most recent resource shared by a consultant at the writing center was Dissertation, Article & Thesis Assistance (DATA). This resource is available to all graduate students working on any article for publication, thesis, or dissertation. At this time, I have not had the opportunity to use this resource, but I have filed my application to begin next Spring. Thus far, I am beyond excited because I will have the opportunity to meet with someone for ten 45-minute sessions. This means I will have the opportunity to grow over ten sessions with one person fully dedicated to my paper. These sessions' goal will be to grow my writing in various areas such as learning effective writing strategies, revising and proofreading techniques, and setting writing goals that will ultimately be reflected in a well-developed paper.  

Like UWC, PD.education has also had a positive impact on my writing. PD.education is a professional development program geared toward supporting masters and doctoral students across various disciplines by hosting webinars focused on different sections of a paper (i.e., statement of the problem, theoretical/conceptual framework, literature review). This summer, I had the opportunity to attend weekly webinars with Dr. Alana James, who walked us through our thesis/dissertation development. During these sessions, I had the opportunity to interact with other graduate students, ask questions, and see graduate writing examples. In addition to webinars, this PD website provides students with self-directed modules, tips, recorded webinars, and more to help us produce our work. Thanks to this PD, I made significant advancements in my dissertation, so be sure to check out this valuable resource.

Texas A&M strives to support students by providing resources that can help us produce the best work possible. The resources presented here are some of the few I am aware of and know the positive impact they can have on our writing, so take advantage. We would also like to hear about any other resources you have found helpful, so please share those with the Aggie community. 

- Mayra Vargas

Mayra is a doctoral student in the Department of EPSY emphasis on Bilingual Education.