Introduction

This textbook is a joint project of the UNM Core Writing Program and its instructors. The book was written and compiled (from several Creative Commons texts) by Leandra Binder, Andrew Fields, Asa Holcombe, Jennifer Jordan, Kennia Lopez, Lukus Malaney, Lisa Myers, Rachael Reynolds, and Deanna Tenorio. This project was developed with crucial support from UNM’s OER initiative and the University Libraries.

This textbook is an Open Educational Resource text, which means it was created using free and available sources on the Internet that are openly licensed (materials are licensed CC BY 4.0 unless otherwise noted). The UNM Core Writing Program believes that a college education should be engaging, enlightening, informative, life-affirming, worldview-upturning and affordable. We believe it shouldn’t cost money to learn how to write, and that is why we are making this book available to you.

Regardless of your field of study, honing your writing skills—plus your reading and critical-thinking skills—gives you a more solid academic foundation. This textbook discusses ways to communicate effectively. You will develop insight into your own style, writing process, grammatical choices, and rhetorical situations. Knowing your rhetorical situation, or the circumstances under which you communicate, and knowing which tone, style, and genre will most effectively persuade your audience, will help you no matter what your intended major is.

In college, academic expectations change from what you may have experienced in high school. The quantity of work you are expected to complete increases. When instructors expect you to read pages upon pages or study hours and hours for one particular course, managing your workload can be challenging. The quality of the work you create in college also changes. It is not enough to understand course material and summarize it on an exam. You will also be expected to engage seriously with new ideas by reflecting on them, analyzing them, critiquing them, making connections, drawing conclusions, or finding new ways of thinking about a given subject. Educationally, you are moving into deeper waters. A good introductory writing course will help you swim.

Learning to write for an academic audience is challenging, but colleges like UNM offer various resources to guide students through the process. Successful students regularly seek help and support with their coursework. The following sections discuss some on-campus writing services, what to expect from them, and how they can help you.

Your Instructor

Most instructors will be happy to meet with you during office hours to discuss the norms for successful writing in their particular discipline. If you have any doubts about research methods, paper structure, writing style, etc., address these uncertainties with the instructor before you hand in your paper, rather than waiting to see the critiques they write in the margins afterward. If you have questions, ask them, whether in class or during your instructor’s office hours. Keep in mind that you are not bothering your instructor by showing up for office hours; the purpose of office hours is to meet with and help students.

Additionally, do not hesitate to email your instructor for guidance or clarification about assignments and other course activities. When you do send email, keep these guidelines in mind:

• Be polite: Address your professor formally, using the title “Professor” with their last name. Depending on how formal your professor seems, use the salutation “Dear,” or a more informal “Hello” or “Hi.” Don’t drop the salutation altogether, though.

• Pose a question: Clearly introduce the purpose of your email and the information you are requesting. If you are not asking a specific question, be aware that you may not receive a response to your email.

• Be concise: Instructors are busy people, and although they are typically more than happy to help you, do them the favor of getting to your point quickly. Sign off with your first and last name, the course number, and the class time. This will make it easy for your professor to identify you, and although they are typically more than happy to help you, do them the favor of getting to your point quickly. Try not to ask, “When will you return our papers?” If you MUST ask, make it specific and realistic (e.g., “Will we get our papers back by the end of next week?”).

Tutoring Center

Here at UNM, students have access to Student Learning Support at the Center for Teaching and Learning (formerly CAPS), which is available inside Zimmerman Library. There, trained tutors help students meet college-level expectations for more than 800 classes The tutoring centers offer one-on-one meetings or group sessions for other disciplines.

Student-led Workshops

Some courses encourage students to share their research and writing with each other, and even offer workshops where students can present their own writing and offer constructive comments to their classmates. Independent paper-writing workshops provide a space for peers with varying interests, work styles, and areas of expertise to brainstorm.

If you want to improve your writing, organizing a workshop session with your classmates is a great strategy. You can also ask your writing center to help you organize a workshop for a specific class or subject. In high school, students submit their work in multiple stages, from the thesis statement to the outline to a draft of the paper; finally, after receiving feedback on each preliminary piece, they submit a completed project. This format teaches students how to divide writing assignments into smaller tasks and schedule these tasks over an extended period of time, instead of scrambling through the entire process right before the deadline. Some college courses build this kind of writing schedule into major assignments. Even if your course does not, you can master the skill of breaking large assignments down into smaller projects instead of leaving an unmanageable amount of work until the last minute.

Time Management

Time management is the secret to successful writing. Not even a “great” writer can produce a masterpiece the night before it’s due. Breaking a large writing task into smaller pieces will not only save your sanity, but will also result in a more thoughtful, polished final draft.