Workshops

Scheduled Workshops

Diversity Statements

In partnership with the College of Arts and Sciences and the Career Center, The Writing Center offers diversity statement workshops for students applying to graduate and professional programs, fellowships, job, and other opportunities requiring this essay.  Although writing an additional essay may seem like one more hoop to jump through, it also gives you an additional opportunity to communicate something about yourself to your readers.  Join Dr. Rob Patterson, director of The Writing Center and Speaking Studio, to learn about what makes for a great diversity statement and – more importantly – how to get there as he discusses strategies to help you move through the writing process from brainstorming ideas to drafting and revising.  This workshop is appropriate for anyone working on applications regardless of whether you are done with your other required essays.  See our events page for dates, times, and locations.

Healthcare Personal Statements

In partnership with the College of Arts and Sciences and the Engineering Communications Center, The Writing Center offers personal statement workshops for students applying to medical school and other professional schools in health-related fields. The workshop provides students with brainstorming strategies, insider information on the qualities of an effective personal statement, and examples of good and sub-par statements. The workshops are appropriate for juniors, seniors and post-baccalaureate students applying to MD, DO, dental, pharmacy, optometry, and physician assistant programs this year. This workshop is offered five times throughout the academic year.  See our events page for dates, times, and locations.  Please RSVP with Susan Lowther at selowthe@wustl.edu.

Note:  Given differences in application requirements, applicants to veterinary or PT programs are best served via one-on-one writing center appointments.

Law School Personal Statements

In partnership with the prelaw advising committee, The Writing Center offers personal statement workshops for students applying to law school in order to provide applicants with brainstorming strategies, insider information on the qualities of an effective personal statement, revision strategies, and dos and don’ts. The workshops are appropriate for anyone planning to apply in the next cycle. This workshop will be offered once in the spring and once in the fall each academic year. See our events page for dates, times, and locations.  Please RSVP with Susan Lowther at selowthe@wustl.edu.

Statements of Purpose for Graduate School

In partnership with the pregraduate advising committee, The Writing Center offers statement of purpose workshops for those applying to graduate school.  The workshops provide an overview of what makes a good statement of purpose, strategies for brainstorming, drafting, and revising, and dos and don’ts.  The workshops are appropriate for anyone applying in the next cycle.  See our events page for dates, times, and locations.  Please RSVP with Susan Lowther at selowthe@wustl.edu.

Workshops Available Upon Request

The Writing Process: From Brainstorming to Thesis

In this workshop, you will learn techniques for generating ideas, as well as how to find a thesis in the midst of all that brainstorming. Available to courses, student groups, and campus offices and departments upon request.

Writing and Revising Essays

This workshop will focus on methods and ideas for strengthening and clarifying your writing through the process of revision. Available to courses, student groups, and campus offices and departments upon request.

The Basics of Excellent Public Speaking

The best public speakers are memorable because they have something to say and an engaging way of saying it. We’ll look at the public speaking process from draft to delivery and provide tips and techniques to help you prepare, practice and deliver an effective oral presentation. Available to courses, student groups, and campus offices and departments upon request.

Writing about Literature: How to Write a Critical Literary Analysis

This workshop will discuss ways of critically analyzing literary works, as well as how to move beyond analysis to argument, and from argument to an effective and persuasive draft. Available to courses, student groups, and campus offices and departments upon request.

Using PowerPoint as an Effective Public Speaking Tool

Love it or hate it, today’s speakers are often expected to use PowerPoint. In this workshop, we will focus on suggestions to help you use PowerPoint as an effective tool to support the goals of your presentation. Available to courses, student groups, and campus offices and departments upon request.

Writing a Research Paper I: Conducting Research (with Olin Library)

In this workshop, a tutor from The Writing Center and a reference librarian from Olin Library will provide tips on choosing a topic, formulating a thesis, working with sources and developing an outline. They will also cover planning a research strategy and using the library’s resources to conduct thorough and effective research. Available to courses, student groups and campus offices and departments upon request.

Writing Essay Exams

In this workshop, you will learn several techniques for writing essay exams in any discipline. Available to courses, student groups and campus offices and departments upon request.

Writing a Research Paper II: Drafting the Paper

This workshop will focus on the process of drafting a research paper. The peer tutors in The Writing Center have developed this workshop in order to answer the questions they had when they first began writing research papers. Not surprisingly, their questions are similar to the questions many students ask:

• What should I do with all of this information I’ve collected?
• How do I come up with an interesting thesis?
• How can I organize my ideas?

Come to this workshop to hear how several Washington University students have successfully managed the problems of writing a research paper! Available to courses, student groups, and campus offices and departments upon request.

Improving Style: Writing for Clarity and Grace

What makes a sentence a pleasure to read? What makes it seem not only reasonable but also truly passionate and persuasive? The best sentences – the ones worth remembering – have two essential qualities: clarity and grace. In this workshop, we will discuss strategies for expressing ideas in clear, graceful sentences. We will locate tangled passages and revise them for clarity and conciseness. We will also discuss how to develop a more graceful writing style. Come to this workshop if you would like to learn how to write sentences that your reader will remember. Available to courses, student groups, and campus offices and departments upon request.

Writing a Resume (with the Career Center)

In this workshop, offered in collaboration with the Career Center, get advice for creating a strong resume. Available to courses, student groups, and campus offices and departments upon request.

Writing a Personal Statement

Whether for a job or graduate school, an effective personal statement can make a difference. In this workshop, we will discuss strategies for writing a clear, focused and interesting personal statement. Available to courses, student groups, and campus offices and departments upon request.