Last week, our graduate students met with Dr. Yumi Lee for the final graduate writing workshop of the semester, “Writing the Graduate Seminar Paper.” As a conclusion of these workshops, Dr. Lee presented students with a slideshow that detailed what a seminar paper is, different approaches to writing the paper, and how to handle the various steps that go into creating a seminar paper. After presenting the slideshow, students met in pairs to discuss where they were currently at in their paper-writing process, as well as particular challenges students were facing. Upon reconvening, students reviewed their takeaways with the group and provided personal advice to each other.
“Our workshop on seminar papers last week was part of an ongoing effort to support grad students in the writing process,” Dr. Lee explained. “Academic writing and research can be a lonely endeavor, and we’re hoping to create spaces for students to get together and talk, share their experiences and questions, and build a writing community.”
Second-year English graduate student Katy Kessler found Dr. Lee’s emphasis on the stress of writing the seminar paper particularly useful. “The writing season of the semester is just inherently stressful, and I appreciate that Dr. Lee doesn’t dance around that fact. She encouraged me to face this stress and to work from inside it. It was also really nice to talk about this stress with students, to continue an ongoing conversation about how to balance school with a social life.”
She also mentioned some particulars of Dr. Lee’s presentation that helped clarify what she needs to tackle when she sits down to write a paper. “Seminar papers are daunting, and I don’t think I’m the only student that feels the pressure to write a perfect paper. After talking with other students and Dr. Lee, though, I’ve gotten a better idea of how to view the seminar paper as an exercise in graduate writing rather than, as Dr. Lee phrased it, ‘a singular expression of my potential for graduate studies.’ My papers aren’t going to be perfect, and they shouldn’t be!”
Thank you to all of our students who showed up for the event, and a special thanks to Dr. Lee for hosting. Although this session concluded the workshops, Dr. Lee reminds students to “Check out our bi-monthly morning writing sessions (over bagels) as well!”
