Saturday morning video - Whatcha Got?

This will get you going!

Whatcha Got?

Cheering you on in your work!
Harriet

Late semester! We can do it!

I know it is a stressful time for most students! But keep at it, you can do it!!!

Cheering you on,
Harriet

Photo by HLS

Time saver -- Format Painter in Microsoft Word

Hi All, Here's a tip that a colleague shared with me recently. There is a tool in Word that many people don't know about called Format Painter. This allows you to easily copy formatted text within a word doc and even between MS Office programs such as word and powerpoint.

This tool is useful if you have formatted something and want to quickly apply that formatting elsewhere. For example, you have created a heading and selected specific font and size, you can use the Format Painter to apply that formatting to other text in the document. If you are not on a tight deadline, you are better off to use Styles, but if you are in a hurry and just need to fix some formatting, Format Painter is quick and easy. Read the following page for instructions (it's easy to use!):

Format Painter

Cheering you on in your work,
Harriet

Photo by HLS

Guest blogger- My Dad!!!!

Thanks Dad for contributing this week's Encouragement Lounge post and photo!

Have you ever looked back on your day, week, month, etc. and felt as if everything (work-family responsibilities and of course school) is starting to pile up and you are on the bottom of the pile? If you try to get accomplish everything at once (move that pile) you will not finish anything and things will become more confusing. However, with "Patience and Perseverance", tackle one item at a time, get help from your spouse, significant other, friends, peers, teachers and before long the pile will get smaller and smaller. There is nothing you can not accomplish when you approach things in an orderly, systematic fashion. Getting upset and throwing stones does not help and you might break a window!

Confused? Just ask.

If you are finding an assignment to be confusing, ask your professor for clarification! Sounds simple, but I know that often students are hesitant to ask either because they think they should just "get it" or that the professor may be annoyed. I can tell you though, that most of us on the teaching side would much rather hear those questions.

When you convey that something is confusing, it helps us recognize elements of a syllabus or assignment that may not be clear (not only to you, but to other students).

Also, we would rather you ask, and get on the right track, than to guess and possibly guess wrong and then go down the wrong path with your work. So, if you are confused, ask for clarification.

Good luck with the work!
Harriet

Photo by HLS

Saturday morning video - Cummulus & Nimbus

Love this video!!!

Cummulus & Nimbus

Editing and proofing your own work

Hi All,

I posted this link and these ideas a few years ago, but am posting them again for new readers.

Learning to edit and proof your own papers is important in terms of success in graduate school.

This handout, published by UNC offers several strategies:

UNC - Editing and Proofreading

A few additional strategies:

1. Read your work out loud. You will catch errors that you don't catch when you just read the piece silently to yourself.

2. Start reading in the middle. I suspect that if we always begin editing and proofing our papers in the beginning, the front end of the paper is stronger than the back end because we are more focused in the first part of the reading -- our attention may diminish as we move through the paper. So, start reading in the middle so you give your best energy and attention to the second half of the paper, at least once. And then go back and read the first half.

3. Print the paper in a different font. This will wake your brain up and you will have more focus. (this is also mentioned in the UNC document!).

4. Keep a checklist of errors that you typically make in your writing. After you have reviewed the paper and believe it's in good shape, go back and review for the items on your checklist.

If you have other ideas, please post them in the comments section below!

Cheering you on in your work:
Harriet

Photo by HLS