DeKALB — A workshop to help graduate students formulate strategies about how to better write theses or dissertations is being sponsored by NIU’s Writing Center and the Graduate School from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. 

To register, students will have to fill out their name, department, contact information and degree online. A direct link to the meeting will be sent to the email used for registration. For more information, contact the Graduate School at [email protected].

Ashley Bartelt, english doctoral student and writing coach, will be presenting at the workshop and teaching graduate students about revision strategies. 

“The wonderful danger about grad school is you get so excited to delve deeply into specific topics and want to work on those ideas and concepts, but we forget we have to write about them,” Bartelt said.

Revising is important because it helps students better their writing and make it more professional and clear to everyone who reads it, Bartelt said. She said even she does not write a perfect draft the first time around.

“You have to give yourself at least 24 hours away from the document before trying to go back into it,” Bartelt said. “Then, reading aloud and being able to slow your brain down so it doesn’t gloss over things we should notice is important.”

After the workshop, the participants will receive a recording of the meeting in the email they used to register.