‘Don’t hesitate to reach out for support!’: former Writing Mentor Hoa shares how you can improve your academic writing
As we head towards the final weeks of Trimester 1, it’s peak time for completing assignments. Are you tackling your assessments with confidence or are you feeling a little unsure of where to even begin?
We invited Deakin graduate and former Writing Mentor Hoa Pham to share a little bit about herself and offer her advice on how to create outstanding assignments. Hoa graduated last year from the Bachelor of Communications (Public relations) and has now started a full-time role in the Graduate Program for Schneider Electric, a multinational company specialising in energy management. During her course, she was asked to join the Golden Key Society, which is for the top 15% students of Deakin University.
Why did you want to become a Writing Mentor at Deakin?
I was once a wide-eyed first-year student who had to learn my hard way around referencing, university-level research and academic writing for the first time. It was even more challenging when English was my second language.
I’ve since been involved in over 10 student support roles at Deakin, which I simply love!
I’m passionate about using my lived experience, both as a student and a mentor, to guide other students in building academic confidence, overcoming their anxiety, and leveraging Deakin’s vast support resources. And the Writing Mentor role is the perfect place for me to do that!
In your experience, what are the most common writing problems that many students face?
- Understanding the assignment requirements and marking criteria: sometimes students find the instructions not clear enough, or the scope of the assignment too big. A good understanding of what lecturers expect from you is essential though: it guides you on the right track and saves you tons of time throughout the process.
- Referencing: this understandably doesn’t come as second nature to anyone. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed by the plethora of rules, formulas and exceptions you have to bear in mind. You easily get a headache from figuring out where to use a comma, a colon or italics for a dozen times. It definitely gets easier with practice though. I always tell students: “Deakin’s referencing guide is your best friend!”
What are your top three tips for students who may lack confidence in their writing and who want to improve their skills in this area?
- Please be assured that this doesn’t have to be an isolated journey, and DON’T hesitate to reach out for support! There’s plenty of help around you. Writing Mentors, Language and Learning Advisers, Academic Skills guides, lecturers and many other resources are all available for free within a click of the mouse! I used to hesitate and think I’d manage OK on my own. But from the first time I plucked up the courage to attend a workshop and seek help, I immediately felt at ease and got into the good habit of engaging with Deakin’s learning community.
- Start small, and repeat. The best improvements come from small changes, repeated consistently. So, try to express yourself through writing more wherever you can, for example:
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- Keeping a journal
- Posting your thoughts/questions to the Discussion board
- Emailing your Lecturers / Language and Learning Advisers with any questions you have
- Taking notes of lectures, seminars and readings
- Summarising and explaining theories in your own words instead of copying and pasting from the unit materials.
From my own experience, the small actions you’re taking today may seem humble and insignificant, but in the long term, that’s all it takes to make the big difference you’re dreaming of. The actions also bring a great sense of achievement that will propel your self-motivation.
- You can always find ideas to improve your work when you look at it with a fresh eye. So always start your assignments early, put them aside once in a while to refresh your mind, and leave plenty of time for review. I usually underestimated the time I needed to complete an assignment earlier in my degree, so don’t make the same mistake!
Why should students attend a Writing Mentor drop-in, and what can a student expect during one of these sessions (whether they’re delivered on campus or online)? Is there anything they should do to prepare?
A Writing Mentor can be both a mentor and a friend. We are fellow students like you, so we can explain concepts and advice to you “in your language”. We used to be anxious and confused in our studies too, so we can put ourselves in your shoes, understand your feelings, lend an ear and give you personalised support.
You don’t need to have a ready draft to see us. You can hop into our Zoom meeting or campus drop-in at any stage of your assignment.
We can help you with:
- Interpreting assignment instructions and expectations
- Researching
- Academic writing, including referencing
- Developing your independent learning skills, so you can confidently fly high on your own wings in the long term!
Get in touch with a Writing Mentor today!
Sometimes when you’re having issues with an assignment, it’s just helpful to talk things through. The Writing Mentors drop-in service can also help you review any feedback you’ve received on your first assignments so you can think about the academic skills you’ll need to focus on in your next assessments. Additionally, they can offer you tips on researching, understanding assignment questions and how to plan and structure your work.
If you want to chat to someone about any aspect of your assignment, attend one of our drop-in sessions hosted by a Writing Mentor! You can opt to attend one of the daily online drop-in sessions or attend the weekly on-campus sessions at Burwood or Waurn Ponds. You don’t need an appointment, just bring your assignment and your questions. You can also get in touch via email for referencing questions and brief queries.