Overcoming Writing Anxiety with Paper Review Services

Monday, February 11, 2019 Instructor's Notebook , Paper Review Appointments , Writing Center Services No comments

When it comes to academic writing, it is common to experience writing anxiety. For many students, academic writing is a new adventure. However, some students have been out of school for decades, and the high expectations of course assignments can create anxiety.

Overcoming Writing Anxiety with Paper Review Services

As a Writing Instructor in the Walden University Writing Center, I have seen students struggle to write academic papers for many years. Throughout my 14 years of teaching adult learners, I have heard the concerns of many students from diverse academic backgrounds, and I noticed commonalities in what my students have to say. For example, students often say that they do not know how to begin or they do not know whether their writing is cohesive at the sentence or paragraph level. And of course, there is the common concern on the proper use of APA formatting, references, and citations.

Time and time again, I tell students they do not need to be afraid of writing because there are services to help. Writing anxiety does not have to exist because resources are available to support students in the writing process. One significant resource that I recommend is the Writing Center’s paper review service.

Although the thought of getting a writing expert to review your writing may seem daunting, I would like to assure you that getting a Walden University Writing Center Instructor to review your work will only help you in the long run and lessen your fears when it comes to academic writing.

In case you are skeptical on whether paper review services can help, here are five ways you can overcome writing anxiety with paper review services:

1. Share your assignment’s instructions and your own writing goals

One of the first steps to obtain a paper review appointment would be to fill out the appointment form. On the form, you are encouraged to share your assignment’s instructions and any writing goals that you wish to gain from the appointment. The appointment form is a great place to share all of your anxiety and fears when it comes to academic writing. Let it all out. You are in a safe, judgment-free, and welcoming place to be as honest as possible. Providing this specific information will help the Writing Instructor internalize the given information and determine the best way to approach your paper to ensure satisfactory personalized instructional feedback.

2. Receive personalized instructional feedback

During a paper review appointment, the Writing Instructor will provide instructional feedback catered to your writing needs. After reading the paper and reflecting on your appointment form, the Writing Instructor will provide personalized instructional feedback. The paper review process is a time to share ways to support your writing and also point out strengths in your writing through encouragement. This specific technique does not include line-by-line editing. Instead, the Writing Instructor will provide you with feedback to address areas of concern, ease any anxiety you may have, provide examples to go into more depth, and include any necessary writing resources to support the instructional feedback.

3. Reach out with any follow-up questions after the paper review appointment

At the end of the paper review appointment, the Writing Instructor will encourage the student to review the instructional feedback and reach out with any questions while they apply their feedback to the current draft. When questions arise, sometimes it creates anxiety, and that’s when reaching out to a Writing Instructor at writingsupport@waldenu.edu would come handy. If a suggestion does not seem clear enough or perhaps you would like additional examples, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Writing Instructor with your writing-related questions. The Writing instructor will respond via email with 24 hours. After you received the necessary answers, take some time to apply the Writing Instructor’s feedback to your current draft.

4. Apply the Writing Instructor’s feedback

A great way to ease your anxiety, it is essential to read through the Writing Instructor’s feedback and apply it to your current draft. By taking this step, you will gain valuable insight into how you can strengthen your writing and ensure that your writing meets the assignment’s requirements. Some students notice a significant change in their writing that they come back to the Writing Center for multiple appointments.

5. Make multiple paper review appointments

To maximize the resources in the Writing Center, I like to encourage students to make multiple paper review appointments. In my experience, students who make at least three paper review appointments have noticed a positive change in their writing and academic success. Read more on our Third Time's the Charm: The Magic of Multiple Paper Review Appointments blog post and find out additional benefits of making multiple paper review appointments.

Academic writing can feel difficult and create writing anxiety, but it does not have to be that way. Overcome your writing anxiety by setting up a paper review appointment today, and I guarantee you will feel confident as a writer and increase your academic success. Click “Paper Review Appointment” to make an appointment today and receive useful personalized instructional feedback to strengthen your writing.

Jeannie Croichy has 14 years of experience in the field of education and she has used that time to develop unique and innovative writing pedagogies to bring out the highest potential in students. She is a dedicated and well-rounded writing educator with extensive experience working with students from all over the world. She received her MEd in English Language Learner from Ashford University and BA in English Writing from William Paterson University of New Jersey. She is currently pursuing her EdD in Higher Education and Adult Learning at Walden University.