Student Resources & Handouts

Page Overview

The following sections provide a variety of resources to help you with your writing or instructional needs:

  • Self-Guided and Directed Learning Activities
  • Quick Guides & Handouts
    • Process Writing
    • Argumentation
    • Flow & Organization
    • Evidence & Citations
    • Grammar

We are always developing new resources and content; if there is something you would like to see added, please contact us via email (writing-center@uci.edu) or let us know in person (at Science Library 193). 

Self-Guided and Directed Learning Activities

intro slide for self-guided workshop. tumblr meme about drafting and revising: "user ghostzzy<br />
reminder to myself about the process of drafting & revising:<br />
-first drafts are for making it exist<br />
-second drafts are for making it functional<br />
-third drafts are making it effective"

Revising Your Personal Statement or Statement of Purpose

Over the course of this workshop, you will take concrete steps to start editing your paper.

By following these slides, you’ll:
● identify important aspects of your personal statement (PS) or
statement of purpose (SoP),
● evaluate these aspects,
● and consider how to improve.

Set aside 60 minutes to guide yourself through this workshop.

Integrating Sources in APA Citation Style

This directed learning activity guides you through the basics of the American Psychological Association (APA) citation style. APA is very common in social sciences and some humanities. These activities are designed to practice integrating paraphrase, summary, and direct quotes in APA assignments. Download the APA DLA here.

Quick Guides & Handouts

Process Writing

The Writing Process

Writing happens in four key phases: brainstorming, drafting, revising, and editing. Read our quick guide to the process here.

Common Writing Concerns

You don’t know what you don’t know. Many aspects of writing are often overlooked when revising, like over use of passive voice. Read our handout on common concerns here. 

Effective Writing Tips

Writing can be slow and unproductive, especially in the face of looming deadlines. Learn about how to write more effectively in our quick advice guide.

Strategies for Concise Writing

Expressing what you mean directly and clearly can be a challenge. View our handout on concise writing here.

Developing Confidence Through Growth Mindset

Growth mindset is the belief that our qualities and
capacities to learn/grow are something we cultivate over
time through our efforts, strategies, and help from
others. Learn about growth mindset here.

Creating Sustainable Writing Habits

While we all know writing last-minute is often stressful, unproductive, and results in lower-quality writing, how can we write more consistently? Learn about sustainable writing habits here.

Argumentation

Summary vs. Analysis

Sometimes when we’re writing a thesis-driven essay, it can be hard to tell if what we’re writing is really analysis or summary. Check out this chart to improve your analysis and summary skills.

Effective Thesis Statement

Writing a thesis statement is often the most difficult and most important part of argumentative writing. Learn some quick tips here. 

Flow & Organization

Connecting Topic Sentences & Thesis Statements

In order to have our writing be as clear as possible, our topic sentences must be specific, purposeful, and connected to our thesis. Read more about connecting these elements here.

Sentence Structure

Striking a balance between different sentence types is an effective way to create interesting, compelling writing in our papers. Learn how to vary your sentences here.

Passive vs. Active Voice

Active voice is usually the most effective way to communicate our ideas in most writing because the main idea is clearer and more direct. Discover more about these two styles here.

Evidence & Citations

Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing vs. Using Quotations

Paraphrasing, summarizing, and using quotes are all
ways of integrating external source material into your essay. Review these three fundamental skills here.

Grammar

Comprehending Commas

Commas are valuable punctuation used to separate elements of a sentence and add clarity to your ideas. View our comma guide here.

Prepositions

Prepositions are words or clauses preceding nouns, noun phrases, or pronouns to show time, direction, place/location, and spatial relationships within a sentence. View our prepositions handout here.

Tenses in Academic Writing

Let’s take a closer look at the three common tenses to
understand when we should use them. View our tenses guide here.