What if I told you to build a garage but offered you no tools to work with, or told you to paint a portrait but you had no brushes, paints, or canvas? You can’t complete either of these tasks without tools. So what if I handed you a hammer, a saw, and a handful of …
Most of us have heard about melting glaciers, rising sea levels, and increasing temperatures across the planet. (Did you realize July 2019 was the hottest month on record?) Because global climate change is frequently in the news, we also have a pretty good working knowledge of the topic. We can probably hold our own in …
We’ve all read something that makes us pause and reread the sentence or paragraph over again. Found in everything from books to blogs, and even in our own writing, confusing and unclear sentences can take their toll on readers. But I’m here to help you improve the clarity of your writing, so your readers know …
Tell me if this sounds familiar: You’re searching online for sources for your research paper, and halfway through reading, you ask yourself, “Who writes this crap?” Good question. You, your neighbor, or just about anyone can publish online. In the world of the internet, you could become Allie S. Everson, PhD and write an article …
It’s a bright, sunny summer day, and you and your friend decide to walk to the beach. You cut through a park and encounter a woman walking a German Shepherd dog. When you meet up with your group at the beach, your friend tells a story of how you were almost attacked by a vicious …
You may have written a few synthesis essays in your English classes, but knowing how to synthesize information has value far beyond your Dracula essay. This skill is used in countless areas—from history to science—and can come in handy in both professional and personal settings. While we may still talk about essays a little bit …
Step into the time machine, and let’s take a journey back to your second-grade classroom. test You’re studying (what you feel is) the best subject in the world: dinosaurs. Your teacher tells you to write a report about your favorite dinosaur, so you rush to find a website (or an old, moldy book from the …
Most of us have bad habits we’d like to break. Maybe you’re guilty of hogging the only TV in the dorm or leaving your Chinese takeout boxes all over the living room (both of which drive your roommates crazy). If your bad habits only cause a few disagreements with your roommates, maybe it’s not worth the …
How does a day rushing down water slides or floating peacefully down a lazy river sound? What if I told you that you absolutely need to go to a new local waterpark because it really is just that awesome? Would free passes seal the deal? If you’re a big fan of waterparks, you’d probably jump …
Would you write an email to your boss using the same word choices and style that you’d use to send an email or text to your friend? Would you start your email to your boss with “Hey dude, wassup?” Probably not. Why? Because writing to your boss demands a higher level of professionalism and formality …
You can have the most action-packed novel out there, but if the characters aren’t great, the story probably won’t feel complete. When it comes to The Hunger Games, the characters feel in-depth and relatable—even in a place and time readers can’t necessarily relate to. But because the characters in The Hunger Games do have depth, your …
Your hands tremble as you nervously open the letter that just arrived from your dream school. And then… “Noooooo!” you scream in anguish as your dreams (and your soul) are crushed by those big red letters staring back at you. Okay, an actual rejection letter would probably let you down way more gently than that. …
Let’s say you’re a single person who’s looking for a significant other but can’t seem to find any normal people at school or at work, so you decide to try an online dating app. You want your profile to stand out among potential dates, so you carefully select your best staged candid shots and choose …
Teachers often assign essays that have to meet a minimum word, paragraph, or page count. Unfortunately, this often leads to a paper littered with wordy sentences. Instead of adding more context or evidence to your thesis, you end up with a lot of fluff. While the most important thing in your mind is meeting that …
Remember those packs of building blocks you used to get as a kid? Each pack contained just enough tiny pieces to construct your favorite superhero, princess, or jet fighter. As a child, you likely relied on the picture on the front of the plastic package, rather than any set of directions, to build your creation. …
One of your worst nightmares comes true: public speaking. Your next speech is due within days, and you imagine yourself standing in front of the class, shaking uncontrollably, and suddenly unable to remember anything you’re supposed to say. Your professor seems even more intimidating than usual. He stares at you over the top of his …
Hungry for tacos? Feel like you can’t fully concentrate on your writing assignment until you make a trip for a late-night snack? As tempting as a few tacos and a burrito sound right now, don’t rush to satisfy your cravings just yet. Instead, continue reading as this blog post contains important information you’ll need to …
Imagine getting hired as a bus driver, and on your first day on the job, your boss tells you to “start driving.” Your first reaction might be, “Um…okay, where should I go?” Without a clear idea of where you should be driving (or for that matter, where you should be stopping), you’ll end up driving …
When you were a child, how many times did your parents say “absolutely not” when you asked for something? How many of those times did you persuade your parents to finally say yes? Sometimes it’s a given that you’ll never be able to convince your parents. It’s almost impossible to convince them of any rather …
“Don’t judge a book by its cover” is an old saying that means you shouldn’t judge something (or someone) by appearances only. If you literally shouldn’t judge a book’s merits by cover art alone, then what should you do to learn more about a book (aside from reading it, of course)? One option is to …
Your heart is pounding so hard that you’re positive everyone in the room can hear it. Beads of sweat form on your brow as you try to load your presentation. You pause and breathe deeply. It does nothing to calm you. The presentation finally loads … but it’s the draft you started days ago. The …