When to Write: When and how long should I work on my Academic Statement?

You may also want to consider what distractions might be in your mind or setting that could keep you from the task at hand. If you try to work from home, will you be distracted by household chores? Are there other assignments that you find more pressing at the moment? Do you have something scheduled for today that’s pulling your attention away? Do you need to let someone know you’ll be busy?

If you find that you are having trouble staying focused, you may want to deal with those distractions first. That may mean anything from leaving the house to escape the dishes piling up to knocking out that pesky seminar paper that keeps nagging at the back of your mind. Your mindset and setting go hand in hand.

If you struggle with focus, or if you are a person with learning disabilities, you may benefit from working with the Assistive Technology Lab to discover awesome new tools and techniques to support you in addition to using the Writing Center. Check out www.evergreen.edu/access/ assistive-technology for more.

When to Write: When and how long should I work on my Academic Statement?

How much time you spend on this process is up to you. Ideally, the Academic Statement is something you will work on intermittently over your entire time at Evergreen. While it may seem daunting to work on one piece of writing over multiple years, realistically, you will only spend a few days from each quarter working on your Annual Academic Statements until you start working on your Final, when we recommend you spend several weeks, at least. Most students work through many iterations over the course of several years in order to write an effective Final Academic Statement.

This process is for you; let yourself be in it. Here are some ideas for how you might approach managing your time:

• Make it a routine. If you spend time during every quarter adding onto your

Annual Academic Statement, then reflecting in the spring will be much easier. You could do this during evaluation week, maybe even with a friend, and reward yourself by doing something fun afterwards.

Hours Contracted for Academic Statement Work in Fall

Full time program (12-16 credits) = Six hours of class time

Part time program (8-11 credits) = Three hours of class time

Less than 8 credits = No time required, but ask anyways! They may be willing to set aside some time to support you and your education.

• Use the in-class time. Most faculty members are contractually obligated to dedicate time to supporting students with the Academic Statement each fall. This support is vital for students. As of this printing, there is no process for faculty to be held accountable if they don’t provide support. If you’re not getting this support, it’s up to you to take charge of your education and advocate for yourself. • Don’t do it alone. Sometimes, it can be hard to remember your own accomplishments, but asking your family, chosen family, or friends to share the things they admire about you can be reassuring. Talk with your loved ones about what your education means to you; feel free to write things down as they come up, or even record the conversation (with consent, of course). Then, reflect on the important ideas, phrases, or recurring themes, and consider bringing them into your writing. It can be inspirational and motivating to celebrate your successes with loved ones. • Give yourself a lot of time over a long time. Spreading out your work can relieve stress which may allow you to dive deeper into self reflection. If you work in shorter sessions, you will have room to set it all aside when you need a break. This is especially good practice if you don’t thrive under pressure, or if you find reflection to be laborious. Or… • Pressurize it. Maybe you know you work best under pressure, or maybe your deadline is approaching and a pressured time frame is all you have left to work with. Identify when you have a block of time you can dedicate to this work. Trust us when we say that starting the week, or even the month, before it’s due is plenty of pressure. Plan to give yourself enough time to realistically write, revise, edit, and proofread. If you thrive with concrete recommendations, the Writing Center recommends working on an Annual Academic Statement for a minimum of 6 hours outside of the time your faculty provides in Fall (divided in any way). • Budget your time. For Final Academic Statements, imagine that revising, line-editing, and proofreading each take one full week. That’s three weeks, not even counting drafting! It might sound daunting, but your final quarter may be jam-packed, so finding the time may be more difficult. This process takes focus, so it will definitely take longer to do a thorough job. Make sure that you give yourself enough time by starting early in the quarter. • Book your Writing Center appointments early and often. Consider making at least three appointments for your Academic Statement (especially for the Final). You could use the first session to brainstorm or outline, the second to get revision ideas for your draft, and the third to edit line-by-line. Alternatively, you could bring in your draft to get revision ideas in the first session, line edit in the second, and proofread in the third.

Your sessions could unfold in a multitude of ways, and tutors are flexible (we are students too, and know what you’re going through!).

Students not graduating: book your first appointment by week one to meet your week seven deadline. Graduating seniors: book an appointment by week four to make your evaluation week deadline.

• Connect with faculty and advisors early on. As soon as you hit spring quarter, request a one-on-one appointment with a trusted faculty member and/or an advisor.

The better you know each other and your academic experiences, the more constructive this support can be. A faculty member in your field can help ensure you’re reaching your audience effectively.