When to engage with the Writing Centre

As a graduate student, you will develop your critical thinking skills and gain expertise in your discipline. However, it is not always easy to communicate your knowledge and ideas in a written format, especially as academia has its own rules for how writing should be structured, developed, presented and phrased. Engaging with the UCD Writing Centre can help you to become a better writer.

The Writing Centre is open to all UCD students (undergraduate and graduates) and their services may be particularly helpful for research students. They offer occasional workshops on different writing topics, as well as very popular individual writing sessions, with sessions taking place online and in person (in Link Space 2 of the James Joyce Library).

The Writing Centre can help you at any stage of your degree and at any stage of the writing process, whether you are making a plan, working on early drafts or trying to edit and polish a finished paper. 

Workshops and seminars

• 'Writing Personal Statements' – learn how to write a strong and effective personal statement
• 'Planning and Structure: Managing Your Writing' – learn how to organise and manage your research
• 'Improving Phrasing and Verb Choice: Defending Against Zombie Writing' – learn how to make your academic phrasing clearer and more effective
• 'How to Give a Good Presentation' – learn how to prepare and deliver presentations in class or at conferences.

To browse available workshops and seminars and register your attendance, visit the UCD Writing Centre website. 

Individual writing sessions

During an individual writing session, you will work with an experienced writing instructor. Once you explain the requirements or purpose of your project and your writing issues, the instructor will work with you on a piece of your writing, offering tips and suggestions to improve your writing skills.

The sessions work best if you have attempted some writing or have done some reading and brainstorming on your topic. If you are stuck with writing or find that you are procrastinating, making an appointment with the Writing Centre may push you to have at least some writing ready, and the session will motivate you to get back to writing.

To make an appointment with a writing instructor, visit the UCD Writing Centre website.