If you just began graduate school this past August, then you’ve probably settled in by now. You’ve spent time studying and collaborating with members of your cohort. You’ve learned how far it is from your makeshift office or cramped grad lounge to each of your classes. Maybe you’ve learned enough from your professors to ask them for advice on your assignments or ongoing research efforts.

The faculty and staff members working around you comprise just one of the resources you have access to as a grad student. There are quite a few resources, if you haven’t noticed. And if you have noticed, you’ve probably fretted over this question – what resources do I need to know?

There are few college experiences worse than sitting in front of a blank Word document, trying to begin a paper, paralyzed by writing anxiety, the pressure mounting with every blink of the cursor, unable to type a word.

“Writing is easy. Just put a sheet of paper in the typewriter and start bleeding.” - Thomas Wolfe

College essays rarely bring joy. Whether you study engineering, biology, psychology, or literature, looking at whatever you’ve written can feel debilitating. But it doesn’t have to. And there are quick ways to sharpen your writing.