Spring 2013

Writing & Reading Groups

The Writing Center offers opportunities to join small writing groups that are facilitated by our consultants. These are collaborative, supportive spaces to try out new ideas, discuss challenges, and give and receive feedback on your writing projects. 

By registering, you commit to attend every date of your group. Missing a session of your writing group will count as a missed writing center appointment; however, you are still eligible for two writing center visits a week plus your writing group.

Design Your Own Writing Group 
Any group of 3 to 5 Columbia students can request our support in forming a writing group. Once you decide on group members and agree on times and days to meet, you can request a group here. The Writing Center will find a space and designate one of our writing consultants to facilitate the group.

Writing Groups for GSAS and SIPA Students
Are you writing a dissertation, master’s thesis, proposal, journal article, or other major project? Break out of the isolation of the writing process by joining 4 fellow graduate students once a week for five weeks to share drafts-in-progress while learning helpful techniques to improve your process.  We will offer a second round of five-week communities later in the spring.

GSAS

• Tuesdays, February 19 and 26, March 5, 12 and 26, 12 PM to 1:30 PM 
• Thursdays, February 21 and 28, March 7, 14 and 28, 6 PM to 7:30 PM (international students)

Application for GSAS Students

SIPA

• Mondays, February 25, March 4, 11 and 25, April 1, 3 PM to 4:30
• Mondays, February 25, March 4, 11 and 25, April 1, 6 PM to 7:30 PM (international students)

Application for SIPA Students

Reading Groups for University Writing Students 

Do you want more time to discuss the texts you will be writing your essays about? How could you turn your confusion, excitement, or opinion about a text into an essay? The reading group provides supportive time to process class notes and findings. Learn to harness your reading time as you transition to writing drafts.  

Register here. 

Workshops

Using Creative Writing To Highlight Strengths: Writing Scenes for Personal Statements

Open to undergraduate and graduate students (and alumni, space permitting) who are anywhere in the process of writing an application essay. Are you writing a personal statement for a scholarship, artist funding, internship application, law school, or another purpose? Learn conventions of the personal statement, and develop strategies to convey accomplishments or personal strengths. 

There are three options to attend the three-week program:  

• Tuesdays, February 26, March 5 and March 12 from 4 pm to 5:30 pm
• Thursdays, February 28, March 7 and March 14 from 10 am to 12:30 pm
• Fridays, March 1, March 8 and March 15 from 1 pm to 2:30 pm. 

Register now.

For general questions about workshops or event programming, contact writingcenter@columbia.edu.