Writing Center | USF Tampa Libraries » Uncategorized

Congratulations to Our Graduates!

Alnaggar Enaam — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:55:48 +0000

Writing Center Graduates

Roni Browdy, MA, English

Jason Carabelli, MA, English

Kristen Gay, MA, English

Micah Jenkins, MA, World Languages

Gloria Munoz, MFA, English

Melissa Nye, MA, World Languages

Kate Pantelides, PhD, English

Claire Stephens, MFA, English

Katie Waddell, MA, English

Kimberly Karalius, MFA, English

Support the USF Writing Center

Laura Hennessey — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 18:01:07 +0000

The Writing Center appreciates the support of the community and hopes to increase its ability to reach out to students, staff and faculty at USF. Please consider making a donation to help us continue our mission.

Each year, the USF Writing Center supports the efforts of students and faculty in all disciplines at any stage of their writing process. The Writing Center conducted a survey of 2,387 students during the 2011-12 school year. We are happy to share that many students who responded reported a marked improvement in their writing grades and 92% of those who responded believe that the skills developed in their writing center consultations will translate to their work across the disciplines.

Please make a gift!

Thank you!

Thesis Statements

Laura Hennessey — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:24:59 +0000

Thesis statements can be one of the most difficult aspects of writing an essay. Whether you’re working on a rhetorical analysis for your Comp II class, or trying to prepare your masters thesis, a strong thesis statement is a must! Writing Center consultant Jose Aparicio has some great tips below for creating and proofreading the strength of your thesis statement.

Thesis Statements

A thesis controls the paper as the central idea that the whole paper depends.

A thesis answers a question: “What is it I want to say?”

A good thesis is:

Assertive—a good thesis should take a stand
Specific—your topic should be narrow, but not too narrow. Your thesis should show exactly what your paper will be about.
Justifies the discussion—a good thesis answers the “so what?” question. A good thesis engages with a topic and should make readers interested in how you will support your stance
Expresses one main point (idea)
Employs words such as: because, since, although, unless. A good thesis usually has a topic and an important point made about the topic.

When you have a thesis your want to use, proofread it to make sure it’s strong.

Questions to ask yourself about the thesis:

Do I answer the question?
Have I taken a position others might challenge? (don’t “shoot fish in a barrel or only state facts)
Is my thesis specific enough?
Does my thesis answer the “so what” question?
Does my essay support my thesis specifically without wandering?
Does my thesis pass the “how and why” test? If your reader is left asking “how” or “why” then your thesis might be too vague