INTERVIEW PAPER 1 - Interview on Graduate School Writing Expectations
Purpose: Exploring the Differences of Writing Expectations at the Undergraduate and Graduate Level.
Make an appointment with a graduate student (in the Writing Center, a G.A. in lab) or with a professor in your discipline, or with a member of the Gateway Center. You are to find out what the writing expectations are at the graduate level in an area of your interest. Please consider asking the following but do not stick solely with the following questions:

• If you could go back to your undergraduate years, what areas of writing would you have focused on a bit more?
• What research skills do you find most useful?
• Is your writing process similar now as it was during your undergraduate years?
• How do you figure what is expected from your graduate courses specifically with writing?
• If you are writing a thesis, do you feel prepared?
• How often do you think about document design? How often do you use technology (to design documents, to send communicative work, for presentations)?
• What advice do you have for undergraduates who have time to study and practice their writing skills?

This response has 2 parts. You will have the respondent's answers (paraphrased, do not list every word they said), and your own thoughts on those answers. You are encouraged to combine or weave your thoughts into your respondents answers.

3-4 pages
Cite your Interviewee

INTERVIEW PAPER 2
Choose 1 professor or a professional who either teaches or works in the field you are interested in. Informally talk with this individual (email works) and ask this person about the kinds of writing they do, as well the kinds of writing they are aware of. Ask them to focus on entry-level writing expectations.

Ask the individual who the imagined audience is for their writing. If they say they do not write, ask if they ever need to write memos, emails, notes, to other co-workers or administrators. Sometimes, the word writing is relegated to a novel.

We are interested in forms of communication that rely solely on the written word. Ask if they ever find it necessary to explain their points with full sentences, narratives, statistics, etc. When do they consciously choose the method of organizing their message (memos, reports, essays). Listen for examples of ethos, pathos, logos, purpose, audience, and of course, author.

This response has 2 parts. You will have the respondent's answers (paraphrased, do not list every word they said), and your own thoughts on those answers. You are encouraged to combine or weave your thoughts into your respondents answers.

Specifications:

3-4 pages
NO title page (name in upper right hand corner)

PREPARATION FOR INTERVIEWS

When students take these interviews seriously, they gain more than a grade from me. Students have landed internships from Response Paper 2. I strongly suggest you take these two assignments as practice. Practice talking professionally to another professional. Make sure your appearance is an attempt at professionalism. Savers has ties (near the mall). Comb your hair. Wash up.