SUNY Cortland

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Help with Your Writing

There are many resources that can help improve your writing. Below is a compiled list of on- and off-campus resources that may help you.

Academic Support and Achievement Program (ASAP)

The Academic Support and Achievement Program (ASAP)helps students learn how they learn best. ASAP staff provides academic support to students of all ability and achievement levels, both undergraduate and graduate, through tutoring in writing, reading, mathematics, math-related courses, time management and study skills. Students may use the services through self-referral or faculty-referral by advisor, faculty member, or dean and can take advantage of: professional staff and professionally trained peer tutors, one-on-one instruction, small group instruction, workshops and Supplemental Instruction attached to challenging courses (look for SI in the course schedule). Students who have regularly attended ASAP have developed increased confidence in their abilities, have acquired independent learning skills, and have shown marked improvement in their grade point averages.

ASAP is open Monday-Thursday 8:00 A.M.- 5:00 P.M. and Friday from 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Stop by and make an appointment at Van Hoesen Hall, Room B-205 or you can contact ASAP by phone at 753-4309

 

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Handbooks and Basic Advice

Handbooks and Basic Advice

Universal Keys for Writers, The Simon & Schuster Handbook for Writers, The Allyn and Bacon Handbook, and The Scott Foresman Handbook for Writers are the handbooks assigned in Cortland composition courses. Useful online handbooks are:

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Reference Books

  • Bartleby: Books, Books, and more Books! Bartleby is an excellent resource for all who want to find information in any number of areas: dictionaries, encyclopedias, books of quotations, and more. Bartleby even has full-text books, all online, and all free!
  • Thesaurus
  • The Internet Public Library has links to many different reference pages on the Web.
  • One Look Dictionary Search
  • The Merriam-Webster contains an online dictionary and thesaurus that is easy to use and expansive.
  • Merriam Webster also has a complete atlas that is easy to search.
  • Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations is available unabridged.
  • King James Bible allowing search and biblical reference.
  • The Elements of Style is a classic text written by William Strunk, Jr. It contains the elementary rules of English Grammar and Usage, as well as a list of commonly misspelled words.

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Tips for Writing Particular Types of Papers

Below you'll find tips for writing in a variety of genres. Be sure to consult with your professor to clearly determine the goals and guidelines for your assignments.

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