CSUSM has a lot of resources for students and faculty to use to make the transition to virtual instruction easier. 

The Writing Center hosted a Takeover Tuesday on their Instagram account led by one of their tutors, Vanessa Arboleda, on Sept. 22. Students were able to ask questions during the livestream. 

At the start of the Instagram story, Arboleda introduced herself and told viewers that she was going to do her morning routine and clean her room. Then, she returned to say that she had finished with that and was going to eat a bagel with egg, ham, bacon and mayo. 

The next slide of the story was a picture of the bagel that related the different pieces of the bagel to parts of an essay. The bread at the bottom of the bagel was the thesis, the ham represented the argument and the egg was an example to compliment the argument. 

The bacon stood for the “elaboration, [it] makes the egg make sense” and the mayo stood for the significance: it “ties the meaning of the sandwich together,” said Arboleda. Lastly, the bagel top stood for the conclusion, it “sets everything together,” she said. 

In the Q&A portion of the story, which was anonymous, a student asked for APA formatting tips. 

“We have handouts on the Writing Center website for all the formatting types. I always reference our APA Trifold [for in-text and reference page citations] and our APA format handout [for essay formatting] when [I have questions about it.] You can find these handouts by going to the Writing Center website, expanding the ‘Writer’s Resources’ tab, then clicking on ‘WC Handouts,’” Arboleda said. 

Another student asked if you need appointments for the Writing Center or if you can simply walk in. 

“We have a Quick Help channel on Microsoft Teams, which is like a virtual ‘walk-in’ for quick questions. However, I would recommend making an appointment for any concerns dealing with an assignment in its entirety or more in-depth concerns,” Arboleda said. 

Appointments can be made through the Writing Center website. Go to the “Make an Appointment” tab on the front page. 

When asked about tips on how to stay productive, Arboleda said, “[I stay productive by] including blocks of time for exercise, meditation, rest and even just time to be unproductive. This is super helpful because it motivates me to complete my tasks and stops me from feeling super overwhelmed.”

To access the Quick Help channel, visit the Writing Center website at csusm.edu/writingcenter. Then, click on the “Quick Help” section. 

For more information on the Writing Center you can go to their Instagram account @csusmwc or the website.