A CW&P Survival Guide, (3/4)
Part One
by Ava Rahimpour, Prose Editor
Dear Second-Years,
Congratulations to the second years of the CW&P program! You survived your first year and are slowly but surely inching towards that halfway mark.
As a third-year student who rarely knows what’s going on throughout the semester and is often reduced to tears by essay assignments, I’m here to offer some knowledge—dare I say, some advice. After all, where would the world be if we never listened to people who don’t necessarily know what they’re talking about? Well, actually—don’t answer that. Instead, behold these pebbles of wisdom.
🫵 Write Outside Your Comfort Zone
Coming into the program, there was nothing I cared to write besides fantasy. The same was true in second year—as with this year, too. Creative nonfiction confounds me; poetry is a hit or miss; drama feels like fiction but with extra steps. I think everyone has that one genre that feels alive and exciting, making everything else feel stale in comparison. But I say hey (hey!)—
Ha, no. I say hey, try things outside your comfort zone while you’re here. It’s a great opportunity to discover what you might enjoy creating—to fiddle with a genre you dislike and somehow turn it into something you love working with. Does such an endeavour involve copious amounts of brain-numbing, tedious work? Yes, it usually does 😭 but at the same time it’s incredibly rewarding to see how much you’re capable of upon branching out—especially in those moments where you end up surprising yourself.
🫵 Outsource Upper-Years for Information
When attending events (which you totally should—as frequently as possible), locate a herd of upper-years and corner them into a friendly little chat. On top of any piping hot tea they might be itching to share 👀 they can also provide insight regarding what to expect as you progress through the program. It’s easy to end up learning a lot from them—like the fact you can do your internship in a traditional publishing setting, such as with Penguin Random House, or somewhere that’s not a publishing house at all, such as a nuclear power plant. That’s something I learned in my first year after sparking up a conversation with a fourth-year.
Apart from squeezing information out of them, it’s also just enjoyable to learn more about other people in the program—who they are, what they write, and what they intend on accomplishing.
🫵 Overall: Explore, Connect, Experiment
In the years you have left in the program, attend as many events as you can—and volunteer for them as well. Get to know the people there, and also the people in your classes. Be open to engaging with unfamiliar language/genre/style, whether reading it or writing it.
Lastly, know that Sheridan without a doubt hosts one of the better writing programs out there. We’re extremely lucky for that. I’ve heard stories from people undergoing writing classes/programs at other institutions and—as the kids these days say—‘oof’. Major thanks to all our professors for being so knowledgeable and supportive.
Good luck with the rest of your second year, and hope to see you at our Issue 4 Launch!
Part Two
by Constanza Paez Silva, Art Director
Hello, second years. As Ava has said: Congrats!
Here are some organizational tips and tricks that have helped me stay on track and organized in the hectic life of a busy student.
If you are anything like me, you might need to keep all deadlines in one place so you can reference them simultaneously. I’d like to introduce ✨Excel✨ (or sheets if you are a Google user). If you have not already been acquainted, I will be showing you step-by-step how I prepare my MASTER ASSIGNMENT LIST.
Prep Work
At the beginning of every semester, I take all the course outlines from every class and input them into an Excel list I name, in this case, “FALL 2024 MASTER ASSIGNMENT LIST” which I continuously refer to throughout the semester and use as a base when I put everything into my calendars (both physical and digital, more on that later).
Step 1 - Naming Columns
I start with naming the title of the columns:
CLASS code
ASSIGNMENT name
DEADLINE
DONE
This is how I label mine - you can always do it however you like. This is supposed to work for you!
Step 2 - Color Coding
Then, when everything is in (sometimes some assignments don’t have dates yet - hence the TBA - To Be Assigned) I assign them all designated colors.
Step 3: Sorting
Then, I start the sorting process.
Sort > Custom Sort…
The Sort Window will pop up with options as to how you want to sort.
For Sort by > DEADLINE.
Sort On > Cell Value
Order > Custom List…
Custom List > Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul….> OK
This is what the sort window looks like at the end. Press OK and it will sort the information you have selected from your earliest date to your later date.
As so:
Try this out and see if this method works for you!
If you’re more of a calendar person, here is how I use Google Calendar to help with reminders and notifications. It is also easier to access on your phone for last-minute appointments or events.
Google Calendar
Currently my best friend in planning not only for deadlines but also for any extracurriculars and personal reminders, as I am a person who tends to forget things very quickly. Putting dates and reminders on my Calendar right away has saved me from potential missed assignments and meetings.
Some cool features you may not know about.
You can make separate calendars (a feature which I thought was very well known, but I found myself introducing it to many of my friends and colleagues who wished they had known about it earlier. So, if this is not new to you, no worries; you’re already ahead in scheduling and Google Calendar Mastery. If this is new for you, keep reading! I will go through how to create a new calendar for each possible life categorization needed.)
For example:
Classes
Homework
Work
Extracurriculars
Personal Fitness
Home/Family
More Color Coding! I color code everything because - one it looks cute, and two it helps me to associate a color with the type of calendar it stands for.
Sharing your calendar. You can share your calendar so that people can see and add to it. I like to use this specific feature to share my class schedule with my family, so I don’t have to repeat to them my class schedule (which I still end up doing when they have to plan for a family event).
Merging with your apple calendar. You can sign into your google account on your iPhone and add it to your apple calendar.
Notifications and reminders. You can set as many notifications as you need. For a very important event that I think I will forget, I like to have a reminder set for 1 week before then 2 days before and then the morning of…just in case.
Making a new calendar
To start, go onto Google Calendar.
On the bottom left there is My calendars. Here is where I separate all my different calendars for easier distinction.
Select the three dots on the side of the calendar
Click on Settings and sharing
It will bring you to the Calendar Settings
There are many things you can do here, but for now we are going to Add calendar.
And then Create new calendar
Add the desired name and then hit the arrow to go back. It will automatically save, and you will see it in your list of calendars on the bottom left.
Now you have a new calendar!
Add as many calendars as you need. I like to have all my school stuff and home stuff separate.
Along with Google Calendar I like to have a physical planner that I carry around with me for any last-minute notes or homework planning that I might need. I later add it into my calendar when I have time.
Plus, you can always access it from your phone to quickly add any important events that pop up.
All these ways of keeping track of your assignments are not intended to overwhelm you. I happen to be a person who uses them all, but you may not need them all. Try until you find a system that works for you. It also helps to know what kind of learner you are. I am a very visual person, so it helps me to see the same thing everywhere. I went through a lot of trial and error until I found my system, so I encourage you to try what interests you and leave what doesn’t. Chew the hay and spit the sticks.
Have a great rest of your semester and keep an eye out for our new Issue 4 launch!
Sincerely always finding ways to color code,
Constanza
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