“Papers, Papers, and More Papers. Will It Ever End?”

Intro by Laura Milcarzyk and Jemma Johnson

For many college students, writing doesn’t feel like art—it feels like work. It’s the blinking cursor on a blank page, the late-night paper, the hours of research, and the assignment they’d rather avoid. Unlike painting or sculpting, writing often doesn’t seem creative; it’s just another task to complete. But writing, like any art form, begins with the challenge to make something out of nothing.

A blank canvas, a hunk of clay, a silent instrument all demand imagination, patience, and effort. A painting, a sculpture, or a symphony doesn’t appear out of thin air. It takes time, intention, and craft. Writing is no different. Though it may start as drudgery, it can become a powerful tool for communication, discovery, and even joy.

In this August edition of Public Services Student Worker Chronicles, students, staff, and faculty reflect on their relationship with writing: how it has challenged them, shaped them, and become part of their academic and professional lives.

For writing support, the Writing Center is located on the 4th floor of the Z. Smith Reynolds Library, Room 426.

Monthly Question: What are your reflections on writing, or a favorite writing quote?

Safa Akhter, Junior, Physics, minor in Arabic:

“Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers.” —Isaac Asimov

In my mind, writing is speaking, which is just thinking out loud, but with just more time to fine-tune what is coming out.

Peter Romanov, Public Services Specialist and Student Employee Supervisor:

Writing is like a strong cup of coffee – it starts with a spark, brews with creativity, and can leave you feeling energized and inspired long after it’s done.

Soany Aguilar, Senior, Religious Studies, PreMed:

During my college writing life, I’ve been able to see how diverse communication can be through writing on different topics and different formats. From lab reports, emails, research papers, and more, my writing has such a variety that it seems like different people are writing. In my future professional life as a physician, this diversity will help me to be conscious of direct and informed communication, not only with coworkers, but even more with patients. Being able to provide patients with clarity about their condition will be an important aspect of my work. Simple differences in my writing may be the small differences that help make healthcare accessible to more people, something I feel passionate about. College has improved my writing greatly, and I hope to continue this trend into my future professional life.

From Their Perspective

Walker Newman, Senior, Biology, B.S.:

As a biology major, writing is a skill that I’ve had to broaden during college. I grew up an avid reader, so the imagery and details that accompany creative writing have never felt hard for me to access. Scientific writing is a whole other challenge. Fact and truth are the most important qualities to represent in research papers, and the immense amount of digging for resources and relaying your analyses effectively, and without fluff, is difficult.

With that being said, I follow much of the same process physically for both kinds of writing. I like to be in a cozy spot on campus like one of the booths on the atrium level of ZSR, somewhere with people around, lots of light, and an iced beverage available. Usually, I don’t start with an outline, I just write based on my prior research or ideas and see where it goes. Then, I go back and have to edit out some unfinished thoughts or wacky sentences. I’ll often write a whole paper and not even know where the words are coming from, the paragraphs will just appear.

I’ve enjoyed getting to write more creatively working at the OGB during my time at Wake, where I’ve learned the value of others editing your work. I have also had to write countless short essays for scholarship and grad school applications, honing my ability to represent myself and my values in my words. Papers have been the basis of my growth as a writer during my time at Wake, and I’m looking forward to continuing to use my skills in the future.

J. Denice Lewis, Research and Instruction Librarian for Engineering and Science:

Writing Ethically with Generative AI: Tips for College Students

My writing style has evolved over the years from elongated passages written as a stream of consciousness to a concise narrative outlining factual information in a relatable way. Starting out my career as an engineer forced me to distill the information needed into snippets and remove what would be considered as flowery language from the final product. At Georgia Institute of Technology majoring in Electrical Engineering, my classes ranged from general core classes to technical electives in Electrical Engineering. To get feedback on anything I wrote, I scheduled time with a professor, met with a writing tutor, or asked a friend for feedback.

Nowadays, Generative AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity.ai offer opportunities for brainstorming and improving writing efficiency. However, using AI responsibly and ethically is essential in an academic setting where integrity matters.

First and foremost, read the syllabus for each class carefully. Each professor may have different policies regarding the use of AI tools in their class. One professor may allow the use of AI for ideas or grammar suggestions but prohibit submitting AI-generated content as your own. Another professor may permit AI tools to be used for specific assignments. Whereas a different professor may not allow AI tools to be used for any assignments. Keep in mind that misrepresenting AI-written work as your original writing can be considered as plagiarism.

If AI use is permitted by your professor, think of AI as a smart assistant. Use it to clarify complex topics, generate outlines, or explore different perspectives. If your professor does allow text generated by AI, cite it appropriately according to their guidelines. Also, double-check facts and sources. AI can sometimes generate plausible but false or inaccurate information. Be sure to rely on academic and verified resources for research and citations.

Finally, remember that the goal of college writing is to develop your voice, fine tune your reasoning, and improve your communication skills. AI can support your process, but it should never replace you. Ethical AI use isn’t about avoiding detection It’s about learning responsibly in a continually changing digital world. Use it wisely, and it can be a valuable tool in your academic toolkit.

Don’t forget that Wake Forest has licenses for students to use Gemini Microsoft Co-Pilot Adobe Firefly, and scite.ai for free! Create an account using your WFU Gmail account.

Caroline Livesay, Writing Center, Academic Coordinator:

“I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see, and what it means. What I want and what I fear.” —Joan Didion

In college, busy lives and deadlines can mean that papers sometimes feel more like a chore than their intended learning exercise. The heavy workloads and packed calendars of the workplace can make emails feel tedious or like they are being sent into the void. But writing is more than just a box on your to-do list: it’s a way to connect.

Every time we write, we are reaching out and making a connection with another person, and that connection gives us an opportunity to build rapport, to understand each other’s needs, and to provide an opening for human creativity. It’s a tool that allows us to take the time to craft our own thoughts and ideas, present them carefully to help others understand, too, and then share that part of our minds, no matter how messy it might be.

I cannot overstate how important writing has been in my own time here at WFU and in my professional life beyond. As a student, writing haphazard, imperfect emails that asked “silly” questions and went on long tangents helped me build a mentor-mentee relationship with a professor. Writing careful, painstaking emails and reports at my workplace during the pandemic helped ensure everyone had what they needed and that nothing fell through the cracks. During that same time, the mentorship bond I developed in undergrad turned my winding emails into conversational text messages about life and the pursuit of happiness, if you will, which then helped me return to WFU.

And now, thanks to all of that writing, I am here writing to you.

And isn’t it beautiful that we can end up here, thinking and growing together, because of something so imperfect? So catalyzing? So human?

The opportunity you have here to learn, think, and connect through your writing is invaluable, so even though it is hard, even though it sometimes feels like a chore, even though you are busy, even though it is rarely perfect, take it. I promise it’ll be worth it.

Final Note

We hope these thoughts and tips have inspired you as you begin your fall semester. We’re so glad to have our amazing student workers as part of the ZSR team!