November and December are the holiday season. They are also a good time to start preparing graduate school applications and write a motivation letter. This week the Write Space held a workshop on writing motivation letters. The main message of this recurring workshop is that graduate school selection committees wish to learn how the program would help the applicant in future career and how the applicant can contribute during and after completing the program. One of the most important tasks of a motivation letter is to unpack the experiences the applicant’s CV.
We are thrilled to welcome Laman, Khalid and Fatima to the Writing Center.
Khalid Mammadov, Computer Science, Class of 2025Fatima Mammadova, International Studies, Class of 2025Laman Novruzzada, International Studies, Class of 2025The new writing consultants have successfully completed one month of training
The Write Space peer consultants attended a library session on advanced library search skills. Library specialist in research and instructional services Nigar Babayeva offered an overview of ADA Library databases, and demonstrated how to effectively use boolean operators, truncation, and wildcard symbols. The writing consultants also learned which free browser extensions are useful for library search and document viewing, how to access theses and dissertations, and recognise and avoid predatory and hijacked journals.
ADA University Writing Program and Writing Center are soliciting entries for an undergraduate essay contest. We are committed to supporting scholarship and seek to highlight the outstanding work of ADA University undergraduate students within a number of interdisciplinary fields.
For this contest, we are seeking student research essays that investigate the following topics:
Azerbaijan:
The Karabakh war
Poet Nizami Ganjavi
Education:
Online education
Value of education and academia
Digital literacy
Information literacy in the era of fake news
Plagiarism
Knowledge assessment and standardized testing
Inquiry-based learning
Education in times of crisis: Lessons from the COVID-19
Leadership:
What makes a good leader?
Gender:
Gender and career
Gender and education
Gender and cultural differences
Success:
Nature or nurture? The debate over talent
Finding your own path
Success and personality types
Intelligence and creativity
Technology:
Technology and education
Social media and communication
Social media and mental health
Substance abuse:
Alcohol and drug abuse
Substance abuse and mental health
Science of well-being:
The COVID-19 and mental health
Mindfulness
Power of meditation
Sleep deprivation
Nutrition and wellbeing
Mental health literacy
We are accepting other topics, too. However, all entries should comply with the format requirements listed below and assume a wider audience (not your content professor or expert in the field).
Essay Requirements
All entries should be directed to writingcenter@ada.edu.az. Entry emails should provide the information about your full name, major and class, and have the subject line “Essay competition”. All entries should be submitted as Microsoft Word attachments and use Times New Roman Font, 12-point size, be double-spaced, and limited to 2,000 words. All entries should include full information for external scholarly sources in APA format.
Questions about the contest and all other correspondence should be directed to writingcenter@ada.edu.az. We encourage early submission of questions to allow for adequate response before the submission deadline, and we cannot guarantee a response to questions submitted after July 7th.
Eligible submissions received beforethe end of July 10th will be forwarded to a selection committee for consideration.
Selection Process
Essays will be judged on originality of argument and quality of composition. Submissions will undergo review by two or more referees from ADA University Writing Program. All decisions are final. Award announcements will be made by July 25th.
It used to be so good… I would sit in a comfortable chair and wait for “that” time. Then someone would knock on the door and say: “I came for a consultation.” I would smile and welcome the student. The best thing I could ask in real life: “How can I help you?” I remember we used to have some awkward pauses in the beginning of a consultation. First few minutes the students used to be shy and passive, but after some time a comfortable atmosphere and smiling face directed towards them would help them open up and relax.
I used to feel good at that time, listening to the students’ ideas, thinking, and at the same time trying to guide them by asking relevant questions about their papers. It was one of the best feelings in my life. And, suddenly, it all disappeared. No more face-to-face consultations, cozy atmosphere of the Writing Center, small talk with other peer consultants as well as Writing Center coordinator… Suddenly all is gone and the only way I can help students is through online meetings. I cannot feel the student paper in my hands anymore, talk to them or just spend time in the Writing Center. Face-to-face trainings for new peer consultants are no longer there. We meet on Zoom and it feels strange to collaborate online having not met in person. It is a new feeling to me: meeting new peer consultants but seeing they faces only through this small square window of Zoom. “Will I see them in real life?” – This is a question that I am constantly asking myself. I remember my own training several years ago. I met all peer consultants that were graduating. They gave me some advice, helped me adapt to at that time the new work place for me. “Should I have appreciated that time?” – This is another question that I am asking myself.
It seems like I will no longer be able to hold consultations face-to-face. This is my last year as a peer consultant and I realize that I will not be able to see students at the Writing Center anymore. The only way I can help them is by looking at the Zoom window square as black as Malevich’s Black Square painting, behind which sits a student. This is up to my imagination to assume whether the student listens to me or not, makes notes or not, to illustrate in my mind how does the student look like or what she is thinking about… “What does she think of the online consultation experience?” “Has he ever attended a face-to-face consultation?” – These are the questions that I am asking myself.
Nonetheless, even though this all feels sad and heartbreaking, I do not want to be pessimistic. I feel that good days are to come. Even if I cannot meet those students, it does not mean that I have to be disappointed. I have good memories in my mind. This year was a challenging year since we needed to adapt to the new realities of the world. We had the first online graduation at ADA University, transition to online classes, and a long-awaited victory, too! All in all, there were ups and downs, which is not unusual, as it is the cycle of life. I learnt my lessons from 2020 and I hope everyone did. Let’s value what we have and hope for the best together!
Dunya Suleymanova is a Write Space consultant. She studies international affairs at ADA University. She has been with the Writing Center since 2018.
Submit your research essay for this essay contest!
ADA University Writing Program and Writing Center are accepting entries for an essay contest to highlight the outstanding work of undergraduate students.
Any current ADA University bachelor student is encouraged to submit a research essay for a chance to be published!
The deadline for submissions is February 15th, 2020.
Call for Submissions: Undergraduate Essay Contest
ADA University Writing Program and Writing Center are soliciting entries for an undergraduate essay contest. We are committed to supporting scholarship and seek to highlight the outstanding work of undergraduate students within a number of interdisciplinary fields. For this contest, we are seeking student research essays that investigate the following topics:
Education:
Education in the 21st century (online platforms, MOOCs, home schooling)
Value of education and academia
Digital literacy
Information literacy in the era of fake news
Plagiarism
Leadership:
What makes a good leader?
Organizational leadership
Leadership styles
Gender:
Gender and career
Gender and education
Gender and cultural differences
Success:
Nature or nurture? The debate over talent
Success and personality types
Intelligence and creativity
Technology:
Technology and education
Social media and communication
Social media and mental health
Substance abuse:
Alcohol and drug abuse
Substance abuse and mental health
Science of well-being:
Mindfulness
Effects of sleep deprivation
Nutrition and wellbeing
The contest will award certificates and an opportunity to publish in the University journal to three outstanding individual essays.
Essay Requirements
All entries should be directed to writingcenter@ada.edu.az. Entry emails should provide the information about your full name, major and class, and have the subject line “Essay competition”. Entries should be submitted as Microsoft Word email attachments and use Times New Roman Font, 12-point size, be double-spaced, and limited to 2,000 words. All entries should include full information for external scholarly sources in APA format.
Questions about the contest and all other correspondence should be directed to gkarimova@ada.edu.az, asavelyeva@ada.edu.az or writingcenter@ada.edu.az.
We encourage early submission of questions to allow for adequate response before the submission deadline, and we cannot guarantee a response to questions submitted after February 12th.
Eligible submissions received before the end of February 15th will be forwarded to a selection committee for consideration.
Selection Process
Essays will be judged on originality of argument and quality of composition. Submissions will undergo review by two or more referees from ADA University Writing Program. All decisions are final. Award announcements will be made by March 15th.
The Write Space: ADA's Writing Center 