Talking Nonsense @ The UWC
You’ve just got out of a class where your professor gave the guidelines for an essay due in a week. You know in your heart that you won’t actually start writing ‘til the night before. But even though your professor just finished their explanation, you have no idea how to start. No vague ideas, no resources, no way to begin. You figure “whatever, I work best under pressure, I’ll make something up.” A week later, you are under pressure still without any ideas. You’re considering asking for an extension. You’re considering dropping the class. You’re considering dropping out altogether. Anything is better than the god-awful, absolutely painful process of having to start an essay. If you or a loved one has had an experience like this, we have a solution: talking nonsense at UTEP’s Writing Center.
The Writing Center is great for talking nonsense! All writing starts somewhere, and we’ve found that it usually starts somewhere kinda silly. But the consultants at the UWC are more than happy to talk about silliness if it helps you out. Feel free to come by, tell your consultant “I need help brainstorming” and they will be there to talk absolute nonsense. Bounce ideas off of us and we can help you develop them. We can create wild ideas with you until you get that lightbulb moment. Exploring multiple topics and questions with someone is one of the easiest ways to figure out what you want to say, even if the talk went in weird places. Whatever direction you take your assignment, the UWC will be there for support.
Talking nonsense is also good for releasing emotion. You need to complain about this assignment? You need to vent about how awful your class is? You need to rant about your ex for a minute? We’re here for it! You can talk as long as you need if it helps clear your head. It’s impossible to focus on a topic when there’s millions of other things you’re worried about, so feel free to get those out with us. Come in with your assignment, take a second to vent to us, and suddenly your assignment will seem a little less frustrating. We can work together to make you feel better about the day and put your assignment on the right track.
Struggling with an assignment alone is one of the worst experiences in college; reaching out to others can help avoid this struggle and prevent burnout. UTEP’s community relies on students talking to each other, especially to help each other out. The UWC is here to let you talk through your assignment, whether it’s looking at the instructions or exploring a strange topic. So, please feel free to use the UWC to talk some nonsense! It’s a great way to start an assignment, one of our favorite things to do, and an integral part of UTEP’s community.