WHERE TO GO FOR HELP …

• Your Instructor Talk to your instructor after class, drop by during office hours, or make a one-on-one appointment. Check with your instructors to make sure that you understand their expectations for any writing, speaking, or researching assignments.
• Library Go to the library! Check out the library Web site or ask about a calendar of upcoming events. Many libraries have drop-in classes or workshops to help you learn specific skills. Head over to the reference desk and talk with a librarian about an assignment that you are working on.
• Specialized Libraries and Collections Review your library’s Web site to see how many separate libraries are on your campus. Make it a point to visit them all. If there is a library specific to your major, such as business, medicine, or music, make that one your first stop.
• Technology Support Centers Everyone faces some sort of computer crisis in their life. It seems that so many of these are just before a deadline for a major paper. Prepare yourself! Check out your school’s technology support services before you need them. Attend an orientation, chat with help-desk staff, and review their Web site so that you know where to go when you’re in crisis mode.
• Writing Center Most campuses have one. Frequently, it is found within the English department.
• Discipline-Based Courses Always keep one step ahead and have your eye on the future. Check for upper-division courses that will help you practice and hone your information literacy, research writing, and speaking skills. Review your course catalog early and often to make sure that you have all the prerequisites needed to get into these helpful classes.

• Research and documenting sources: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/. Purdue University has an excellent resource on documenting sources, both print and electronic.
• Writing tips: http://clas.uiowa.edu/history/teaching-and-writing-center/guides. The University of Iowa’s History Department offers help on common writing mistakes.
• Plain Language Have you ever been confused by government jargon? Here’s a guide to writing user-friendly documents for federal employees: http://www.plainlanguage.gov/howto/guidelines/FederalPLGuidelines/index.cfm.