26. April 2024

“Writing Can Be Fun” “Writing Can Be Fun”: How to write a successful term paper—in conversation with writing consultant Katja Reinicke

How to write a successful term paper—in conversation with writing consultant Katja Reinicke

A blank sheet of paper, a blinking cursor on the screen. The deadline is looming ever-closer, yet you are unable to write anything useful: for many students, writing term papers constitutes a major challenge. From choosing a suitable topic to correct citation, there are a number of hurdles to success. If these seem insurmountable, you can seek support from the Studierendenwerk's writing advice service.

write-5243230_1920.jpg © Pixabay / viarami (CC 0)

Download all images in original size The impression in connection with the service is free, while the image specified author is mentioned.

A writing consultant for Studierendenwerk Bonn, Katja Reinicke provides help and assistance to students of all faculties in writing their term papers and final theses. The consultation sessions that she runs four days a week are free-of-charge to students attending the various institutions of higher education in Bonn. Students can visit her in-person between 9 am to 5 pm Mondays and Tuesdays or benefit from a Zoom or telephone consultation between 9 am and 2.30 pm on a Wednesday. Although there is currently a three to four-week waiting list, she also tries to make appointments at short notice in very urgent cases.

Katja Reinicke, Schreibberaterin am Studierendenwerk Bonn

“My experience is that writer’s block is rarely a matter of aptitude,” she says. Instead, Reinicke focuses on the effects of self-doubt in inhibiting academic performance.

People with keen perception and high standards are sometimes just their own worst critic. She has found the answer to be the provision of encouragement, support and a healthy dose of pragmatism in order to help students approach their texts in a structured and creative fashion. “When advising students, I always seek to build their confidence so that they can articulate what they know,” explains the writing consultant. To this end, she focuses on showing students how to structure their project into manageable stages, so that it appears less daunting. Her mantra: “writing can be fun!”

In this sense, she offers a bespoke service that focuses on the individual strengths of each student. She provides support both over the long-term and for those who just need some short-term tips on how to succeed in their first term paper.

Five writing tips

Have the courage to take an independent perspective Be spontaneous! Apply the brainstorming approach by writing words and ideas quickly into clusters. Use the cluster to trigger associations and activate your passive knowledge about the topic of your paper. Switch off your inner censor and run with your first ideas. You can always improve on them later. Face the central academic task of finding your own slant on the topic. Trust your instincts and use them as a starting point. Begin writing and see where it takes you in your research

Take brave decisions! Draw up a mind map of questions and use it to develop a structure for your paper as early as possible. Keep it compact and transparent—the more the chapter titles reveal about your thesis and findings, the better! Delve into the deeper levels of your topic and break it down into sub-questions. In this way, you can carve up your text into a number of smaller, bite-sized chunks, the sum of which combine to create a compelling analytical structure for your overall argument.

Write while you are thinking. Regard thinking and writing as processes belonging together and abilities that you do already master. Like all processes, they are always subject to change—be prepared to change and grow with them. Never aim for perfection or being “super”: instead, do something new and imperfect that you can improve upon later. Be prepared to learn from your mistakes! Then true success will come

Have the confidence to seek the limelight! Think of yourself as part of a wider community of researchers. No one ploughs a lone furrow: use contacts and networks and form working groups. You can also develop a confident, independent academic style by working in close consultation with your lecturer. Profit from their experience and believe that they want you to succeed and deliver high-quality work.

Helpful tips! A range of useful academic writing materials is available here: Fürchte dich nicht - schreibe! Die Heldenmethode für Haus- und Abschlussarbeiten by Katja Reinicke, published by utb-Verlag 2018, and available in the University of Bonn writing portal or from other universities.

More about the Studierendenwerk's writing advice service

Get help!