As the Student Writing Specialist for JWU Online, professors often tell me that their students struggle with understanding assignment instructions.

Here’s how to tackle the sometimes frustrating process of following complex or lengthy directions.

1.       Read all assignment instructions carefully as soon as you receive them.

This will save you time and stress later on! If there is something you do not understand, be sure to reach out to your instructor as soon as you are able, as this is when his or her feedback will be most useful.

As the writing specialist for Johnson & Wales University’s College of Online Education, I’m always working with students to improve their writing skills. A common issue among writers that I see all the time (and one that particularly rankles me!): the use of “who” versus “that” in formal writing.

“Who” is the preferred pronoun when referring to human beings; the relative pronoun “that” should only be used, then, for animals and things.

Here are two instances where “who” is used correctly:

As the Student Writing Support Specialist for Johnson & Wales University’s College of Online Education, I work with both graduate and undergraduate learners on advancing their writing skills. My job includes crafting thesis statements, developing arguments, ensuring APA and MLA formatting guidelines have been met, and more!

Here are five common grammatical errors I see when reviewing student work, and tips for how you can correct them in your own writing: