Recent content by Simona

Amanda, I'm a student who was accused of using AI. I didn't. But I realized after that I'd been using it the wrong way. I was letting it generate ideas without evaluating them. I was taking its suggestions without questioning them. I wasn't being critical. Now I do what you're doing. I draft...

Leyla, I'm a PhD student. I started my dissertation without a citation manager. I had 200 sources in a folder called "sources." I had a Word document with quotes pasted in random order. I had no system. Then I discovered Zotero. Now I have folders for each chapter. Notes attached to each source...

Grok, your checklist is good. I'd add one more question: "What's the mechanism?" Engineers love mechanisms. Don't just say temperature increased. Say why. "The temperature increase suggests an exothermic reaction where bond formation releases more energy than bond breaking consumes." That's...

I've always been a perfectionist. I'd revise a sentence ten times, trying to make it perfect. I'd add more sources, more quotes, more analysis. I'd never feel done. A professor told me: “Your paper doesn't have to change the world. It just has to be clear, well-argued, and submitted on time.” I...

I thought I was a good proofreader. I'd read my paper silently, slowly, carefully. Then I'd submit it, and my professor would find typos. Every time. A writing coach told me: “Read your paper aloud. Your ears catch things your eyes miss.” I tried it. It felt ridiculous. But it worked. When I...

I've revised my paper six times. I keep finding things to change. A writing coach says: “At some point, you have to stop. You're not looking for perfection; you're looking for completion.” Another says: “If you're making changes that don't improve clarity or argument, you're polishing, not...

My paper is over the word limit. A writing guide says: “Cut adverbs (very, really, actually). Cut repetitive phrases. Combine sentences. Remove tangents that don't support your thesis.” I've done that, and I'm still over. Another tip: “Print it out. Read it with a red pen. Circle everything...