Featured Student Writer: Asaad Al-Saleh

Featured Student Writer: Ayumi Fukushima

A Bachelor of Arts candidate with a double major in International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies, Ayumi Fukushima has been a regular client of the QWC for the last two years. Ayumi, who has already traveled to Kenya, recently applied for a study-abroad grant and hopes to be studying in Jordan soon. We sat down with Ayumi to talk about her career plans, her experiences as a second-language writer from Japan, and her time spent working with the Writing Center tutors.

QWC: Tell us where you’re from.

AF: I’m from a city called Hanno, north of Tokyo in the prefecture of Saitama.

QWC: Why did you decide to attend the University of Arkansas?

AF: I was a member of an organization that encourages high school graduates to attend university in the United States. My academic adviser suggested I attend the U of A because there is a Middle Eastern Studies program here, and I was able to get a waiver on out-of-state tuition. I also wanted to study in the U.S. because there is greater variety of cultures here. Japanese entrance exams for university are very hard, but once you’re accepted, the studies aren’t so hard. Studying at an American university is much more challenging, and I wanted to have that challenge.

QWC: What is your major and what do you hope to do after you complete your studies?

AF: My majors are International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies. I want to be involved in economic development in countries in the Middle East, like Jordan, Iraq, Syria—that region—or, I will go back to Japan and work among Japanese people to remove misunderstanding about Middle Easterners. The misunderstanding is the result of current wars and terrorist organizations. Not all people from the region are violent. Very few people are involved in the violence. Middle Eastern people are very kind, and I want to work to increase interaction between Japanese and Middle Eastern cultures.

QWC: What are some of the major differences between writing in English and writing in your native language?

AF: The word order is different. In English, it’s subject-verb-object. In Japanese, it’s subject-object-verb. And in Japanese, we don’t use articles like “a” or “the,” so that’s been very hard for me. Ideas in English are presented in a very linear way. In Japanese, it’s much more subtle, much less direct. The main idea isn’t necessarily presented at the beginning. But I like American academic writing more than Japanese academic writing because I think it’s clearer for me. I like Japanese stories and fiction.

QWC: What have you found most challenging about writing assignments at the U of A?

AF: Grammatical issues—selecting the proper articles and verb tenses has been challenging for me. As far as assignments, my social science and political science papers have been okay. But lab reports for biology and chemistry have been hard. The report has sections—introduction, objectives, materials and methods, and results—I have difficulty knowing how much detail I need to write. And this semester I came to the Writing Center to work on personal statements. At first I had difficulty because my topic was too broad, but I got better at being more specific. It was also hard to remain within the word limit for the statement. .

QWC: You’ve been a regular client at the QWC over the past two years. You’ve visited tutors for help with assignments in ENGL 1013 & 1023, PHIL 2003, PLSC 3523 & 3823, and ECON 4643. How has the QWC helped you with your writing?

AF: First, and most important, the center has helped me with grammar. My professors will be bothered with my grammar, even if my ideas are good. So the help with the grammar has been important. Sometimes I use very informal and conversational words that should not be used in an academic paper, and the tutors help me with that problem. Sometimes the tutors help me learn English idioms—that’s helpful, too. At times, I think in Japanese and translate into English, so my sentences are strange, and I don’t recognize the strangeness. Working with the tutors helps.

QWC: Tell us about your writing process.

AF: Well, for a research paper, I need to narrow down my possible topics, do some light research, and come up with a thesis. Then I do deeper, more-focused research, and create my main ideas, usually three. I make an outline with an introduction, a thesis, my three main ideas, and a conclusion. It’s very basic! I begin writing and making my citations. I usually make three drafts.

QWC: How do you begin a session with a QWC tutor?

AF: I tell the tutor about the assignment and what the professor requires. I mention that it’s a first draft. I ask for suggestions about structure and organization. I ask the tutor to talk to me about anything important that’s missing. I ask the tutor to work with me on any grammatical problems.

QWC: What do you do following a session with a tutor?

AF: I revise the paper, add and remove sentences, and correct my grammatical errors. If necessary, I make another appointment. Sometimes I go to see my professor. The tutor is very helpful for writing help, but at times I need the professor’s help with content issues and ideas in my paper.

QWC: What advice do you have for students who may be considering using the QWC’s services?

AF: Don’t hesitate to use the service. Prepare your questions ahead and ask the tutors. Start your writing projects as early as possible!

If you would like to read interviews from the QWC's previous featured student writers click here.

Featured Student Writer: Ayumi Fukushima

A Bachelor of Arts candidate with a double major in International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies, Ayumi Fukushima has been a regular client of the QWC for the last two years. Ayumi, who has already traveled to Kenya, recently applied for a study-abroad grant and hopes to be studying in Jordan soon. We sat down with Ayumi to talk about her career plans, her experiences as a second-language writer from Japan, and her time spent working with the Writing Center tutors. QWC: Tell us where you’re from. AF: I’m from a city called Hanno, north of Tokyo in the prefecture of Saitama. QWC: Why did you decide to attend the University of Arkansas? AF: I was a member of an organization that encourages high school graduates to attend university in the United States. My academic adviser suggested I attend the U of A because there is a Middle Eastern Studies program here, and I was able to get a waiver on out-of-state tuition. I also wanted to study in the U.S. because there is greater variety of cultures here. Japanese entrance exams for university are very hard, but once you’re accepted, the studies aren’t so hard. Studying at an American university is much more challenging, and I wanted to have that challenge. QWC: What is your major and what do you hope to do after you complete your studies? AF: My majors are International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies. I want to be involved in economic development in countries in the Middle East, like Jordan, Iraq, Syria—that region—or, I will go back to Japan and work among Japanese people to remove misunderstanding about Middle Easterners. The misunderstanding is the result of current wars and terrorist organizations. Not all people from the region are violent. Very few people are involved in the violence. Middle Eastern people are very kind, and I want to work to increase interaction between Japanese and Middle Eastern cultures. QWC: What are some of the major differences between writing in English and writing in your native language? AF: The word order is different. In English, it’s subject-verb-object. In Japanese, it’s subject-object-verb. And in Japanese, we don’t use articles like “a” or “the,” so that’s been very hard for me. Ideas in English are presented in a very linear way. In Japanese, it’s much more subtle, much less direct. The main idea isn’t necessarily presented at the beginning. But I like American academic writing more than Japanese academic writing because I think it’s clearer for me. I like Japanese stories and fiction. QWC: What have you found most challenging about writing assignments at the U of A? AF: Grammatical issues—selecting the proper articles and verb tenses has been challenging for me. As far as assignments, my social science and political science papers have been okay. But lab reports for biology and chemistry have been hard. The report has sections—introduction, objectives, materials and methods, and results—I have difficulty knowing how much detail I need to write. And this semester I came to the Writing Center to work on personal statements. At first I had difficulty because my topic was too broad, but I got better at being more specific. It was also hard to remain within the word limit for the statement. . QWC: You’ve been a regular client at the QWC over the past two years. You’ve visited tutors for help with assignments in ENGL 1013 & 1023, PHIL 2003, PLSC 3523 & 3823, and ECON 4643. How has the QWC helped you with your writing? AF: First, and most important, the center has helped me with grammar. My professors will be bothered with my grammar, even if my ideas are good. So the help with the grammar has been important. Sometimes I use very informal and conversational words that should not be used in an academic paper, and the tutors help me with that problem. Sometimes the tutors help me learn English idioms—that’s helpful, too. At times, I think in Japanese and translate into English, so my sentences are strange, and I don’t recognize the strangeness. Working with the tutors helps. QWC: Tell us about your writing process. AF: Well, for a research paper, I need to narrow down my possible topics, do some light research, and come up with a thesis. Then I do deeper, more-focused research, and create my main ideas, usually three. I make an outline with an introduction, a thesis, my three main ideas, and a conclusion. It’s very basic! I begin writing and making my citations. I usually make three drafts. QWC: How do you begin a session with a QWC tutor? AF: I tell the tutor about the assignment and what the professor requires. I mention that it’s a first draft. I ask for suggestions about structure and organization. I ask the tutor to talk to me about anything important that’s missing. I ask the tutor to work with me on any grammatical problems. QWC: What do you do following a session with a tutor? AF: I revise the paper, add and remove sentences, and correct my grammatical errors. If necessary, I make another appointment. Sometimes I go to see my professor. The tutor is very helpful for writing help, but at times I need the professor’s help with content issues and ideas in my paper. QWC: What advice do you have for students who may be considering using the QWC’s services? AF: Don’t hesitate to use the service. Prepare your questions ahead and ask the tutors. Start your writing projects as early as possible!