Complete the Self-evaluation Survey.

When you're given a school writing assignment, do you wait until the last minute to get it done?
1. Always
2. Often
3. Sometimes
4. Rarely
5. Never
How often have you had the experience of learning something you didn't expect through writing about it?
1. Very often
2. Fairly often
3. Sometimes
4. Rarely
5. Never
Do you generally plan out what you're going to write before you write it?
1. Always
2. Often
3. Sometimes
4. Rarely
5. Never
"Prewriting" is used to describe activities that some writers engage in before they begin a first draft. They might include freewriting or fastwriting, making lists, brainstorming or mapping, collecting information, talking to someone about the essay topic, reading up on it, or jotting down ideas in a notebook or journal. How much prewriting do you tend to do for the following types of assignments? Select the appropriate answer for each type of assignment.
1. A personal essay:
  - A great deal
  - Some
  - Very little
  - None
  - Haven't written one
2. A critical essay about a short story, novel, or poem:
  - A great deal
  - Some
  - Very little
  - None
  - Haven't written one
3. A research paper:
  - A great deal
  - Some
  - Very little
  - None
  - Haven't written one
4. An essay exam:
  - A great deal
  - Some
  - Very little
  - None
  - Haven't written one
At what point in writing an academic paper do you usually get stuck? Select all that apply.
1. Getting started
2. In the middle
3. Finishing
4. I never get stuck (go on to Question 9)
5. Other (specify)
If you usually have problems getting started on an academic paper or essay, which of the following do you often find hardest to do? Select all that apply. (If you don't have trouble getting started, go on to Question 7.)
1. Deciding on a topic
2. Writing an introduction
3. Finding a good place to write
4. Figuring out exactly what you're supposed to do for the assignment
5. Finding a purpose or focus for the paper
6. Finding the right tone
7. Other (specify)
If you usually get stuck in the middle of a paper, which of the following causes the most problems? (If writing in the middle of a paper isn't a problem for you, go on to Question 8.)
1. Keeping focused on the topic
2. Finding enough information to meet page length requirements
3. Following my plan for how I wanted to write the paper
4. Bringing in other research or points of view
5. Organizing all my information
6. Trying to avoid plagiarism
7. Worrying about whether the paper meets the requirements of the assignment
8. Worrying that the paper just isn't any good
9. Messing with citations
10. Other (specify)
If you have difficulty finishing an essay or paper, which of the following difficulties are typical for you? Select all that apply.
1. Composing a last paragraph or conclusion
2. Worrying that the paper doesn't meet the requirements of the assignment
3. Worrying that the paper just isn't any good
4. Trying to keep focused on the main idea or thesis
5. Trying to avoid repeating yourself
6. Realizing you don't have enough information
7. Dealing with the bibliography or citations
8. Other (specify)
Rank the following descriptions or approaches to revision so that it reflects the strategies you use most often to least often when rewriting academic papers. Rank the items 1-6, with the strategy you use most often as a 1 and least often as a 6.
1. I usually just tidy things up-editing sentences, checking spelling, looking for grammatical errors and other proofreading activities.
2. I mostly look for ways to reorganize existing information in the draft to make it more effective.
3. I generally try to fill holes by adding more information.
4. I do more research.
5. I often completely change the focus or even the main idea in the revision, rewriting sections, adding or removing information, and rearranging the order of things.
6. I rarely do any rewriting at all.
7. Other (please describe)
Finally, do you tend to impose a lot of conditions on when, where, or how you think you write most effectively? For example, do you need a certain pen, do you always have to write on a computer, must it be quiet or noisy, or do you often write best under pressure? Are there certain kinds of places you need to be to write effectively? Or can you write under a range of circumstances, with few or no conditions?
1. Select one:
  - Lots of conditions
  - Some
  - A few
  - No conditions
2. If you do impose conditions on when, where, or how you write, create a list of what some of those conditions are.