Katrina Oko-Odoi, PhD

Katrina Oko-Odoi is the Founder and Chief Editor of EditingWorm, an academic services company that guides graduate students through the thesis and dissertation writing process. After completing her PhD in Literature at UC San Diego, Katrina stepped fully into the academic editing and coaching space, where she's spent the past 14 years providing personalized, empathetic support to help graduate and undergraduate students succeed on their academic journey.

Becoming a Better Writer… There’s Always Room for Improvement, Even for the Experts!

By Katrina Oko-Odoi Reading is the creative center of a writer’s life…you cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you. -Stephen King             I’m often asked by aspiring writers how they can improve their writing skills. Even the most expert writers out there […]

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Role of College Essay: What role do essays play in my overall college application?

What role do essays play in my overall college application? by James Maynard

A Guest Blog by James Maynard College application essays are one of the most dreaded – and important – parts of a college application. Your personal essay not only show colleges that you are able to answer the question, but also gives them insight into you as a person. This is because they are not

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The College Admissions Essay: How to Get Inspired to Start Writing

The College Admissions Essay: How to Get Inspired to Start Writing

As a writer, I am well aware that one of the most difficult things about the writing process is getting started. Staring at a blank open document on the computer screen or facing down a blank sheet of paper staring up at you from your desk can be daunting for anyone—even the most veteran writers

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Finding the Right Hook: Writing the Perfect Opening Line for your College Admissions Essay

So, you’ve started to feel the pressure… Fall is right around the corner, and those application deadlines will be here before you know it. The college application process is daunting enough without having to think about writing an essay on which your entire future may depend. Many universities place a lot of emphasis on the

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Anita Diamant: The Red Tent: Rescuing Female Figures from the Margins of Biblical Scripture

Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent: Rescuing Female Figures from the Margins of Biblical Scripture

Katrina’s Review of: Diamant, Anita. The Red Tent. New York: Picador USA, 1997. 321 pages.   Well, I may have gotten to this book about a decade late, but graduate school has severely limited the scope of my reading over these past few years. I’m finally getting around to some of those novels I’ve had

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Finding the Antidote to Graduate School Senioritis

Finding the Antidote to Graduate School Senioritis

Finding the Antidote to Graduate School Senioritis By Katrina Oko-Odoi   While I have shared my number one secret for dissertation writing success already, finding an antidote to that vexing feeling of senioritis—of the graduate school variety—is another story altogether. I admit that I have struggled with the terrible habit of procrastination throughout my graduate

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Evolution of Your Thesis: The Last Fifteen Minutes by Dora Farkas

I went to middle school and high school in New York City and one of my favorite places to visit was (and still is) the Museum of Natural History (by the way, the movie “Night at the Museum” does not do its magnificent exhibits justice). A very memorable exhibit is the “Evolutionary Clock” which compresses

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Converting Your Resume To A CV: Making the Transition From Student to Scholar

Spotlight on: Converting Your Resume to a CV As an incoming graduate student, how do you put your best foot forward in your new career? For many people, the transition from the undergraduate experience or the general work world to a profession in academia can be bumpy, to say the least. Why is this? In

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“Borrón y cuenta nueva”: La negación de la historia en “Viaje a la semilla” por Alejo Carpentier

Katrina’s analytical discussion – written in Spanish – of the short story “Viaje a la semilla” (“Journey to the source”) by Cuban author Alejo Carpentier. Siempre he admirado el dominio experto del idioma español y la dicción amplia que manejaba el gran escritor cubano Alejo Carpentier. Su empleo de descripción detallada y sensorial dentro de

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Finding Flight: Capturing the Complexity of Climate Change and Defying Traditional Gender Roles in Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior

Katrina’s Review of: Kingsolver, Barbara. Flight Behavior. New York: HarperCollins, 2012. 433 pages.   Since I was a teenager, Barbara Kingsolver has been one of my favorite authors. My mom, my sister and I used to pass around her books as if they were exotic sweets. I was first exposed to her writing through her

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