Calling All University Students!

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This will be my seventh NaNo, and my fourth as a university student. My Novembers usually look something like this: 15 hours of class every week, at minimum 20 of homework, and 40 at work. Then I have between two and four write-ins or other NaNo events, and on top of all that, an attempt to cook, clean, and make sure my cats don't forget who I am. I only daydream of a social life, or anything resembling adequate sleep. Anyone who has NaNo-ed as a full-time university student probably knows exactly what this is like.

What you may not know is that there is a special section of the NaNo site just for people tackling this crazy endeavour as a post-secondary student. We rolled out NaNo University last year, and if you haven't checked it out yet, you definitely should!

There are two sections to this program:

NaNo U for Students has a super-detailed and helpful Guide to Life, with tips and tricks for handling endless assignments, eating things that aren't ramen, writing between classes, and not overdosing on energy drinks. There is also a resources page, with nifty flyers to promote NaNoWriMo on your campus. We also have special pep talks just for students, from people who know what you're going through. Last, but not least, we have the NaNo U Student Forum. Come on over to chat and commiserate with other students.

NaNo U for Instructors is for people teaching NaNo to the over-18 crowd. There is a forum to visit with other instructors, and a resource page with sample syllabi from previous years, and lots of handy hints to help you and your students succeed.

We have a great community of folks in higher education, all eager to lend a hand and share your griefs and joys. Maybe you'll even meet someone at your school, and get out of the library to write for an hour or two!

Have any of you done NaNo while in university? What's the best strategy you have developed for not burning out, or (even better) talking your instructors into giving extra credit for NaNo?

– Paige

Photo by Flickr user DJorgensen