Friday, March 22, 2013

Start this semester off right. Vital tips to writing a good paper that will actually imprss your pro

From my experiences in college courses, most other students are not prepared to write a high level college essay or paper of any kind. Let alone a MLA, APA or Chigago style research or argumentative paper. Most schools have freshmen courses solely designed to help students learn to study and write at a college level. Let me tell you most of the valueable tips that they will tell you over a whole semester or year in just a few (well its quite a few) bullet points.

Here you go my top tips for high level college writing without having to look at those essay samples or resort to plagiarism.

* Keep your writing straightforward. Don't think that just because it's a college paper, it needs to be a master's thesis.

* Work on using proper English and sentences that make sense to adults. Do not use short hand teenager speak. (No text message shorthand, keep that between you and your friends)

* Follow the format that the professor asks for. Each professor has their favorite font and format; figure that out and use it. They are human and will grade a paper higher if it looks more appealing to them.

* Use your schools tutoring and paper editing resources. They are there for a reason.

* If you are worried about plagiarism, cite the source. You will never have a professor get upset for too many citations.

* Never ever use Wikipedia as a source.

* Remember how your college admission essay could have been your chance to address about everything you have done in your life. Don't compose papers like this in college. Your professor wants to hear how you can compile research and then analyze it effectively. Don't make the paper or essay a series of; I think or I believe. Just state the idea and then back it up with facts from your research.

* If you have trouble getting started writing essays and papers; don't sit there forever trying to come up with something. Take breaks and try to use my brainstorming technique. Check it out at my post about effective outlining.


* I have found that I can write best when I sit down for an hour or two at most and write as much as possible. If I try to work for more than two hours at a time, I loose focus and the quality of my writing goes down the drain.

* Find a workspace that works for you. Some of my friends swear by working outside, some in the library, some in their rooms. Maybe go to Starbucks. Just find somewhere to work that minimizes distractions.

* I can distract myself so easily when trying to start researching and then write a paper that I turn off all instant messaging, Facebook and other distracting things on my computer. Try it, it helps immensely.

* To write a high-quality essay, start with researching efficiently and effectively. If you do this, the writing part will be easy.

* Write out an outline and then use it. If you write a good, precise outline, you will stick with it.

* If you are even unsure of what the professor wants the essay to contain, ask for a sample from a previous class. Most of my professors are so proud of their most excellent students (and possibly so tired of new students screwing up what they want) that they keep the best papers from previous years. So ask and they will help you out.If you have any questions about what the professor wants the paper to look like or contain; ask. Go to their office during designated office hours at least a week before the paper is due. Professors remember the students who come in and visit them, it can help you out if you have a borderline grade.

Okay, that was a lot of information. But, it's a lot easier to read that then spend a semester in a class where the professor tells you stuff like that everyday.

Article Resource | Thesis Writing




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