You would be surprised to know how many people have not written a research paper before attending college. And those people who have will find that the expectations in college for the writings are very different than they were in junior and high school. Use the practical advice from Usessaywriters as you navigate the waters of college writing.
Advice and Tips
- Use the college lab-the lab can be a great support system. You can get help with every step of the process. You can seek research, drafting, outline, writing, and editing help. And all of this help is free of charge at most campuses.
- Expect to be More Independent-you can expect that you will receive less help in the actual classroom from your professors. They assume that you have the skills needed for college help. If you do need assistance from your professor, you will probably need to make an appointment rather than just drop by to see him or her. How much help you will ultimately get will depend on the professor.
- Watch for Plagiarizing-if you plagiarize, you will get expelled from school. Know when and where to cite and know the school’s honor code word for word.
- Know Your Formats-there are many styles of papers. Some of the popular ones are the MLA, APA, and Harvard. There are other forms, so carefully check to find out which one your professor wishes for you to use on the piece.
- It’s All in the Thesis Statement-you should learn quickly that your paper will only be as good as the thesis statement. Always construct a solid statement that has easily supported main points. This very important statement is the road map to a successful composition.
- Outlines are Important-an outline is almost as important as the thesis statement. A detailed outline will relieve some of your writing stress. The work will be at the pre-writing stage and not at the writing stage. A detailed outline will save you a lot of work. You teacher may ask you to turn in your outline, so find out if the teacher wants you to use a topic outline or a sentence outline.
- Reference page-your papers that have research will require a reference page. This is important. If you do not have a reference page, it will be considered that you have plagiarized.
Use out tip and advice sheet as you write your first college essays!