Writing a Paper for College

Looking for professional essay writing tips? If you’re in college, writing papers is likely one of the most common things you do during the semester. And if you want to get good grades on those papers, it’s best to follow some simple rules and strategies to ensure your professor will appreciate your work. These 10 tips to writing a paper for college that gets you an A will help make your experience with college essays much more enjoyable, so keep them in mind while writing!

1) Write Your Outline

When it comes time to actually start writing your paper, you’ll want an outline that serves as a guide. In high school and college, outlines are expected. Write out your ideas in point form or using bullets to help keep you on track. Knowing what you have and haven’t addressed will be helpful when it comes time to go back and edit.

2) Use Tools at Your Disposal

We live in a digital age, so why not use technology to make your essay-writing experience easier? Word processors have spell check and grammar check—use them! There are even free web apps that allow you to edit on your mobile device from anywhere. When it comes time to turn in your work, be sure you include proper citations and a bibliography at the end of your paper. Proper citation will ensure that you receive full credit for all of your research efforts—and that means better grades!

3) Start Early (and Have Fun!)

If you know you have a big paper coming up, start early and keep it fun. Set yourself milestones and make writing time fun by listening to music or getting together with friends. Your paper won’t take long if you start early and have fun! Start out small so you get used to writing on a regular basis, and then build up momentum. It is much easier—and less stressful—to write three pages one week than 15 all at once.

4) Choose Research Sources Wisely

As a college student, you probably want to stand out from your peers. One of the best ways to do that is by choosing research sources wisely. To craft an essay that truly impresses, use credible research. (This doesn’t mean you have to write about something obscure.) Doing so not only makes your work unique but also makes it valuable. When working on your paper, choose articles or books written by authorities in their field and include appropriate citations.

5) Take Breaks When You Need Them

Sometimes, you’ll need to take breaks from writing in order to re-energize and refocus. If you’re struggling with writer’s block, try working on another project or getting outside for some fresh air. Walk your dog or play with your kids, then come back refreshed and ready.

6) Don’t Try to Do It All in One Sitting

While it’s important to start early, you don’t want to write your entire paper in one sitting. This will not only get you exhausted and stressed, but can actually hurt your writing ability. Instead, allocate time each day—or every other day—to work on your paper. Getting started is usually easier than you think! Sometimes just brainstorming ideas or sketching out a basic outline can take up most of your session.

7) Remember Formatting is Important, too

When writing a paper, it’s easy to get bogged down in all of those theoretical details. However, don’t forget about formatting; not only will you fail your assignment if you ignore it, but people reading your work might not take you seriously. Use MLA format (Modern Language Association) or APA format (American Psychological Association) and make sure that every single detail is correct.

8) Check Your Work

After writing your paper, read it over and check to make sure that you’ve included all necessary elements. Is there a Works Cited section? Citations are very important in papers—if you fail to cite your sources properly, or fail to use citations altogether, then your professor will likely mark off points. The same goes for failing to provide quotations at times. And of course, it’s also vital that you submit your paper on time!

9) Ask For Help if Necessary

When you’re writing your paper, don’t be afraid to ask someone else if you need help—your parents, friends, or even your college professor. This is why they teach us in elementary school that it’s okay to ask for help! If anyone can understand what you want and what you need, it should be those people who care about your success. One more thing: Don’t plagiarize! It’s much easier than we all make it out to be. Sometimes all these are overwhelming, so I just get someone to write my paper for me.

10) Double-Check before Submitting

Before you turn in your essay, make sure you’ve proofread it—and have others do so, too. Professors can be sticklers about grammar and proper citations, and if your paper is even slightly off in either of these areas, it’s likely that you’ll end up with a much lower grade than what you were hoping for. 

Author

Sumit is a Tech and Gadget freak and loves writing about Android and iOS, his favourite past time is playing video games.

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