In fall 2013, a record 21.8 million students are expected to attend American colleges and universities (National, n.d). A vast majority of these students will be recently graduated high school students. While a smaller group of these student will be adult learners over the age of 25. Both of these groups are going to face the same challenges in their studies. High school prepares Students for the rigorous classes in college, but most of what they teach is just the basic skills needed for college. One of the biggest obstacles for freshman students, adult learners, as well as some returning students is the challenge of writing college level papers. Professors will expect more than general high school writing and as a serious student, they should strive to deliver what is expected of them. With the focus and proper planning any student can overcome this task with ease. Therefore, what does it take to become an effective college writer in the demanding college environment?
One of the first steps students need to do when writing a paper is to find sources to support their subject. The sources they use can be found in many different places. Once they have their topic, visit a local library, or start up an internet browser. When looking for resources, focus on questions such as “what am I looking for?” or “what is my main thesis.” Most inexperienced college writers often make the mistake of taking the first source they find, and using it as their main or only source. Students should always use more than one source, so that their point can be explained in a simple, yet versatile, understanding manor. (Turabian, 2010) states “The appropriate kind of evidence is crucial in your information: primary, secondary, and tertiary” (p.45). As st...
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.... What is a scholarly journal? - Finding Scholarly Articles - Research & Subject Guides at CSU, Chico. Retrieved from http://libguides.csuchico.edu/content.php?pid=28325
Markman, R. H., Markman, P. T., & Waddell, M. L. (2001). 10 steps in writing the research paper (6th ed.). Hauppauge, NY: Barron's.
National Center for Education Statistics (n.d.). Fast Facts. Retrieved December 15, 2013, from http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=372
Shenandoah University (n.d.). Writing a research paper-- Step by Step. Retrieved December 17, 2013, from http://www.su.edu/writingaresearchpaper.pdf
Tardiff, E., & Brizee, A. (2013, February 21). Purdue OWL: Creating a Thesis Statement. Retrieved from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/
Turabian, K. L. (2010). Student's guide to writing college papers (4th ed.). Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.
As I look back into my high school years, I thought I wrote papers well. But then coming into a college environment, my papers were mediocre. By overlooking at my past papers, I found that they were unorganized, sloppy and had bad use of diction. From now on, I will use the tools I learned in English 1100-40 as a foundation for the future papers I intend on writing in college. Following the criteria of organizing ideas so that they flow, impacting the reader with diction and also by being creative, will help become an ideal writer. Following the criteria of staying motivated in short and long term goals, taking responsibility for actions and finally the ability to study well will help me develop into a supreme student.
The Stases and Other Rhetorical Concepts from Introduction to Academic Writing. N.p.: n.p., n.d. PDF.
The focal point of Chapter 4 of Successful College Writing is on how to critically read and decipher text and visuals. It highlights the importance of not just looking at the surface of the words, but diving into their true meaning. Authors put every word and picture into their work for a reason, and it is your job to ensure that you do not fall victim to biases and false information. It is crucial to learn how to identify author's tones, opinions, and overall purpose in their writings. Learning how to analyze these patterns will better equip you in acquiring accurate information and also not adopting these deceptive techniques yourself.
Several people have trouble writing college level essays and believe that they are unable to improve their writing skills. In “the Inspired Writer vs. The Real Writer,” Sarah Allen argues how no one is born naturally good at writing. Sarah Allen also states how even professional writers have trouble with the task of writing. Others, such as Lennie Irvin, agree. In Irvin’s article “What is ‘Academic’ Writing?” states how there are misconceptions about writing. Furthermore, Mike Bunn’s article “How to Read Like a Writer” shows ways on how one can improve their writing skills. Allen, Bunn, and Irvin are correct to say how no one is born naturally good writers. Now that we know this, we should find ways to help improve our writing skills, and
Turabian, Kate L. 2013. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations Chicago Style for Students & Researchers. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Drown, E., & Sole, K. (2013). Writing college research papers (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
- Unfortunatly, all research papers have a limitation to their studies. Some of the limits I may come across is, lack of information, lack of respectable and trusted articles or books. These two will be my biggest concern when writing this paper. The way I plan to try and overcome this obstacle is by gathering all the information I have before hand, and understand the limitations I may occur before I begin writing my paper. This way, I will know my limits while writing my paper and not overstep my boundaries.
Graff, Gerald, and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2010. Print.
Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel K. Durst. "They Say/I Say": The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing: With Readings. Vol. 2e. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2012. Print.
Transitioning from high school to college can be overwhelming. Before English 1301, I thought that I did not have to worry about being prepared for college. I quickly realized that my little background in writing essays was not going to be enough for college. Writing is not just something that I will use in English classes. In college, I will have to use effective writing skills in all my classes to complete research papers, essay tests and communicate to professors. Throughout my education, writing strategies persisted to be something that did not come easy to me. I dreaded writing because I could never find ways to get my thoughts down on paper. Ironically, a class that petrified me due to the amount of writing that was required ended up helping me in so many ways. English 1301 and my professor prepared me so much for college and real life.
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed. New York: MLA, 2003.
Over the past semester, I have found the most challenging part of this course to simply be the transition from high school composition classes to college. Because writing expectations are so different in college than in high school, even with AP and Dual Enrollment “college level” classes, I first found myself being overwhelmed with the pressure to write the perfect first draft. The pressure came from knowing how much a final draft of a paper contributed to my grade. This left me sitting in front of my computer for hours at a time with thoughts of what I wanted to say racing through my head, but unable to deliver these thoughts into organized, structured sentences. I learned, through writing my persuasive essay, that instead of trying to write the paper start to finish and already in its perfect form, it is easier for me to look at the paper through its different components and focus on them individually, then work to best organize my ideas fluently.
This semester was my very first semester as a college student. Being the first, it was probably the semester I would learn the most in. I learned the expectations for writing that I will have to live up to for the next four years of my college career. Though my high school teachers were usually demanding because I was in the Honors English section throughout high school, writing in college has still ?raised the bar? for me. Also, in high school, we would have weeks to pick a topic, create a thesis, outline the paper, write the paper, and then revise the paper. In college, the time restraints are not quite as lenient. I?ve had to learn to manage my time and be more productive with what free moments I have. Strangely enough, I?ve found the college English experience to be much more rewarding and enjoyable than in high school.
Writing is an important part of everyone’s life, whether we use it in school, in the workplace, as a hobby or in personal communication. It is important to have this skill because it helps us as writers to express feelings and thoughts to other people in a reasonably permanent form. Formal writing forms like essays, research papers, and articles stimulates critically thinking. This helps the writer to learn how to interpret the world around him/her in a meaningful way. In college, professors motivate students to write in a formal, coherent manner, without losing their own voice in the process. Improving your writing skills is important, in every English class that’s the main teaching point; to help students improve their writing skills. Throughout my college experience I have acknowledge that
Whenever it come to the research paper, I struggled tremendously. The topic for the paper was “How to do Good Research.” While brainstorming I began to get overwhelmed. I have never done a research paper before and I didn 't know where to start. This is where I can grow as a writer. Acquiring more knowledge on how to research accurately and correctly would be helpful. There is an abundance of information online, trying to sort through it all is mind-boggling. Learning how to correctly cite sources following APA guidelines would be beneficial as