Writing papers is one thing you can guarantee yourself that you will have to do in college, along with other educational requirements. For some people, it might be a frustrating experience or a great opportunity to show their knowledge on a given topic; or sometimes both. Everyone has methods that work better for them than others and they learn to embrace those specific methods. Simple strategies such as outlining and good research can make writing a paper a more pleasant and less nerve-racking experience. The first thing I do when I have to write a paper is I try to determine what exactly the prompt is asking me to write about. This might seem obvious but, on occasion, I might misread or simply misunderstand a prompt which could result in writing a completely different paper than what was asked of me. Once I completely understand what is asked of me, I start to think about what I already know about the topic and what I need to know in order to write my paper. I then start my research on the topic and start taking notes on what I will need to incorporate into my paper. Once I feel I have an adequate amount of information to use in my paper, I draw up an outline which has many little points. Sometimes taking a topic and turning it into a paper is difficult because I feel like once I state the main point, there is nothing else to write about. But a well written paper requires an elaborate and detailed response to the prompt so these bullet points that I make help me keep the flow of my paper going as I discuss each point in its own paragraph. Typical outlines aren't the only way I prepare to write my papers. I often tend to simply start writing random paragraphs about my subject, in no particular order, and slowly begin to bu... ... middle of paper ... ...it to make sure that it makes sense to someone other than me. After my paper is written and finalized, I begin my works cited page. This is simple because as I research my topic, I take note of where I get my information from and keep the sources typed in the same file as my paper. To create my works cited page, I simply take the sources I actually used in my paper and I format them onto my works cited page in MLA style. I am just beginning my college career and that means many more papers to come. I may not always be so enthusiastic about writing them but as long as I use this strategy to tackle the assignment, it will be fine. Learning to break down a paper into small parts instead of looking at it as one whole, big, daunting assignment has helped me a great deal and allows me to put more focus into each paragraph or topic, resulting in better written papers.
Write a formal outline for your research paper. Include topics, subtopics, and details so that the reader gains a clear idea of the contents of your paper. Use your organized note cards as a basis for your outline. Remember to begin with a title and to follow all the formatting rules. You may refer to the Making Formal Outlines page to help with the format.
Before I prepare to write a paper I look at the prompt. I then take a smoking break so while I am smoking I am brain storming ideas about what to write about. When I get an idea I write them down one by one as I get ideas. Once I find the perfect spot I start looking at what I brain stormed and look at the main ideas I can write the most about. Once I choose what I want to write about I start structuring my paper. When I see the best structural fit for my sub ideas that lead to my main idea I start writing. Then when I am done I revise it with another smoking break, which helps me see if I can expand on the ideas I already have. If not I just wrap up my paper knowing it was a great well written paper that I gave all my thought into and knowing my professor is going to love my paper.
I was more confident in my writing because I learned to improve my writing by making outline prior to beginning a paper. Without an outline, I would lose track of my thoughts, I would ramble and make common mistakes; it would be catastrophic. The purpose of an outline is similar to having d...
Writing a college paper, document, or thesis will always revolve around a theme or a set of questions that need to be answered. How that paper is developed depends on the process used by the author as there are many different ways to approach a written assignment. The article by Catherine Savini, “Looking for Trouble: Finding your way into a writing assignment”, essentially tells us that in order to write an informational paper we must first look for the problem, detail questions related to the problem, and then try to provide some type of answer for the questions.
When I wrote many of my papers, I tried to be as organized as possible. Writing research papers always seems to give me problems. My greatest weakness is going to the library and finding the right information to write a paper. When I write a paper, I always construct an outline or thesis. It is easier for me to think about ideas and then write about them. Starting on a paper from scratch without an outline or thesis gives me problems because then I mumble on about the same information. I have learned to read the information over and over again to be sure it is correct and in order. I do not wan to get at shocking gra...
I am familiar with the basic essay outline. The one that includes the thesis, the introduction, three body paragraphs, along with three main points each, and a conclusion. This outline has guided me through my writings. Along with the essay outlines there are also article outlines that were previously mentioned that guided me through the main points of different articles. I have realized that outlines are highly valuable to a paper. They were very helpful in the consumerism assignments like Joan Smith’s “Shop Happy” because I was able to use an outline to grasp the main point and the argument being stated. Once I understood the main point it was easier to understand my main point to create my thesis. For example: Smith’s main point was that consumerism is becoming socially influenced from all ages. Since my paper was arguing that as well I was able to use quotes to influence my paper. I also learned about comparing and contrasting the authors views. If I am trying to get the audience to notice different perspectives it is best to include the contrast or comparison inside the introduction to lead my reasonings.
Before I began the semester, writing papers were not my strong suit. I really did not enjoy writing because I believed it to be a difficult process. More specifically beginning a paper was extremely difficult for me. It was tough to start a paper and put my ideas in an orderly fashion to compose a decent paper. While practicing with writing techniques, I found that listing my thoughts helped me. Prewriting gave me the chance to gather all of my ideas and begin my papers quicker. I
This year in College Writing one has been very interesting. I understand now that there is a lot more that goes into writing a paper than I first thought. I especially realize this when I look back at one of my first papers which was the descriptive essay titled, "The Hidden Truth."
When I began writing papers, I was in the seventh grade. Every week we had to write a five paragraph essay with a long list of requirements. At the start, it was very stressful trying to write an entire 5 paragraph essay in one week. However, by the end of the year, I discovered how to quickly and effectively write my paper. I would start my paper every week by making an outline. My introduction would start out by listing all the points that I was going to mention in my paper including my attention grabber and thesis statement. Each of the three body paragraphs would start out with an introduction sentence leading into the paragraph with 3 supporting details to follow. Each paragraph would end with a way to tie in the next point in my
Prewriting of any paper, first entails a topic, without a topic we would have nothing to write about. I like to use Mind mapping, when I write my research papers; I take a whiteboard and put my topic in the center of the board in a circle. Then I add extensions to the topic with more circles that are connected to one another by a single line between one another. These added circles will be my topic of paragraphs and the information I will be discussing within them. I usually do 4-5 sentences within my paragraphs with a closing statement and then transition to my next paragraph. I write about 3-5 different paragraphs and then with a closing statement that backs up the information that I have presented for my readers to read. Mind mapping is the biggest part of writing a paper, due to the changes you make as you develop your arguments or statement that you want to convey in your paragraphs from your mind maps data.
what makes it easier to write a good paper, and how the manner that the
References- Cites noted page, this is where you list all the resources you used if any.
Individually, I found sources and came up with the specific topic for my paper. I also found that writing in cause and effect really helped me to have good structure throughout my paper, Collaboratively, a peer edited my paper and I edited their paper. This was one of the most helpful things I have done in a writing class because it allowed me to better find my own mistakes throughout my paper.
When I write a paper, I usually tend to write and edit at the same time. I could never continue writing without correcting my mistakes and making sure everything seems perfect. However, throughout this course, it made me realize that I should write everything on my mind, when writing a paper, just like I would in my notes. Later on, I should revise and edit my paper, making sure to cut back ideas and sentences that are off topic. Additionally, I’m the type of person that likes to write with no boundaries. Writing my research argument essay, made me realize that I could stick to a structure and yet bend the rules a little bit. When we started with this assignment, I was truly excited to research and write about a topic that I am passionate about. When we were asked to form an outline, I was bummed. I felt like I wasn’t able to form ideas or narrow down my topic, let alone write...
Once I feel comfortable submitting my assignment, off it goes. On several occasions, I have felt a lack of confidence in sending my paper. There are times when I think of things I could have added or written differently after. Overall, I know I have learned a lot from writing these papers and doing all the research that comes with it. I have a lot to learn on writing papers, but that will become easier the more I write. I will learn what little changes I can change to make writing easier for me.