Improving writing skills is critical to the college student’s success across all academic disciplines. Writing has become the key to survival in many fields of study. (Pirš1, Pirš1, & Kesié, 2011) There are several strategies to become an effective college-level writer. An important strategy for a writer is project management. Next, writing with a purpose is an essential step. Another crucial guideline is following the mechanics of writing. Finally, utilizing online resources provides the writer invaluable knowledge and references.
Simply getting started is the key to successful project management. As stated by Dr. Bruce Johnson, “The best papers submitted by my students were the result of a carefully planned approach” (2009, para. 2). Begin by creating a schedule to incorporate enough time to complete each step in writing an excellent paper. Successful writers give themselves plenty of time to do research, organize the relevant data, and process and analyze the information they have gathered. In addition, adequate time to reread the assignment, review the applicable genre format, and to write, re-write, and edit the paper must be included in the schedule (Melzer, 2011). Additionally, after completing a rough draft, an author may find it necessary to do more research to enhance her paper. Therefore, it is imperative that the plan allows sufficient time for revisions.
Another critical strategy is to write with a clear sense of purpose and audience. Each academic field presents the college writer with specific writing styles and unique writing expectations. As stated by Johnson, “College level writing involves more than collecting information from sources and inserting information into your paper” (2009, para. 4)....
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...an invaluable tool for the college student.
Works Cited
Crank, V. (2012). From high school to college: Developing writing skills in the disciplines. WAC
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Crème, P., & Lea, M. R. (2008). Writing at university: A guide for students. Buckingham, GBR: Open University Press. doi:10229830
Melzer, D. (2011). Frameworks for writing: Exploring college writing: Reading, Writing and researching across the curriculums. London, GBR: Equinox Publishing, Ltd. doi:10697002
Online College Courses. (2012). Five sure-fire strategies for becoming a better writer in college. Retrieved from http://www.onlinecollegecourses.com/2012/06/08/five-sure-fire-strategies-for-becoming-a-better-writer-in-college/
Pirš1, D., Pirš1, T., & Kesié, D. (2011). VJE&3x0160;TINA PISANJA NA UNIVERZITETSKOM NIVOU. [Writing skills at university level] Sportlogia, 7(1), 127-133.
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...Academic Writing. Ed. Gerald Graff. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 179-189. Print.
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