EMU’s Writing Center is an awesome asset to students. Take a look at these tips, but be sure to use The Writing Center’s expertise and resources as well.
- Know how many pages are required for the paper.
- Identity your topic.
- Use an outline.
- Use brainstorming.
- Go to the library for research; use the resource section, or the online resource database.
- Stick to your topic. Don’t let your paper wander with tangents or unrelated points.
- Have a thesis.
- It tells the reader what the paper is about.
- It’s located in the introduction paragraph.
- It’s one or two sentences long.
- Give yourself time after each draft before proofreading.
- Keep your research organized.
- Highlight sentences you want to quote.
- Use tabs for important pages.
- Get rid of books/articles you aren’t using.
- The beginning of your conclusion should mirror your thesis.
- Talk to professors and/or advisors if you’re having difficulty with topics, structure, or grammar.
- Reread your paper while you’re writing so your topic doesn’t wander.
- Make an outline detailing the introduction, the topic paragraphs, and the conclusion.
- Outline bullets do not need to be entire sentences.
- Do a little at a time. Give yourself as much as a week to finish.
- Reread your thesis often and stick to it.
- Save as you go. Use auto save.
- Proofread before turning it in.
- Do not change margins, fonts, or line spacing to lengthen papers. Professors can sense the length by the time it takes to read, and the amount of content included.
- Don’t let yourself get stuck on the intro, write your thesis and move on to the body.
- Don’t write for more than one hour at a time. Take breaks.
- Get a drink.
- Eat something.
- Go for a quick walk.
- Many professors will proofread or comment on drafts before a paper is due. You’ll have to get an early start, but odds are you’ll boost your grade.
- Title your paper after you’re finished.
- Use proper citation.
- Be consistent with your tenses, capitalization, and punctuation.Use the Writing Center.