Remember those packs of building blocks you used to get as a kid? Each pack contained just enough tiny pieces to construct your favorite superhero, princess, or jet fighter. As a child, you likely relied on the picture on the front of the plastic package, rather than any set of directions, to build your creation. …
Those of you who consider yourselves fashion mavens might hear the phrase “personal statement” and think about how you might make a statement with your outfit at your grand entrance at next weekend’s party. Though writing a personal statement generally has nothing to do with how you dress (unless, perhaps, you work in the fashion …
Here are four statements you might receive from your professor as essay feedback. “Essay does not meet assignment guidelines.” “This is a good start, but ideas aren’t fully developed.” “This submission is a nice revision of your earlier draft.” “Exemplary! This is a wonderful illustration essay.” I bet most (if not all) of you would …
Are you one of those people who has been told (likely more than once) that you have an opinion on everything? If you are, then you’re in luck. The opinion essay is the perfect way to express your opinions to the world (or at least to your professor). Telling someone your opinion and writing an …
How many times have you received a software update notification? If you’re like me, you have a love/hate (mostly hate) relationship with these notifications. Too often, what you think will be a quick and easy process turns into an hour-long nightmare. Sound familiar? Something so seemingly simple becomes deceptively complex. The same is true for …
If you’re a student, you know the never-ending cycle of assignments and projects. The current project: a project report. As you probably know, writing a project report means that you need to do three key things: Review the literature about your topic Report the results of your project Discuss your conclusions and recommendations That’s a …
Here’s something you might not know about me. I have amazingly keen powers of observation. Right now, I see a student looking for a little help on an observation essay. Pretty good, huh? But an observation essay isn’t just about listing what you see. In a way, it’s like narrative writing. You need to frame …
If you’ve ever watched TV, YouTube, or any other media outlet, chances are you’ve seen celebrity interviews that have gone horribly wrong. There are, of course, times when the interview falls flat because the celebrity just doesn’t want to answer questions. But there are also times when the interview goes badly because the interviewer asks …
Let’s say you just moved into your dorm room, and you’re moving in with a heavy, awkward, flat box that’s soon to become your TV stand. When you open the box, the directions are text only. There are no images to show what screw A or fastener B actually look like and no diagrams to …
It’s time to write yet another essay, and you’re looking for help so you can write a good definition essay. But how do you define “good”? Both you and your instructor may have very different definitions of the word. That’s the inherent problem with defining terms that can be subjective. Each person can have a …
You’re sitting in the back of a sociology class, trying to focus on the lecture, when the prof brings up a controversial topic, such as abortion, gun control, capital punishment, or marijuana legalization. I’m almost positive that you have a position on every single one of these topics. Knowing where you stand on a topic …
Have you ever read one of those DIY websites and tried to make the perfect flower arrangement or wooden tool box by reading only the directions? It seems almost impossible, doesn’t it? Why? Because you need a visual to guide you. You need to see each step and see a finished product before you can …
The personal essay, it’s an easy enough essay to write… right? We all have stories to tell and opinions on just about everything. The million dollar question is, how do you take your thoughts, ideas, and opinions and put them on paper? How do you let your personality shine through and create a concise, yet …
The explanatory essay (sometimes called an expository essay) is one of those standard essays that you’ve probably written at least a few times in your academic career. The explanatory essay often takes the form of a cause and effect essay, a definition essay, a how-to essay, or a compare/contrast essay. Perhaps you’ve written this type of essay before. …
Compare the feeling you get when you earn an A on a paper to how you feel when you get a D on a paper. There’s really no comparison, is there? My goal in writing this post is for you learn more about compare and contrast essays, so you can skip that wretched feeling of …
How many times have you watched a movie, bought a new phone, or bought a new anything based on an ad? If you’re anything like me, I bet you’ve done it at least a few times. After all, those ads can be pretty convincing. Ask your parents. I bet they’ve bought at least one knife, …
Are you a self-proclaimed featherweight champion essay writer? Have you met a worthy opponent in the persuasive essay? Has it left you on the ropes and ready to throw in the towel? Don’t worry. I’m in your corner. I’m here to help you learn more about what makes an effective persuasive essay. Here are a …
The Assignment: Critical essay Due Date: Tomorrow Confidence Level: Low Situation: CRITICAL You’ve sat through (and even paid attention to) your professor’s lectures about critical analysis essays. You’ve read all the assigned readings. You’ve even taken the initiative to dig up a few online resources about critical essays. The Problem: Even though you have a decent …
“Hey, you’ll never guess what happened to me last night!” “Dude! You gotta hear this!” If a friend approaches you with one of these lines, chances are she has a story to tell. And judging by the sounds of it, the story is a good one! We all know those people who tell great stories …
It’s pretty easy to look at a poorly written piece of writing and say, “Here’s what you shouldn’t do.” After all, most of us can recognize bad writing when we see it. We can recognize good writing too. But it’s not always that easy to identify what makes good writing good. It can be even …
Have you ever logged in to your class to check your grades and sat there staring blankly in amazement because you failed a test or got a big fat “F” on an essay? After you got the anger (and maybe a few tears) out of your system, did you think about why you failed so …