I don’t know about you, but I feel like the hardest part of any writing assignment is composing a rough draft. It has to have much more detail than an outline, but you don’t want to perfect it too much because it is, after all, just a draft. It’s all about striking the perfect balance. …
Here’s an all-too-common scenario faced by students everywhere: you’re assigned to write a paper, but you don’t know what to write about. Your prof tells you to write about something unique, something original, something that interests you. The problem is, right now, the only thing that interests you is finding a topic for your paper. …
As a student, your time is precious. You want to write a great essay, but you shouldn’t have to put all your other assignments, or your life, on hold just to do it. That’s why it’s important to have a system. While “system” sounds like it sucks the creativity out of writing, it actually gives you …
If you’re thinking the SQ3R Method is a new iPhone QR code scanner app that allows you to scan your essay for grammar errors, you’d be wrong. (Though that would be pretty awesome, wouldn’t it?) The SQ3R Method is actually a reading method that will help you: Interact with a text Retain more of what …
Do you freak out or feel stressed at the mere thought of trying to organize your ideas for a paper? Have you tried prewriting and outlining, yet can’t seem to pull your ideas together? If all those Roman numerals and upper and lowercase letters of a traditional outline are enough to drive you mad, why …
What does it really mean to be boring? We can all point to a moment that was boring. And we’re quick to recognize a new one when it presents itself, but what are the criteria for something to fall into that category? When I worked as a cashier at a grocery store as a teen, …
T-21 hours, 33 minutes, 4 seconds, and counting. You’ve officially shifted into panic mode because your paper is due tomorrow, and so far all you’ve written is your name. We’ve all been there, crippled by writer’s block and unable to compose a single coherent sentence. Most of us have probably tried to get rid of our …
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my 30 years on this planet, it’s that you should always read the instructions. Okay, most of the time. At any rate, I know that you should read the instructions on tests. I learned this by accidentally skipping two pages of the math section on the SAT. Apparently, when …
I’m a traveler. During my journeys, I have met myriad travelers, each with different ways of traveling. One of the most interesting differences I’ve noticed has been the various ways in which travelers prepare for a trip. Interestingly, it mirrors the different prewriting strategies writers use to prepare for an essay. On one end of the …
Your doctor does it after you leave. Your waiter does it in front of you. Reporters do it all over the place. No no no, not that. They take notes! Even the best of us have rather limited capacity for storing information in our brains, let alone knowing exactly where that information came from and …