#13579 Always Proof Read Your Paper

Proof reading your paper that you just spent hours on is probably the last thing you want to do right after you write it, but it really helps you out. I have decided to not proof read my a lot of my papers in the past and my grade suffered from that. Simple mistakes that get looked over when you are in the zone or just complete laziness in making sure commas are in the right places. Those things hurt your paper when you don't take the time and revise it. Reading out loud helps me out a bunch because I have those lazy moments while I'm writing a paper and I don't feel like using the grammar check and other helpful sources like that.

Here at DMACC we have the writing lab where there are teachers that will look over your paper and help you out with mistakes that you missed while revising. You are dumb if you don't take that opportunity. I call it a luxury, which it is and students don't realize it. Always revise and proof read your papers!!!!!! It helps out in the long run.

By: Rob Jaschke

# 0987654321 Write Something That You Are Passionate About

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoT5Dv0JO2k

When writing papers for your class it is important to write about something you are interested in. It is important because you can give your own oppinion and also you really understand it. Unlike some random topic that your teacher gives you at the beginning of class. For example: if your teacher gives you a topic about dancing or opera and you are a die hard sports fan, you are probably going to be pissed and not going to give it your best. By writing something that you are passionate about, it sparks your mind and gets it motivated.

Teachers need to start getting kids interested in writing at a young age, and thats how you do it. When you get a kid interested it makes him or her a more committed student and could prevent that student from dropping out and it could help him or her get in to college. We need to take this approach with younger kids.

By: Rob Jaschke

# 4534345 Don't Write Papers at a Friends House

When writing a paper, the number one rule is that you are not anywhere near any of your friends. I tried to write at a friends house once and believe me it didnt go well. It went from a good idea to a house party in about five seconds. When i write at home i am able to get all of my work done no problem. I am focused, and able to write without any distractions. On the other hand, i dont ever get much done when trying to study woth friends. So after saying all this, make sure that you study on your own time. Your friends arent going anywhere and they can wait for you to finish your papers.

RIley Blaylock

# 6353 Write About What Interest You

Make sure that you write about things that interests you. Don't writeabout something that bores you, or that you cannot relate to. Will be boring and no one will want to read it. when you write about something that interests you, you put more effort and feeling into your writing. you also feel a lot more passionate about the writing if you can relate to it and you wont have to put unecessary padding into it full of useless information. People will also be a lot more interested in your paper if they can see that the writer took their time and did not rush through a boring article. When you are happy with what you are writing about, you are bouund to write a good paper.

Riley Blaylock

#-83 Points of thesis included in paper

Your thesis is the main point of your paper, your main argument, your main solution, whatever it may be without it you don't have a solid argument or an essay. So this just makes sense that once you have your thesis you use it in your paper. So you have your main idea (topic) as your opening paragraph which includes your thesis. Once you have your thesis and your topic paragraph you include side points in your body of your paper supporting your main idea.

In using side points to support your main idea you can conclude a paragraph about one of your side points by restating or including your thesis in the conclusion of your paragraph just making your argument through out your paper that much more powerful. If you do not include your thesis throughout your paper your argument does not seem to be as strong. Including your thesis or the point of your thesis in your paper completes it and makes it that great of an essay.

By: T.J. Stuart

#.02 Plan or map out paper

To plan or map out your paper is a very important step. When mapping out a paper the first thing that I do is brainstorm for a topic. Once I have found a topic that interests me and that I feel would allow for a interesting paper I start my research. The most successful way I have found to research is by using the dmacc library. The dmacc library has many tools. I have checked out books, DVD's, and most importantly the libraries electronic data base has proven to be most helpful. Next I like to absorb the research and plan in which direction the paper should go. At this point it can sometimes be hard to start writing. One thing that my composition instructor has tried to stress is to just start writing. You can then go back and change things until you get it right. Staring at the computer screen is a wast of time but this is one aspect that I have really struggled with. Once the paper is writing and it seems to be right it is very important to have it reviewed by a peer or an instructor, This has proven to be very helpful to me as there are always things I do not see or missed. By James Sanger

# 4555 Dont Stress Out About Your Paper

If you stress out too much about your writing, you are bound to fail. Don't be lazy about your paper, but just make sure that you have enough time to plan out what you are writing about, and are able to get enough sources to make your essay. When you stress out while writing, your thoughts get all jumbled, and you can forget information that will be useful for your paper. Also when you stress out you will tend to start padding your essay and then you have a ton of useless informationin your essay. Just have fun with it and make sure that you take your time on your papers and you will be fine.

Riley Blaylock

#8383 Read Rough Draft Out Loud

Reading your rough draft out loud.... first step to doing this would be can you guess? Is writing your rough draft. In a rough draft you get all of your ideas out there. You start your paper with your main idea opening it and getting your thesis out there. Once that is done you throw the rest of your ideas in there any which way you want concluding your paper with your main idea and thesis again.

Once your rough draft is done you can read it out loud doing so helps make sure your grammar is correct. Once your done reading it and making sure your grammar is correct re-read it for a second time. Doing so this second time make sure that the paper makes sense the way you put your side thoughts into the paper so your first paragraph makes sense following your second paragraph and so on until your conclusion. Reading your paper out loud is a great writing tip because you can understand what you may have thought was correct when you wrote it to be grammatically correct and turns out once it is read you hear the mistake and can fix it. Doing this helps make your rough draft less of a rough product to more of your final product which makes it easier on you in the end.

By: T.J. Stuart

#.08 Choose topics that interest you

Choosing a topic that interests you is very helpful when writing a paper. Through my own experience not only choosing a topic that interests you, but also something that you have first hand knowledge of. For example, the first paper I wrote in college was about becoming a father for the first time. I did not have to do any research and every word written was my own. On another occasion I wrote a informative paper on how to become an organ donor. This was a good decision for a topic as it is something I believe is very important and I am also an organ donor. For myself choosing a topic is the most important part of writing a paper, and sometimes the most difficult. This step for me tends to set the stage for a paper. If your not interested in your topic chances are you not going to have a very interesting paper. By James Sanger

# 1222 Don't Always Begin with an Introduction.

When writing a research paper one normally starts with an intro and a thesis statement. Sometimes this isn't the best approach. Maybe you have several ideas for the body of the paper and you have yet to develop a well thought out introduction. You may have yet to develop a thesis statement and a general idea for the paper. Since one has been taught throughout their academic career that the introduction should be written first initially it may be difficult to focus on the body of the paper. Remember that this approach isn't effective for everyone.One may wish to make use of an implied thesis. It is important to understand which approach works best for you. It is also important to remember to employ the use of prewriting methods and to make use of reliable resources. More advice for writing a research paper can be found here.


By
Dylan Kennedy
05/02/12

#1.333(repeating of course) Read your paper out loud

After you have written your research paper or essay, you should reread the paper out loud. Reading the paper out loud will help you hear the grammar to check if it is correct. This proofread process will help even if you are reading another person's essay. Then you can correct what you hear is wrong. Sometimes it helps to ask someone else to read your paper out loud. Then you have two people listening to hear if every thing sounds correct.


Another good thing to do is read the paper backwards one sentence at a time. This way you can hear each sentence individually and asses if it makes sense or not. This is like having a fresh pair of eyes looking at your own paper again because you are looking at one sentence at a time and it is not flowing, making you miss your errors.

These are very effective ways to help you proof read your paper after you have a rough draft complete. The link in the last sentence has many helpful writing tips for starting, researching, and completing your research paper. I am very bad at proof reading papers so I normally ask others to do this for me. Reading backwards and out loud is the most helpful for me to proof read my own work, but I would always recommend getting at least two others to read your paper and give you feedback. If you give them the tips to read backwards and out loud they might find even more errors.

By Matt Long

#888888888 Be Creative in your opening

Don't start your paper in a boring way. Nobody is interested in reading a paper that starts "Today I'm going to tell you why smoking is bad." I wouldn't want to see a teacher grading 100 papers starting like that. I doubt he'd ever come back to work. Not that us students would mind, but you could always get a worse teacher!

I recommend starting papers with a story or maybe a joke. Anything is better than a bland statement. You could try using a startling fact like 46% of Americans are obese. Then you can continue in your opening paragraph to the thesis statement. I tend to start most of my papers with a story straight from my life. This helps me establish some credibility and get's them at least somewhat interested. If you want some more ideas check out Roxanne's tips.

I also like to read some articles in the newspaper or in magazines to get some good ideas. Sometimes you can find an article with a really interesting opener even though you might not have been interested in it before you read the opening. The best way to self check if it's interesting is have some people read over and see if they liked the opening. Peer feedback is a very valuable asset when writing a paper.

One last helpful tip for thinking of a good opening to your paper is do not stare at a blank screen. I don't even want to know how many hours of my life I've wasted doing that when I was younger. Sometimes just write down your thesis and come back and think of an opening. You can even take a break and go do something. This could help refresh your memory of a good story that would pertain or just help your mind clear up and think of something new and creative.

By Matt Long

#2153 Don't Procrastinate

Procrastination is my number one flaw in school. I do it for almost every assignment although a lot of the time it is from working two jobs. I wish I could follow my own advice and do papers as they are assigned instead of waiting for the last minute to do everything, but I have learned something from it. I am better under pressure because of it. If you do procrastinate consistently enough, you might just find that you work better under pressure. I recommend not getting into this habit. Here are some tips to not let yourself procrastinate.

Tip 1: Set goals for certain days, prior to the due date, to get portions of your work done.
Tip 2: Make a list of things you need to do for each day. Then see what free time you have to work some homework into.
Tip 3: Don't overload yourself with work and school. Give yourself more time in the day. Then you can utilize it more efficiently to get your homework done ahead of schedule.

There are three helpful tips to keep you from waiting until the last minute to get a project or paper done. Then you will have less stress in your life and probably more free time because you won't be worrying about that upcoming deadline. When you have your work done ahead of time, you get to relax and enjoy your time not worrying you already have that taken care of. Then you can head to my favorite bar, The Yankee Clipper, and have a taco on Tuesday.

By Matt Long

#77 Write What You Know

The biggest advantage when it comes to writing essays is writing about what you already know. When writing a paper about things you either know or are passionate about, words begin to flow on the paper without having to plan your next step. Knowing a lot about your topic allows you to elaborate on things more than someone who has to do extensive research.

Knowing or being passionate about your topic is also a time saver. Having common knowledge allows you to skip the little things when it comes to researching. It also gives you many more sections to work on and lets you focus on the things you like more.

Being motivated to write a paper is one of my biggest struggles. Most of the time i find it extremely hard to want to write about many topics. But when i find something or choose something that i especially like, i feel motivated to express my ideas for everyone to hear. Being able to write a paper and say this is what i know and this is what i feel is almost like telling people who you are and letting them take a peak at the real you.

Luckily with our composition teacher we were given the ability to choose our topics. I believe that if you write what you know or truly care about you will be a better writer. Not only will you be a good writer, but you will allow people to see who you are, and what you care about.

Here are 25 ways to become a better writer.

By Jon Kelly

#17 Tips for Writing Papers the Sunday Night Before it is Due

If your paper is due early Monday morning please dont wait until Sunday night to try and get it done. It usually never works out, unless you write papers like i do of course. If you find yourself scrambling around on Sunday night trying to get your paper written, stop and read these quick tips.

Tip 1: Lock your bedroom door, put your ear buds in and turn the music up as loud as it goes. This plan helps you gain ultimate concentration and prevents your siblings, parents, or roommates from bothering you.

Tip 2: Stock up on energy drinks. It's going to be a long night. Considering its already nearing eight o'clock you're going to need a couple monsters. I prefer to use five hour energy, but any type of caffiene will do the trick. This tip not only keeps you awake, but it gets your mind racing and soon you wont be able to control your thoughts. Please note: If you work too long without another energy drink you make crash and find yourself waking up to a half completed paper.

Tip 3: The third and final tip is DONT WAIT UNTIL SUNDAY NIGHT. It is not worth the money the hassle or the grade.

Now you find yourself with two options:

a. Complete your paper before the due date.

or

b. Repeat the first two steps over and over until you have perfected Sunday Night writing like I have. It make take awhile but practice makes perfect, and it is a good time saver.

By Jon Kelly

#110311 Why You Should Get a Husky

I had been wanting to get a Siberian Husky for a while. I love big dogs, and the blue eyes are a bonus. I would search on the internet what Huskies are like, and if I should buy one. All I would read is that Huskies shed, they bark a lot, need a lot of exercise, so therefore it’s hard to take care of them.

Even though I read all these stuff about huskies and my mom telling me not to buy one, I went and bought one anyways.

Everything about them is pretty much true. They shed like crazy, they are talkative, they make holes in your yard, and they are always hyper and need a lot of exercise.

But they never mention how great Siberian huskies are. My puppy is a Siberian husky named Slush and she’s six months old. She’s a handful sometimes but she’s amazing. She’s smart, she’s caring, she’s silly, she’s fun to play with, she licks my face when I cry, and she falls asleep next to me, high fives you at random times, She knows when bed time is so she goes straight under the bed and starts snoring, and she definitely does not like being alone. She can annoy me and sometimes doesn't listen, but I never regret getting her because of how unique she is.

So therefor I think whoever is interested in getting a dog they should consider getting a husky. I think anyone can take care of one if they have patience. Siberian Huskies are pretty much like any other large dogs.

By Marjan Farahbakhsh

#2222 Don't have kids

At some point every married couple will want to have kids. And when they do, they won’t be able to do what they used to do when it was just the them two of them.

These are some of the reasons why you should not have kids:

• They can't go out as much as they used to
• They can't go out on dates
• They can't go to parties
• They can't go on vacation with out taking their kids with them
• Won't have as much money, and have to spend most of it on the children
• It won't be about you and your partner, it' all about your kids and making them happy
• Won't get enough sleep
• Can't have nice stuff in your house
• You might not be able to follow your dreams, continue on your hobbies or your career
• Have to change your lifestyle

Having babies isn’t for everyone, and if you do want one. Babies will ruin your life, they might make you happy at some times, but that doesn’t happen a lot. So have babies when you’re ready, not when you’re young and still enjoying life.

As for myself, I do want kids in the future. But I want to have kids when I’m married for few years, so I can enjoy some time with my husband and I know were financially ready. And I think more people should wait till their late 20’s as well, rather than having kids when they are still in high school. This is happening a lot now, girls get pregnant when they are not ready to be a mother.

By Marjan Farahbakhsh

3456 Do Not Procrastinate

Procrastination is the act or habit of procrastinating, or putting off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention. It is a horrible habit to get in to and can hurt your GPA at any level of schooling. Even though it can have an effect on your grades, it is so easy to say "I'll do it later" or "it isn't due for a month". When you get an assignment you should complete it and get it over with, trust me, it is a lot easier that way. As i sit here at my lap top debating on what I should include in my shpeel about procrastinating I realize that it is Tuesday night and almost twenty four hours before the blog entries are due. I'm not sure if I can enlighten people about procrastination and how to stop it when I am probably the biggest procrastinator out there. The only advice i could give you is, don't be like me and put off every homework assignment you ever get. Once you get it, go home or your dorm and get it done, procrastination is a disease and it will kill your grades

By Rob Jaschke

#5687 Write Down Whatever Comes to Mind

Often times people do not know where to start writing, so they sit there and stare at a blank page or screen. They rack their brains for ideas or potential topics, but what they do not realize is that the answer they seek is just one thought away. The key is to write down all thoughts that you have. By writing down all the thoughts that come into your mind, you will eventually find the answer that you have been looking for.

As your thoughts flow onto the page, one of the words or phrases will strike your interest, and when that happens, just go with it. When you find something that you think you might like to write about, just start writing, and see what comes out. When you find yourself getting stuck again, try writing your topic at the top of the page, and start listing all of the different sub categories, or different directions that the topic can go.

Eventually you will have enough different sub topics to start filling in the blank spots in your paper. I find that, by taking these lesser topics and writing a little bit about each one, eventually they can all be linked together to form a paper.

After you have written a little bit about each sub topic, and linked them together, it is time to go back through and revise. Eventually, you will have a paper that runs smoothly together and is jam packed full of good information.

With this tip, I feel you will have a well-written paper that will not cause you to want to tear your hair out! (at least not totally out)

By: Linzy Lemming

#9899 Write in Sections

Most people think that when they write a paper, they need to sit down and write it all at the same time. But when they do this they often get stuck and frustrated because they do not know what to write next. So, I have a suggestion for you. Write your paper in sections. By writing your paper in small sections you will have a fresher take on where you want your paper to ultimately go.

Here’s how. Once you have your topic, begin to write your paper. When you get stuck take some time away from your paper until you think of something you can add. Then go back to your paper, reread what you already have, then add what you came up with. Repeat this process until you feel you have written a paper that is up to your standards, or your teachers standards rather. (I think this process should be nick named: Rinse, lather, and repeat)

In my experience, writing in small sections can be very beneficial. When you write until you get stuck then take a break, you allow your mind to relax and get reset. Then when you come back to your paper, and read over it, you may find inspiration to write some more.

Not only does writing in sections help with writers block, it can also help with grammar and wording of the paper. Every time you look over your paper you may find an error that you may have missed before because your eyes are a little bit fresher along with your brain.

Take your time, and start early writing your paper. It will pay off.

This blog post was written in several sections J

By: Linzy Lemming

356.14 The Usefulness of an Annotated Bibliography

When writing a big research paper it is very useful to gather a great deal of information. By gathering more information than you really need you can decide on what is really relevant and then use it for the main points of your research paper. Then you can choose to use the other not as relevant information to back up your major points. An annotated bibliography is just a basic summary of the information found so. Each entry is arranged in alphabetical order and is organized by the author of the each work.


Each entry should be labeled in MLA (Modern Language Association) format.
When working on your summary you should look for the information that seems the most important and that will fit the best. Each summary should be at least 150-200 words. That will give you a good amount of information to start with.

After fitting in a few good quotes make sure to make a few quick notes on how you would go about using each entry in your paper. This will save you a lot of time when actually writing your research paper. This will also improve the organization of your paper since you already have a good deal of information. This will give you more time to focus on that actual finished product.

By creating an annotated bibliography your arguments will give off a well researched glow that of course will help back up your argument. Since most research papers are supposed to be informative and persuading this is exactly what you need. After creating your annotated bibliography writing your research paper should be a breeze.

Travis Moyer

#30303030 Don’t Just Email, Print Too

In high school students normally would have to just print an essay off and give it to their teacher, at least that’s how it was at Southeast Polk. High school teachers like to see the paper in their hands, not just in an email. Then when students get to college they normally just email everything to their teachers. It is all so different.

Why not print and email the paper to your teacher? It is beneficial to both the student and the teacher. It also helps to have a printed copy just in case the email is still somewhere in cyberspace and did not get sent to the teacher. If we just emailed our assignments to all our teachers we would have to put a lot of faith in the cyber world. Let’s face it; the cyber world cannot always be trusted. At times things get lost, or fail to send, and then we would all be screwed because we did not print out a hard copy of our assignment. One day this could happen to you and then you will have learned your lesson the hard way by getting a failing grade for the assignment.

Let’s all just do ourselves a favor by printing and emailing our assignments to our teachers. Yes it wastes paper, but it could save us from failing do to a glitch in cyberspace.

Breanna Hickle

#303030 Accents We Never Knew Of

Throughout this semester of Comp Class we learned of some new accents. It was something of an Irish Jamaican and a German Pirate or vice versa. I could be wrong though since the class only heard it once or twice, but it was definitely something different. It was something I and probably more than half the class has never heard of.

Unfortunately for us students the accents were only done like one or two times. They were very interesting to hear, but needed just a little work. I did not know there were people that were German Pirates, but if I ever meet one I will definitely try and pull off Neuendorf’s accent for them. My accent probably won’t be as good though; I am not as talented as Neuendorf is. Of course we couldn’t have heard just a normal accent like a British accent or an Australian accent. That would have impressed us enough.

Instead of learning about grammar, spelling, how to write a paper, or other composition things, we learned about weird accents. It was entertaining though, along with learning about never having kids, about mouse hairs going to be the new wigs, and all the other messed up things we heard over the semester. I truly did like it, it woke me up in the morning and gave the class a reason to laugh. It was very different than any other class I have been in. We will all sit around and practice our accents from now on and hope to one day be as great as Mr. Neuendorf!

Breanna Hickle

356.13 How to Write a Proper Closing Paragraph For Your Paper

Closing a paper can be tricky. You can't just stop abruptly. The reader would feel as if you had just wasted their time. I know that when you actually get to the end of your paper you are probably thinking, "Almost over," or "When will this end?" Well that doesn't mean you can start slacking now. You can relax when it is over. Until then keep focused on the task at hand. Most people probably don't realize that the closing paragraph is just as important as the opening paragraph. This is where you as a writer can make any closing remarks, sum up a few quick details, or just let the reader know that the paper is coming to a close.



The Main Parts of a Closing Paragraph Are...

1. Summary Statement: An overview of everything that was covered in the main part of the paper.
2. Not too long: You don't want to drone on and bore your reader.
3. Do not introduce new subjects: This can seem hurried and leave many more questions than it does answers.
   
4. A Reminder of the Thesis: sums up the hole paper and keeps it in a neat format.
   
5. The Clincher: A word or statement that will likely leave a lasting impression on the reader.

If you can do these things, then your closing paragraph will impress your reader and leave them wanting to know more. Being able to create a proper closing paragraph will likely leave your reader with a sense of completion.

Travis Moyer

#3030 Procrastinating . . . We All Do It

Procrastination is something that all students, not just college students, do at times on homework. Waiting until the last minute to do some assignments may work, but an assignment like a paper for a composition class is not a time to procrastinate.

I have procrastinated plenty of times on homework assignments, even on papers. Our comp papers were a different story though. Writing a 3,000 word essay on the Sunday before it is due is not a smart idea. It would be not be an A paper in most cases. Putting together an argument and providing details with ten citations in one day would be really hard. Bravo to the people who did that and got a good grade. It will not happen often though.

Students procrastinate because they just do not want to think about homework until they absolutely have to. We just want to have fun with our friends, or play video games, or just watch television instead of do homework. Doing math problems, or figuring out what biology is, or writing a paper does not sound like any fun at all, unless you actually like doing homework, but most students don’t. If procrastinating has always worked for you then I guess keep on doing it. One day it may not turn out to be the best though. Actually doing assignments ahead of time and making sure you do a good job on it can be beneficial. I have definitely learned my lesson about procrastinating.

Breanna Hickle

#356.12 Creating an Effective Attention Getter

When writing a paper it is always important to grab the reader's attention. If a writer can't do that then who is going to read their paper? The answer to that is, "no one." It is similar to leading a fish by a hook. You are using a lure to entice your prey (aka: reader). If a writer can't get the reader to continue to read their work then what is the point of writing it in the first place? There isn't a reason. All great writers use an attention getter at the beginning of their works. Stephen King for example used a very simple but compelling one liner to get his readers attention in his novel, "The Mist." He begins his novel with the sentence, "This is what happened" (King). This line makes the reader start to question what has happened. Due to that question in their head, the reader will now continue to read on in order to find out what it is that happened.



All great writers use an attention getter to get their reader to continue. This can be from a simple one liner all the way to a long interesting story that has relevance to the literary work. If you take your time and plan out a great way to lure your reader into a sense of curiosity about your work then you have succeeded in gathering their attention. Grabbing your reader's attention is the first step to a successful literary work. Good luck everyone.

Travis Moyer

# 599 Accept Judgment Day: Let Others Edit Your Work

I know you hate having to show other people your writing. It is a very personal and sacred thing. You might be nervous about what someone is going to think about what you have to say but the truth is, you’re going to have to let another human being read and edit your writing if you want it to be a good piece.

We have been doing this for years. Starting in grade school. We would write an essay or a paper and let others look for common errors and what not.

It is no big deal. No one honestly cares about what you write. As long as it is not offensive or illegal or anything. This is Composition 2 not your hang out on Saturday night lets keep it PG people.

Even though Mr. N is pretty lenient and cool for a teacher, letting us watch the double rainbow video 10 times and demonstrating his several different mixes of Irish and Jamaican accents and all.

So, after you have edited, revised, and adjusted every little detail you can think of, it is a great idea to let someone else, someone you trust, read your work. An outsider’s perspective is great when it comes to writing. Another mind may ultimately catch what you, the author, have missed.

You may also want to get a teacher’s opinion on a paper before you submit the project for a grade. That way you have the best shot at getting the best grade you can.

I mean it is really up to you, fail or let other people see your thoughts written down on paper.

-Olivia Herr

#656 Love Hearing Your Own Voice? - Read Your Paper Aloud

Reading out loud, may not seem like the most fun or important thing to do when when writing a paper. But as it turns out, it is actually very useful and helpful.

Of course, this tip is something the genius of a teacher, Mr. Neuendorf taught my Composition 2 class this semester. He suggested doing this before you turn in your paper.

So after all of the editing is done and all of the things you can think of have been adjusted, you read from start to end and mark errors as you go. Hearing the words out loud may be useful in finding what does or does in fact not work.

You'll be able to tell what sounds right and what doesn't make sense at all that you may not have figured out when reading silently in your head. Like sentences that don't contribute to the purpose at all or words that are mixed up.

It might even be a good idea to read the paper backwards or to a family member or friend, someone you trust to tell you the truth.

That way, you make sure you have every piece of the puzzle set in place. You have a strong intro, a good thesis, supporting paragraphs, maybe citations, and a conclusion.

Take it from me, I did not read my paper aloud and I'm positive it could have benefitted from doing this extra step. Try it and find out. Doing the exercise couldn't hurt one bit. Good Luck!

-Olivia Herr

#20 Gather Credible Sources

When writing a paper it is important to gather many sources. The best ones to use are credible and easy to play off of. Use these sources to strengthen your argument by either having them agree with your own thoughts or by countering your argument. When rounding up these sources it is also important ensure that they are well known and respected. Because if you choose ones that no one has ever heard of your argument won’t have much solidarity.

Some of the best sources can be those that disagree with your opinion. When using these, your paper can gain credibility and quell questions that may arise within the reader. The best way to present these is to state your argument, quote theirs, and then offer your rebuttal.

When using sources that are for your argument it is best to state how it strengthens your point of view, provide a quote that backs it up, and then show how your source agrees with your point of view.

Here is a link to evaluating the credibility of online sources.

#21323 Shorting Paper when to Long

While writing a paper I notice a lot of times that I write too much on a specific subject. So I really need to cut down on the parts that are to long. Half the time I am pretty sure I don’t need all of what I wrote anyway. So what I do is I reread what I wrote take out what I think doesn’t need to be their. Then go to a friend, family member, or even teacher and ask them if they would read my paper and make changes. A lot of time I find myself rambling along in the paper, which should not happen in some cases. You should have your point of view if the paper calls for it but you should also have facts that back you up for your point.

Some ways to cut back are making sure it’s the length of what the teacher wants for a paper. Making sure that you has all your main points pointed out and easy to read. Taking out things that meaningless sentences are not in the paper. Put stronger words into your paper that can make the paper stronger. While you read and you feel like you really don’t need that part then delete it or make it to something that can be needed.

Ask for other options on the paper if you not really sure on weather or not you would like to delete it. Doing this can really help you because they can give you reasons as to why they don’t think it is needed.

By: Brianne Minard