More Than 10 Helpful Writing Tips for College Students

Only a person who has specific experience in the field of academic and creative writing can share valuable tips and tricks with young students. That is exactly the reason why we have hired experienced tutors from the top US and UK colleges and universities to write a series of helpful articles for you. This particular piece of writing was penned by the winner of several essay writing contests, so the man sure knows what he is talking about.

These are some rare tips and common problems faced by the students and young writers.

Before proceeding with explaining how to write a good paper in college step-by-step, let us first discuss some general tips.

• Always consult online databases or libraries to find wisdom in the words of other authors. Even if you are sure you are an expert in a specific topic, you should not underestimate the importance of primary and secondary sources. Library staff may also lend you a helping hand as they read a lot of books on a daily basis. Apart from that, they can also give you a hint where to find the information you're looking for and how to apply it to your research.
• Read the task prompts and grading rubric several times. To understand the main question, it is critical to re-read the task sheets and evaluation criteria carefully to make sure you haven't missed a thing. Various teachers have various requirements: for some, grammar is the ultimate measure of things, while for others it's the content that matters. It is important to provide a clear and concise answer to the central question or present enough evidence to defend the thesis statement - you just need to understand what exactly you should do. Keep in mind that the grading rubric will help you set priorities and understand what to focus on in your writing.
• Plan your paper and come up with an essay outline. It is one of the most useful tips for college students. You should create a writing plan aka 'the outline' as per the word limit specified in your teacher's requirements. In most cases, the assignment will require an introduction, body, and conclusion. If you write a paper different from a regular essay, it may have a more complicated structure. Also, all tasks vary in length, so this is one more important thing to discuss with your teacher. Be sure to stick to the outline while writing your essay.
• Make sure the references are correct. To avoid problems with plagiarism, the student should cite every source (the words of other authors) according to the required citation format. It is possible to use free online generators to speed up and ease the process. However, they are not always correct, so consult the latest editions of writing style guides to check your results.
• Focus on exploring and proving the main argument. The main argument of the text is the thesis statement. It should explain why the selected research problem is relevant to your community and suggest a possible solution. Do not make it more than 1-2 sentences.

Observe the rest of the college paper writing tips below.

How to Efficiently Write a Good Paper in College: Mistakes to Avoid and Tips to Use

What writing tips for students should you disregard? Let us debunk some of the typical myths!

• Using free spell checkers. We do not recommend using free grammar, spelling, and punctuation checkers because most of them are not very reliable. In fact, they sometimes suggest replacing correctly-written stuff with mistakes. Some of the default checkers, such as the one installed with Microsoft Office and other similar products, cannot tell the difference between 'your' vs. 'you're,' 'its' vs. 'it's, 'their' and 'they're' vs. 'there', confusing them all the time.
• Computers also frequently make punctuation suggestions you do not need. By the way, do not forget to specify which type of English you are interested in, as each of them has their own nuances.
• Avoid using the third person. That is not true! If you work on a formal paper, such as an essay or research, it is critical to refrain from using the 1st or 2nd person singular pronouns. Even if you describe your personal experience, it is better to describe it as if you were someone else, unless, of course, you are writing a reflective essay or personal statement. Therefore, you're strongly advised against using such phrases as "I think," "To my mind," "You know," etc.
• Involving many different details which are at least somehow related to the topic. No! The writer should be specific when it comes to broadening the chosen topic and narrowing down the research question. Do not provide any useless or irrelevant details, either. This simple tip will prevent you from failing to meet the required word count.
• Your school's writing center is a useless place. All right, then why do most students who attend local writing centers earn better grades than those who don't? Actually, there is nothing wrong with asking for someone else's help. Incidentally, one of the most useful and practical tips for college writing would be to order custom writing help from online writers.

College Paper Writing Tips: Create Your Essay Step-by-Step

We have a few more tips for writing a paper, and in this section, we will explain how to write an essay step-by-step.

• Define the topic. If the teacher does not provide you with a good question, brainstorm and search the web to pick a trendy, relevant, and exciting idea for your project.
• Organize the upcoming writing process by writing an outline. Come up with a plan and follow it, unless you want to get stuck halfway through your writing process. Put down the ideas and information about the sources used to speed up the writing process.
• Write the body first. Once you are done collecting resources, proceed with the body of your paper. Leave the thesis statement to the end.
• Be sure to consult both primary and secondary sources while working on your assignment. Do not hesitate to ask people around you and your teacher for help. Online writers can be the best solution if you need assistance.
• In the introduction, start with a hook sentence and move on smoothly to the thesis before providing some background information.
• Summarize the findings in the conclusion and finish off by restating the thesis.
• Create a list of the used sources and call it Bibliography, References, or Works Cited.
• Always proofread and edit your final draft before submission!

These are basically all the main writing tips for college students you should keep in mind. For more details and support, contact our professional academic writers and editors anytime you need.