Essays Term Papers

Essays and term papers are a fact of life in college. Here's how to tackle them:

1. Make sure you understand the assignment.  Read it through and highlight or underline the words that give you directions.  Look for phrases like compare and contrast, draw a conclusion, use examples, and so forth.  If the instructor wants you to analyze a source and all you do is summarize it, you're not going to get a decent grade.  You'll save time if you know what your purpose is before you start.

2. Look at the assignment again and make note of the basics.  When is it due?  How long should it be?  Are there formatting requirements? Do you have to provide documentation and if so, how (APA, MLA)?

3. If you're using sources, keep track of them as you go.  It's frustrating and time-consuming when you put a quote in your paper and then you can't remember where it came from.

There are lots of good tips in The Perfect Term Paper.  You can find it on amazon.com.

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