-Follow the professor’s directions. Do what the professor is telling you to do, if you need help, ask.

-Do not leave your questions for the professor for the day before the paper is due.

-Write a good thesis. Start out with a thesis and try to prove it, you will usually end up saying something different and will have to change the thesis.

-Write your essay and look at the final paragraph, your thesis will likely be in it.

-Your thesis needs to be a statement that someone can argue against.

– Make sure you have details to explain your thesis, you need to prove your point.

-Have good transition sentences, let one idea flow into the other. Transitions are key.

-Explain everything, you cannot over explain anything.

-Do not write your essay the night before it’s due, things will not turn out the way you want them to if you do not give yourself some time to write it.

-Have someone look it over for you.

-Read your paper aloud, it helps you fix mistakes.

-Do not use words you don’t know the meaning of, it will confuse the professor.

-Don’t use too many adjectives

-Take adjectives like “mostly” and “very” out, they don’t mean much.

-Make sure you use quotes, or your paper will be given back to you.

-Your quotes should be short in the middle of your sentences and make sure to explain them.

-State why the other side of the arguement is false.

-Be careful not to say things that are too obvious because you won’t be saying much.

– Don’t repeat yourself.

-Don’t dwell on a topic.

Note: For more help, you can refer to the readings on blackboard on how to write an essay, under ‘Documents’ and ‘Writing Literature Essays’

-Redgina Fequiere