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College Writing

What are four things you need to know about college writing?

  1. Grammar.

  2. Punctuation.

  3. APA or MLA style is NOT the same as AP style.

  4. Plagiarizing is unacceptable. 

--Professor Jan Leach

  1. Make time for drafts—your writing is always better when you’ve had time to review and improve it.

  2. Learn from corrections—if your instructor marks something wrong, make sure you never make that mistake again.

  3. Be clear and concise.

  4. Proofread!Tim Roberts

--Professor Danielle Coombs, Associate Director of JMC

  1. Edit your work before submitting it. Proofread a hard copy, if possible, as it is easier to catch errors on paper than a computer screen. A paper free of grammar, punctuation, and writing errors will help your grades immensely.

  2. Take your time when writing. Budget time to work on writing-intensive projects. Good writing involves planning, organizing, prioritizing, and rewriting.

  3. Good writers are good readers. If your desired career path involves a lot of writing, then you must become a voracious reader.

  4. Buy a dictionary. Then, use it. If you're ever unsure of the meaning or spelling of a word, look it up!

--Professor Tim Roberts (pictured)