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Essay Exams | Research and Documentation | Preparing for the THEA
So, you have to write an essay for class. What now? If you worry endlessly about writing essays, chances are you just need to begin with a few simple steps to curb that anxiety. Writing isn't so difficult if you prepare and practice often. Try this list of things you can do to help ensure that your next writing assignment goes much more smoothly than before:
Pay attention. It only makes sense to listen to the person who will be grading the assignment, right? Be sure to listen to the assignment closely, and above all, don't be afraid to ask questions. Questions help you clarify the paper and let your instructor know that you are interested and attentive. That will go a long way if you need more questions answered later.
Read, read, read. Read the assignment sheet until you are sure you understand it completely. If the assignment was given out in class, read the syllabus. There may be instructions or at least a list of the instructor's preference for papers. Be sure to reread anything that relates to the assignment, also.
Plan out the assignment. As soon as you know the due date, mark your assignment down in your daily calendar or in a place that you see regularly (like your refrigerator door or bathroom mirror). If you're using a calendar, schedule all the times that you plan to work on the paper. Plan out times for research, drafting, revision, and especially an appointment with a writing tutor. Stick to this schedule. Waiting until the last moment only ensures that you won't have time to cover yourself if you change your mind, make a mistake, or find yourself in the middle of a computer disaster.
Now that you've prepared yourself for this topic, you should find it easier to approach. If you have an assignment right now, go on ahead and set your plan according to the following suggestions. When you've done that, or if you're already past that stage, move on to check our next section.
Before you start tapping away at the keyboard, there's still some work to be done. Much of the work you should be doing on any paper won't involve the physical act of writing; you need to lay the groundwork for your paper and make sure that your ideas are sound and organized first. Below are a few preliminary stages of the writing process that you should try before sitting down to write the paper:
Find a spaceFind a comfortable place where you won't be disturbed. The library is usually a great place for such work, so give it a try. If the library doesn't work for you, just make sure you can get comfortable, get away from your friends, and get to all the supplies and information you need to work on your paper.
BrainstormBrainstorming is an important part of the writing process, and it's a good opportunity to get all your ideas out so you can sort through them. There are several different ways to brainstorm for paper ideas, and we've gathered of few of them for you to check out.
Talk to someonePrewriting Techniques
Sometimes you just need to get all your ideas out in the open so you can decide what you want to write. Try some of these prewriting techniques to explore you topic before you dive into the paper.Freewriting (or free association writing)
Freewriting is an excellent way to start exploring your ideas or the topic of your paper. To freewrite, you should allow yourself anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes to write uninterrupted. The trick here is to write continuously. Don't let your pen stop moving, even if you run out of ideas. Write whatever comes into your mind while thinking about the topic, and when your time is up look back to see what you've written.
Idea Mapping
Idea mapping is another free association exercise that helps to narrow a topic by looking within subjects for obvious patterns. Begin by writing in the middle of the page a word or phrase that represents your general subject. Circle it and then attach any related words that come to mind and circle them. This technique will help you see how your ideas are related, and it may help you narrow your topic or find a new topic within your general subject.
Tree diagrams
Tree diagrams are useful for organizing information when you already have a general idea of your subject. Start with a main idea and then draw branches for each subtopic. For every topic related to a subtopic, draw another branch.
I won't kid around with you here. We want you to come to the AARC to get some help on your writing. But, then, it's a great way to talk through your ideas and develop your plan for your paper. Even if you can't get to the AARC, you should at least mention your ideas for your paper to your instructor. Letting someone hear your ideas forces you to make sure they're clear and original. If you would like to visit with a writing tutor, just click here and make an appointment. (Yes, it's that easy).
Do you ever wonder what those unusual symbols on your paper are? Instructors often use symbols to denote general writing issues. Below is a list of those weird symbols and their definitions.
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| Awkward: This symbol indicates awkward wording. Simply put, it means that your sentence is technically correct, but the way it is worded makes it difficult to follow. | Insert: This symbol means that a word, phrase, or letter is missing. | Delete: This symbol means the instructor wants you to delete the sentence, word, or phrase marked. |
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| Sentence Fragment:Your sentence is not complete. This is usually a problem with a missing subject or verb. | New Paragraph: You'll often see this mark if you have a paragraph that contains more than a single main idea. The instructor is usually telling you to start a new paragraph at the point marked. | Punctuation: There is some problem with punctuation. Rather than point out the error, the instructor wants you to find it so you can learn more about that type of punctuation. |
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| Question: There are two possibilities here. You either phrased a sentence as a question but left off the question mark, or you have made a statement that left the reader with some unanswered questions. | Parallelism: This one can be tough to spot. Your sentence or paragraph is uneven, either in the way that it is worded or the idea behind it. | Transpose: This simply means to switch the order of the word, phrase, or sentence marked. |
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| Unnecessary Comma: You have a comma that doesn't belong in the place you put it. Make sure you understand why this one is wrong before moving on, or it will cause you problems in every paper you write. | Word Choice: You have chosen a word that is inappropriate in the context that you used it. Perhaps you have chosen one word when another similar word might be a better choice. |
If you need some help with general writing issues like grammar, punctuation, or style, try one of these excellent resources:
Capital Community College's Guide to Grammar and Writing is an collection of resources ranging from help on documenting sources to comma usage. Check it out!
The Purdue Online Writing Lab is one of the most comprehensive writing sites in the country. You can also check out Arizona State University's Online Handouts, a very thorough collection of writer resources and information.
Or, you can go to Bartleby.com: The Elements of Style.
If you don't find what you need at any of these sites, please feel free to send a question to us by emailing the Writing Program director at mcannon@sfasu.edu.
PRE-PLANNING:
STUDY STRATEGICALLY:
WRITE STRATEGICALLY:
AARC tutors can help you with essay exam strategies. Bring your notes, texts, and brain! For take-home essay exams, we will need the professor’s permission to help.
MLA Style:
APA Style:
Citation Help:
Son of Citation Machine helps you create a bibliography in MLA, APA, Chicago and other styles. Plug in the information for a formatted works cited page. http://citationmachine.net/
RefWorks is a Web-based bibliography and database manager that allows users to create a personal database of sources. You can use these references in writing papers and automatically format the paper and the bibliography in seconds.
