Title: College Writing
1College Writing
- In almost every course you will take in college,
you are going to be asked to present your
understanding of the course using the written
word in tests, essays etc. - It is of paramount importance to your success at
college that you master the skill of effective
writing
- Master the pen, it will serve you well.
2Writing A Basic Skill That . . .
- allows you to get ideas on paper, even if you
dont think you know the concepts. - enables you to see relationships between ideas.
- requires you to organize your thoughts.
- inspires creativity.
- enables you to share your ideas.
3Five Steps to Better Writing
- Pre-write to generate ideas.
- Brainstorm, listing, free-writing
- Organize your ideas in an outline or essay map
- Write or draft to develop a structure for your
ideas as you put them on paper. - Rewrite or revise to polish your work.
- Proofread for errors, then submit it.
- Use your campus Writing Center or
- English lab for help with final drafts.
Process those words!
4Habits of Effective Writers
- Being ready
- Getting started
- Selecting a topic
- Crafting a thesis
- Developing your ideas
- Organizing your argument
- Creating the right tone
- Following the rules
- Drafting and revising
- Consulting
- Finishing touches
- Learning from feedback
5Prepare Before You Write
- Know clarify your goal
- Define your purpose
- Know your audience
- Select a topic
- Narrow your topic
- Develop a working thesis
- Support your thesis
Preparedness is paramount!
6Define Your Purpose
Know Your Goal
- Are you writing an essay, research paper, etc. ?
- To explain an idea or provide information
(expository). - To persuade or argue a point.
- To describe an experiment or process or report on
lab results. - To classify, illustrate or demonstrate.
- To tell a story
7Who is your audience?
- Probably your instructor, but personally?
Academically? As a critic? As an expert?
What is your topic?
What I want you to write about is
- Is your topic (subject)
- An assignment ?
- Your choice ?
- Something completely out of the blue?
8Develop a Working Thesis
- It reduces the topic to a single idea, opinion,
or key message. - It presents your position clearly and concisely
in the active voice. - Its a statement that can be supported by
statistics, examples, quotes, and references.
- It creates interest in the topic.
- It establishes the purpose of the paper.
- It establishes the approach or pattern of
organization. - Each paragraph should develop a point that
supports your thesis.
- Support your thesis with specific, coherent
details.
9Are you doing research?Then you need to gather
sources
- Sometimes instructors will specify how many
sources you should include in your paper, and
sometimes they wont. - Plan to look at more materials than you will
ultimately refer to in your work. - Sometimes you wont get a clear idea about what
will help you until youve done some research. - Quality of evidence is more impressive than
quantity. - Find some sources that argue against your
assertions. - Be sure and write down the complete reference for
each source as you go. This will make it much
easier to compile a bibliography or works cited
page.
10Master the Library
- Become familiar with your librarys resources so
you can locate information quickly. - Take a tour with a librarian, and get to know
someone who can help you find what you need. - Your assignment may or may not specify which
types of sources you can use. - Most instructors prefer that you read original
sources to support your ideas. - They are also more impressed by journal articles
that are peer reviewed critically analyzed by
experts in the field.
11Use the Internet
- Make use of the Internet for your research
projects with caution. - Dont assume Internet sources will be acceptable.
Look for - Articles written by a recognized authority in the
field. - A site that is supported by a reputable host
group. - Articles that are peer reviewed.
- Most instructors still favor library research
that will help you locate printed publications
and peer-reviewed sources. - If you use an internet site, be sure to cite the
URL and date you visited it. - Online databases such as JSTOR are acceptable
because they feature articles that first appeared
in print in journals and periodicals. - Be especially wary of articles on personal
websites or other sites that are not affiliated
with an institution of learning or research. - Do not plagiarize a website! A simple Google
search will give you away. - Do not cite Wikipedia!
12Refine Your Style
- Write with an active voice, using action verbs.
- Use descriptive language that draws on the
senses. - Add more words only when it will enhance your
impact. - Dont use big words just to impress.
- Remove words to clarify your meaning.
- Replace words that dont seem right.
- Shorten sentences to make writing crisper.
- Rearrange sentences so that each paragraph starts
with - its main idea.
- Write in the present tense.
- Use dependent clauses to add complexity.
Okay, lets clean it up!
13Follow the Rules
- Good grammar and spelling are the essential
elements of a successful paper. - Instructors vary in how much they care about
whether you follow specific guidelines (such as
those of the MLA or APA). Be wary of your
instructors particular foibles about writing. - Keep in mind that mistakes in spelling, grammar,
and punctuation weaken the quality of formal
writing. - Clear writing is a sign of clear thinking. Your
goal is - always to say what you mean simply and
clearly. - A writing handbook is indispensable at all stages
of the - writing process.
- Do not rely on spelling and grammar checking
programs. - Students most common errors result from
relying on these - tools!
14Learn From Feedback
- Read feedback from your instructor carefully so
you can learn things that will help you in future
assignments. - If youre faced with lots of red ink
- take some time to recover before trying to learn
- allow yourself to be disappointed
- return to it with the intention of learning
- If you only receive a grade, ask for more
feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of your
paper. - If you dont understand something, ask questions.
- There is no failure but the failure to improve!
- Develop a need to know more...
15Stay on Course
- Consider your project as a series of small tasks
that must be accomplished once over the course of
a particular period of time. - Identifying a topic
- Exploring sources of information
- Collecting research materials
- Reading materials and noting useful evidence
- Mapping out the presentation of information
- Writing your rough draft
- Revising, proofreading, and finalizing your paper
- Reward yourself for completing each step.
16- Think outside the box.
- Do something other than the typical approach.
- Create an engaging title.
- Use a thesaurus to expand your word choice.
- Add interesting quotations.
- Do for writing what George Lucas did for the
movies!
May the Force be with you!
17Tips for Becoming a Better Writer (and Thinker!)
- Keep a journal. Write something every day.
- Write about what you really like.
- Dig for ideas and reject nothing at first. Be
eclectic! - Read good writing. This is essential!
- Practice, practice, practice!
18Understand Avoid Plagiarism
- Plagiarism is presenting someone elses words or
ideas as your own. - It is a serious academic offense.
- Instructors are very adept at noticing
plagiarism, both intentional or careless. - Always make a conscious effort to translate
information into your own words and describe it
based on your understanding. - Also, many instructors frown on being given a
paper you wrote for an assignment in a different
class.
- If it's somebody else's idea,
- just remember to cite it in a footnote!
19Public Speaking Opportunities
- Addressing a class formally
- Delivering a carefully researched position
- Giving an extemporaneous speech about a topic you
are handed just moments before - Expressive reading through the dramatic works of
others - Group speaking projects panel discussions or
debate - Asking questions in class
20Fearless Public Speaking
I wont be scared!I wont! I wont! I wont!
- Keep in mind
- Anxiety usually decreases when you begin
speaking. - Your listeners generally arent aware of your
anxiety. - Some anxiety can be beneficial.
- Practice makes perfect.
- Dont think about it, just jump into it!
- Think about something really scary,
- like being stopped by a traffic cop!
21Six Steps to Successful Speaking
Be thankful you arent speaking with a mouthful
of stones.
- Step 1 Clarify your objective.
- Step 2 Analyze your audience.
- Step 3 Collect and organize your information.
- Step 4 Choose your visual aids.
- Step 5 Prepare your notes.
- Step 6 Practice your delivery.
22Using Your Voice and Body Language
- Dont hide behind the lectern or your notes.
- Make eye contact.
- Make gestures for emphasis.
- Pay attention to volume, pitch and speed of your
voice - Enunciate clearly
- Consider your appearance dress for success.
23Speaking on the Spotwhen its extemporaneous!
Okay, here goes! No notes and working without a
net!
- Use PREParation
- P Point of view.
- R Reasons.
- E Evidence of examples.
- P Point of view restated.
24And Remember
- The number one reason for writing and speaking is
- So make your work
- Clear
- Concise
- Understandable
- Interesting
Brevity is the soul of wit.