When I started college, I thought I could do the same amount of work I did in high school and still get those same good grades. I was wrong. I made two Fs and a D on my first three college papers. Since I did eventually become an English teacher, you can see I learned how to do better. I’ll share some tips with you so that you don’t make the same mistakes I did.

The first thing you need to do is understand the assignment before you try to work on it. It might be intimidating to ask your instructor for help, but we want you to do well. Remember—when we wrote the directions, they made perfect sense to us but might not to you, our students. Get clarification so that you are on the right track.

Next, understand that if you follow the writing process, you will actually end up saving time. You will also get better grades. If you work a little bit every day, writing is easier. Here’s an overview of the writing process. The first step is prewriting—generate ideas for your paper to decide your thesis and organize your thoughts. Then, you should write your draft. Now, put it away. That’s right. Leave it alone. When you come back to it, you’ll be able to do a better job of polishing it.

When you come back to your paper, revise it for content and structure. Follow all the rules you learned in your English class. Finally, edit and proofread. Ahhhh, all done!

So, don’t procrastinate, do a little every day, and use the writing process. If you need a review of essay writing, visit the Online Writing Lab at Purdue University or The Guide to Grammar and Writing. Good luck!