When I was a professor, one of the things that frustrated me the most was the quality of papers that some students turned into me.  After a while, I started to see some of the same mistakes being made repeatedly.  Based on my experience with student paper problems, here are some tips on how to write better college papers.

1. Read the directions, and make sure you understand the assignment completely!  If you don’t, ask the professor for clarification.
2. Obey the rules when it comes to page limits.  If the teacher says 5-7 pages, turn in 5-7 pages.  Do not turn in 4 pages and a short paragraph, as this annoys professors and does not count.  And don’t monkey around with the margins or use a big font.
3. Staple your paper, or otherwise attach it professionally and effectively.  Papers with crinkled up corners send a message to the grader that you don’t care about your work. Read the rest of this entry »