dragonbook

39 UNIT VI WRITING AN A-1, FIRST CLASS, EXCELLENT PAPER THAT YOUR PROFESSOR IS SURE TO LOVE (OR AT LEAST ACCEPT) Writing a paper can be a dreadful chore--or it can be one of the most valuable learning experiences you'll ever have. Sometimes it's both. In my own undergraduate days, I learned more from writing papers than from anything else my professors asked me to do. The assignments forced me to read closely some of the greatest works of all time. Often enough when I began my work, I didn't see any point in struggling through the difficult and sometimes lengthy works assigned. But as I read and reread the texts, struggling to find something to say, quite often a light would come on. All of a sudden I would see what the writer was up to, or at least part of what the writer was up to--and I'd get excited about writing. I hope that you have the same kind of experience as you write papers here at Northern. The ability to express ideas clearly on paper is one of the most important attributes of the successful student. Fortunately, it is a skill that, with a little effort, almost all students can acquire. Following the suggestions I give you below will (at least most of the time) ensure you a decent grade on almost any paper you turn in. 1. Pay especially careful attention in class whenever a professor is explaining to you what he/she wants you to do on an essay assignment, and note exactly what the requirements are. Don’t rely on your memory! Also, be sure to read carefully any written instructions the professor gives you for the paper assignment. Be sure to follow the professor’s guidelines regarding length, format, and (above all) topic choice. There’s no quicker way to fail than to write a one-page summary of the latest novel you’ve read when the professor has asked for five pages comparing the imagery used by Keats and Yeats—especially if you turn in the paper three weeks after the due date! 2. Begin research right away. There’s nothing more frustrating that finding out the day before an assignment is dues that a book you need has been checked out by another student, or that the book store has sent back the text you didn’t buy because you didn’t think you would have to use it.