Starting the Process
With graduation so close, not only is it time for high school students to think about to which colleges they want to apply, but it's also time to wrap up the current school year! These next few posts will benefit both high school and college students. I'm going to discuss writing papers. (Up front, I'll let you know I am an Instructor of College Composition.)
Final exams are almost upon us but most likely, will have term papers to submit prior to taking exams. Writing is crucial to your success in and out of school, so learn to do it well. Communication is the key ingredient in everything from a well structured resume to a project proposal for a potential client.
To begin the process of creating your term paper for school, get a good handle on what is expected of you. Read your syllabus! My syllabi are very clear as to how the paper must be formatted, the length I expect and the way the Works Cited page must be structured. Before you start writing anything at all, if you have the option, ask yourself what type of paper you want to write. Make sure you're interested in the topic and in the way you will present the topic. Read over your notes, look over your information and review your sources.
An informative or expository paper teaches the reader something about a particular topic. You explain an idea or a theory within the body of your paper.
An argumentative paper makes a claim or takes a certain position on a subject, then justifies the claim with carefully detailed evidence. You must use research and documentation to support your position (as with all papers). The claim can be your opinion, but you'll need to back it up with solid evidence as to why your opinion is better than the counter opinion. You'll have to introduce both sides. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.
An analytical paper divides an event, issue or an idea into its component elements, examines each one individually, then presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience. Frequently, literary analysis is a popular topic for this type of paper. The theory behind a piece of work would be studied and interpreted for an audience. Or a moment in history, a way of life, a type of culture, just about anything can be broken down and analyzed.
Next, devise your thesis statement. It needs to be concise and interesting, and should cover only what you will discuss in your paper. On that same note, make sure you cover your thesis statement in your paper! As you write, your direction and focus may change, so be prepared to revise your thesis statement at the end of your paper. The body of your paper will also help you to determine what the introduction and conclusion paragraphs must say. Write the introduction last. (I'll get into that more in another post.)
The writing process can be broken it into several parts, prewriting, drafting and revising. These are the three basic stages of writing a paper, and I will explain them more over the next few days.
I rewrote this for my personal page because it was originally written for my paying gig for HughesNet satellite Internet.
