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Taking Steps Toward a Great College Paper

时间:2016-01-19 15:03:11

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Taking Steps Toward1 a Great College Paper

Strong writing is one of the most important skills for any college student.

Many non-native English speakers have no idea what professors in the U.S. expect from a college paper.

A college paper is a piece of writing than can be as long as 20 or more pages. Even native English-speaking college students struggle with how to succeed with such a difficult responsibility.

Deborah Dessaso is the Writing Resource Coordinator2 at the University of the District of Columbia. Dessaso helps students reach the level of writing that college professors expect.

She says college writing is very different from what many students experience earlier in their education.

"Usually… a lot of high schools stress a lot of creative type writing. And so you can pretty much say what you want. Meaning is what you say it is. When you get to college you need to be able to formulate3 an argument and then defend it using credible4 sources."

A credible source provides verifiable5 information from experts. This includes books, interviews, newspapers or studies.

Most U.S. high schools teach students how to write five paragraph essays. Students are often unprepared for the amount of research they have to do for a college paper.

Nabila Hijazi is one of the assistant directors of the University of Maryland Writing Center. Hijazi is also an international student from Syria in the second year of her PhD program in English studies.

She says the language barrier is not the biggest problem for students whose first language is not English.

"Sometimes I see international students who know English grammar more than the native or the U.S.-born students. But maybe… they do not know about the writing systems that we have here, in terms of organization, thesis6, transition7… They do not know how to connect sentences; how to be direct."

In a traditional paper, the first paragraph often contains the thesis statement. This statement is a one-sentence summary of the paper's main argument. The first paragraph of a college paper, or any paper, is usually the most challenging.

The first paragraph is also the most important because it will guide the structure and show the voice of the entire paper.

But not every type of writing is the same. There are also case studies and field reports in addition to traditional papers.

Dessaso says that the best option for a student who wants improve their writing is to read.

"One professor tells me, 'You write something in your head before you write it on paper'… Until you learn to imagine when you read, you'll never be able to imagine something that you have to write before you have to write it."

Reading examples of the type of paper your professor expects you to write can be very helpful. Professors sometimes provide examples. You can also search the Internet for examples of papers about similar topics.

But, you should never copy another person's work. Professors will find out if the work is copied and you will get in a lot of trouble. 

Hijazi adds that writing a paper takes time. Students should let other students read their work and listen to criticism8.

"I try to teach them that the first draft9 is not the final draft. They need to be open to the idea that writing is a process. They have to go through different steps, different revisions."

College graduates around the world will tell you they have all been in this situation. It is the middle of the night. Your paper is due in eight hours and you have no idea what to write.

Let's imagine that your professor tells you to write a five-page paper on this topic:

"The SAT is an unfair test for international students and should no longer be required. Do you agree or disagree?"

Here are four examples of how to begin writing on this topic:

1. Tell a Story – "Nadia dreamed of going to Harvard from the time she was 5 years old. 'It was my mother's dream for me,' she said. Every Saturday, she spent 10 hours at a "cram10 school" studying for the SAT while her friends went to the mall and watched movies…"

2. Use a Quote – "All the SAT measures is how well you take the SAT. It does not show how smart a person you are," wrote blogger Amanda Chan. Chan is one of a growing number of people who argues that SAT is unfair.

3. Present a Fact – "Of the 1.6 million students who took the SAT in 2013, only 43 percent of test-takers met the SAT's definition11 for being prepared for college. It is natural to blame teachers and test takers for not studying hard enough. But perhaps the test itself has problems…"

4. Describe a Problem – "Every year millions of international students are unhappy with their performance on a single test — the SAT. Years of hard work are reduced to a single test on a single day. Is the SAT the best way for universities to choose the best students? ..."

The next time you have to write a paper, remember that planning is very important. Think about what you are going to write before you start writing. Think about all the information you need to include and how you will present it.

If the ideas still are not coming, read your class materials again with these four methods in mind. Sooner or later, an idea will come.

Words in This Story

page(s) – n. one side of a sheet of paper especially in a book or magazine

stress – v. to give special attention to something

formulate – v. to create, invent, or produce something by careful thought and effort

credible – adj. able to be trusted or believed

verifiable - adj. something you can prove or show to be true

paragraph – n. a part of a piece of writing that usually deals with one subject, that begins on a new line, and that is made up of one or more sentences

transition – v. a change from one state or condition to another

case studies – n. published reports about a person, group, or situation that has been studied over time

field report(s) – n. a collection of information that explains something that is in the process of happening or recently happened

draft – n. a version12 of something such as a document that you make while working on a project or task

revision(s) – n. a change or a set of changes that corrects or improves something

graduate(s) – n. a person who has earned a degree or diploma from a school, college, or university

blogger – n. a person who uses a Web site to write about their personal opinions, activities, and experiences


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 toward on6we     
prep.对于,关于,接近,将近,向,朝
参考例句:
  • Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
  • Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了,并跑了过去。
2 coordinator Gvazk6     
n.协调人
参考例句:
  • The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下,负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
  • How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室?
3 formulate L66yt     
v.用公式表示;规划;设计;系统地阐述
参考例句:
  • He took care to formulate his reply very clearly.他字斟句酌,清楚地做了回答。
  • I was impressed by the way he could formulate his ideas.他陈述观点的方式让我印象深刻。
4 credible JOAzG     
adj.可信任的,可靠的
参考例句:
  • The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
  • Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法?
5 verifiable hgcyR     
adj.能作证的,能证实的
参考例句:
  • Unfortunately, they do not offer any reliable alternative method for obtaining verifiable knowledge. 不幸的是,他们不能提出其他任何可靠的方式来获得可以证实的知识。 来自哲学部分
  • If objectives are to be meaningful to people, they must be clear, attainable, actionable, and verifiable. 如果目标对人们是具有意义的,则目标必须是清晰的,能达到的,可以行动的,以及可供检验的。 来自辞典例句
6 thesis DIzzN     
n.论题,论点,论文
参考例句:
  • His thesis is being finished off.他的论文快写完了。
  • He argued his thesis well.他为他的论点进行了有力的辩论。
7 transition 7nOwT     
n.转变,变迁,过渡
参考例句:
  • Adolescence is the period of transition between childhood and adulthood.青春期是童年与成年之间的过渡时期。
  • They all support a peaceful transition.他们全部都支持和平过渡。
8 criticism 3OSzK     
n.批评,批判,指责;评论,评论文章
参考例句:
  • Some youth today do not allow any criticism at all.现在有些年轻人根本指责不得。
  • It is wrong to turn a deaf ear to other's criticism.对别人的批评充耳不闻是错误的。
9 draft ksvxX     
vt.起草,作...的草稿;n.草稿,草图,草案
参考例句:
  • He's now revising the first draft of his essay.他目前正修改他的文章初稿。
  • The draft of this article has been done。这篇文章已经定稿。
10 cram 6oizE     
v.填塞,塞满,临时抱佛脚,为考试而学习
参考例句:
  • There was such a cram in the church.教堂里拥挤得要命。
  • The room's full,we can't cram any more people in.屋里满满的,再也挤不进去人了。
11 definition YxjxE     
n.定义;限定,确定;清晰度
参考例句:
  • The book attempts a definition of his role in world politics.该书要阐明的是他在世界政局中的作用。
  • I made a definition for this word.我给这个字下了定义。
12 version FiJwT     
n.版本;型号;叙述,说法
参考例句:
  • His version of the events is pure supposition.他对这件事的说法纯属猜测。
  • What is your version of this matter?你对这件事情的看法 怎么样?

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