Help with writing college level papers

by ANMB
(Pennsylvania)

I stumbled upon this great website when researching HOW to write an academic paper for a long-distance education courses. I enrolled in the Fall 2003 and did not complete the work due to family responsibilities.

I am intimidated with writing because I have not written an academic paper since high school two decades ago. Furthermore, the university I am enrolled with expects you to know how to write college level papers and offers only a research methodologies course. I am a stay-at-home mother with young twin daughters and am unable to register in a formal course.

As I read through the website, the information is helpful with the process of writing. I am happy to say that after reading the post on the seven points of a good thesis, I was able to actually complete my thesis statement!

I am thankful that I know how to research, yet, I am confused as to how to actually put my findings into a draft, based on whether I am writing an argument paper or expository paper.

I look forward to registering for your online course in the near future. Until then, what do you recommend, please?

Thank you so much.

Linda responds

You are not alone, ANMB. I've had dozens of students who had been out of school a while and didn't know where to begin a writing project. You are very wise to try to do something about areas in which you know you are weak now so they won't drag you down later.

Let me clarify two terms that teachers, myself included, often use very sloppily: argument and expository.

Essays expose or reveal facts and opinions. For that reason, all essays are examples of expository writing.

There are basically only two patterns for essays: persuasive (thesis + support) and narrative. The two patterns are at opposite ends of the essay continuum. You change the type of essay by changing the proportions of persuasive to narrative.

Nearly all your college writing will be predominantly thesis + support. What that means is that you put your findings into your draft the same way whether you are writing something called an argument essay or something called an expository essay. What you put in may be different but the process is the same in both cases.

I recommend an inexpensive little paperback by Lucille Vaughan Payne called The Lively Art of Writing. The book focuses on how to go about writing essays. Payne talks mainly about essays built on the persuasive pattern. The book is easy enough for junior high students to understand. It will help you get an overview of the writing process for essays and research papers.

To help you fit research into your essays, you can go online. First look for help at the website of the college or university you plan to attend. Their recommendations are likely to be the requirements you must meet. Many colleges have web pages or even entire websites where students can find information about how to do the kinds of writing the college demands. They are usually called OWLs: online writing labs.

If your college does not have an OWL, check the pages for its English department. Sometimes the department's pages post links to useful material.

If your institution doesn't provide enough help, you can use the online resources of other institutions. One of the best is the OWL at Purdue University.

Good luck with your writing. I'll look forward to having you in a class.