Advice about College Writing from CSUS Students

 The following page contains advice about writing in any major from Sac State students. For more information about writing in specific majors, go to www.csus.edu/wac/Students/index.html.

 

 Know your teacher's expectations…

The only advice that I think would be really helpful to every student in writing an assignment for another class is that if you have a question ask the professor.  That is the only way you will know for sure that you are doing it right and that you understand it.
-- Rheannon Owen

Know what the teacher is expecting. Email the teacher if you are unclear about the assignment
--- Alicia Rehberg

Know your audience and what your teacher expects of you in regards to your paper.
--- Natalya Avetisov

 

Don't be afraid to discuss the assignment and your paper with your teacher…

Usually while talking to them if you already have your topic in mind, they will give you some good ideas of how to look at your topic from a different point of view that the one you hold, which makes your paper stronger.
--- Danielle Dougherty

Ask a lot of questions, teachers like the fact that you care about what they assign.  It makes them feel like they are doing a good job and that you are indeed paying attention.
--- Alicia Rehberg

Don't proscasinate…

I think some good advice to other students about writing in their classes…is to not procrastinate and do the paper the night before it's due, because no matter how good you think it is, your professor will know whether or not you put much time and effort in to it.
--- Laura Flores

Try and write it a week or two before it is due.
--- Shannon Turner


Advice about the writing process…

Pre-writing is very important in a research paper, and you should plan on researching your topic before you begin. This process, I think, also helps with the rest of your essay, such as analyzing your subject and then coming to a conclusion.
---- Kori Ramirez

I have to pretend that I am writing a memo to the senate, either for or against a bill that is going to be voted on dealing with apologizing to the Japanese-Americans who were put in internment camps.  To begin my paper, I plan on reading the online documents that my professor assigned.  Then I will decide which side I want to defend, and write down some of the arguments I find are the strongest.  Next, I will just start writing all my points and my evidence that backs everything up down in an organized way.
---- Lisa Schueszler

Overall, I think exam essay questions are unavoidable, therefore it's something all college students need to learn how to approach. The best thing to do is form a method that works best for you, also you must take into account that most of the time you won't get the essay questions beforehand, therefore make your method general so it's able to work with any topic.
---- Fatima Wafy