COLLEGE WRITING

The difference between high school and college

Structure
 Instruction on how to write high school essays usually
involves adapting a topic to a basic essay structure: an
introduction where the thesis is stated, a number --
usually three -- of paragraphs that each give an example
that argues for the thesis, and a conclusion where the
argument paragraphs are summarized and the thesis is
restated. In college essays, the trick isn't adapting a
topic to an essay structure, but developing structure
around the topic. Content is king in the college essay,
and the structure of the essay should be adapted to the
topic rather than the other way around.
Go to Black Board- Writing – Read the first link quietly
 Thesis Statements
Remember that structure begins with a proper thesis statement
 Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a
working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question.
 Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis
simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it's possible
that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
 Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often
do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like "good" or
"successful," see if you could be more specific: why is something "good"; what
specifically makes something "successful"?
 Does my thesis pass the "So what?" test? If a reader's first response is, "So what?"
then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
 Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your
thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to
change. It's o.k. to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured
out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise
your writing as necessary.
Argument
 High school essays usually feature a one-sided
presentation of a topic, where examples are given
to reinforce the side chosen, and the conclusion to
the essay is much the same as the intro, where the
thesis is restated. College essays tend to be more
like a conversation. The essay does not have to be
as one-sided. Two arguments on the same topic
may be examined for their strengths and
weaknesses.
Rewriting
 Many writers have said that writing is rewriting. High school
essays are usually rewritten with the intention of clearing up
grammar and punctuation mistakes, but rewriting a college
essay is a bit more complicated. When rewriting a high
school essay, students should look for basic errors and ways
to clean structure where unclear. When rewriting a college
essay, students should try to make the pacing and flow of the
essay as consistent as possible, check for weaknesses in their
arguments, examine word choices and sentence structure,
and make the essay as readable as possible. Rewriting the
college essay isn't just a spell check -- it's a reworking of the
essay to make sure the writing is at its best.