Expert tips from a former teaching assistant and part-time professor on writing an ‘A’ paper

In your first year of university or college, you may possibly begin to feel that “A” papers are a bit like unicorns. Do they even exist? I remember feeling so angry and frustrated during first year; I had been an “A” student all through twelfth grade but suddenly, I couldn’t score greater than a B+ on some of my written work. What had changed? How may I crack the code?

Now, after a PhD in English and several years of experience grading undergraduate and college papers, I’m here to tell you most of the plain things i wish I knew whenever I was starting out.

First, you must know that A’s are attainable—just rare. Some departments have recommended (and on occasion even set-in-stone) grade averages: this means that the mark that is average a certain course has got to be, by way of example, a 70. Even without those institutional guidelines or restrictions, A-level grades are meant to be reserved for a small minority of papers that go above and beyond with regards to of content and execution. In a class of 50, the professor that is average teaching assistant will probably award 5 A-range grades, with nearly all of those being A minuses and incredibly few (or maybe zero) As or A-pluses.

So, while I can’t promise that these tips will guarantee an A grade, i will assure you that if you follow these steps, your marks will materially improve.

Proceed with the instructions

This sounds dumb, but you could be surprised at how many students do poorly (or even fail) since they simply try not to follow directions. This can be a lot more crucial at the college level, where professors often grade assignments based on rubrics that are strict. If the paper needs to be cited in a specific style, use that style; if it requires which you analyze two texts, don’t analyze only 1. You will never do www.essaytyperonline.com well on an assignment if the paper you submit does not stick to the rules.

Attend class

Again, sounds basic, right? But this can make a huge difference to your grades. First, in the event that you attend class and generally are an participant that is active you’ll likely have a more in-depth understanding of the course material, which is reflected into the quality of one's work. Second, in the event the professor sees they will likely be more inclined to be generous when marking your paper that you are serious about the course. Students want to gripe about marks being subjective; this really is only true to a certain extent. Most TAs and professors have relatively consistent standards of the thing that makes a C, B, or A paper. However, the difference between a B and a B+ can often be subjective: if the professor thinks about you as a committed, hard-working student, that may push your grade up a few points.

Go to office hours

Don’t be shy! Your professor or TA generally is being paid to assist you during these hours, so make use of your resources. Drop by during office hours to inquire about questions about course materials and assignments, and even to have feedback on your own outline or early drafts. Be polite and come prepared. Again, this will increase the quality of your work and help you to definitely cultivate a relationship which could lead to slightly more grades that are generous.

Narrow your focus

One of the greatest mistakes that students make on papers, particularly when they are getting started, is the fact that they simply attempt to do in excess. Don’t make an effort to write a paper that will explain or solve a problem that is huge. You likely can’t develop a solid, convincing argument about a huge issue within a four-to-six page limit. By narrowing your focus to a manageable scope, you’ll be much more very likely to produce an strong paper.

Avoid generalizations

A-level papers rarely start off with “since the beginning of time….”Believe it or perhaps not, 80 per cent of undergraduate or college papers begin this way. I don’t know why. These opening sentences are the bane of every existence that is professor’s. “Since the start of time, women and men have struggled to get along.” Well, maybe. But would you obviously have the study to back up this massive, general statement? Stick to specific, provable claims.

Proofread your work

Always, always leave some time to proofread your projects and look your formatting. Nearly every grader will dock marks in case the tasks are hard to understand or if it does not follow your department’s standards. Again, this could be even stricter in college. I graded according to departmental rubrics that deducted 1 point per grammar error, up to 15 per cent, and 1 point per formatting error, up to 15 per cent when I taught college writing. Some students lost a full 30 per cent of the grade in this manner! Don’t be that student. Proofread, show your projects to someone in the Centre that is writing what you ought to do to clean things up. This really isn’t just a fussy school thing: into the professional world, individuals will judge your writing centered on things such as grammar and magnificence.