A helpful essay writing tutorial for college freshmen


There are prime differences between writing on a high school level, and writing at the collegiate level. This article seeks to act as a guide for freshman on how to write academic papers in a collegiate setting.

Starting an Argument

The first difference in college writing is it requires an argument. These arguments are statements, sometimes controversial or provocative in nature, which state a claim, evidence to back the claim, and contain thoughts which helps the reader see you have thought about the limitations of your argument and objections the opposing side may have against your argument. Arguments are lively and done in a respectful manner. It is all about convincing the reader they should side with you.

Interpreting what your professors are asking of you

In high school your teachers spelled out every assignment and expectations for the assignment to you. This is not the case in college. Professors are not always clear about what they want from you. It is your job to interpret the general question asked of you by the professor. Some professors will give you the information you need. Deviating from the topic is often up to you, but note that some professors may penalize you if you do not stick to the requirements of the project.

Getting to the point

You will have to make some point or assertion in any academic paper you construct. The point refers a sentence that sums up the most important factor of your paper you have gathered from research, thinking, and writing. This point can be denoted by “ I want to prove, or argue….” The point that you need to make has to be good if your paper has any chance of getting a good grade. A good point must meet these qualifications:

  • Has some significance to the material you have read and researched
  • Helps the reader understand more clearly what the paper is about
  • It tells the reader something they did not know before reading the material

After understanding the assignment

In order to start your paper, you must gather research about the topic. You must gather data to include facts, statistics, charts and graphs, quotations, and even references. All data must be relevant to the point of the paper. Be sure to highlight relevant information and note page number so you can reference materials during the writing process.