Term Paper Success

Writing a great paper is no small feat. The following four tools can help you get an early start and keep your thoughts on track.

#1 Timeline
As an adult student, you are probably all too familiar with the importance of maintaining a schedule to avoid getting buried in work. The same holds true for this assignment. Using your professors’ due dates as your foundation, set milestones for portions of your project (date of outline completion, rough draft completion, schedule for any interviews, etc.). Following your timeline will keep you on track and keep you motivated as you see yourself reach each stage of completion.

#2 Note cards
Carry them around with you while you are developing your paper. You never know when you might read a passage in a journal or online, or hear a quote from your professor that is related to your subject. When outlining or rough draft writing time comes, you can organize your note cards in order to organize your thoughts.

#3 Interviews
Don’t forget that books, magazines and websites aren’t the only sources of credible information. If you can identify professionals related to your subject, you may be able to schedule interviews and get some original quotes for your paper. However, many professionals have tight schedules that require appointments be made well in advance -- something you can do if you allow yourself the time.

#4 Word Processor
Using a word processor like MSWord can help you at every stage of the paper-writing process, including:

Research - Use the word processor to take notes, journal your personal responses to readings and record your sources. Ensure accurate citing of web site addresses by copying and pasting the URLs from your Internet browser window directly into the word processor.

Planning and Writing - Type your essay outline into the word processor and treat it like a fill-in-the-blanks exercise. Gradually build the paper by adding facts, opinions, quotations and sources to support each point. Be sure to save your paper frequently with a descriptive title (eg., course code and paper topic) to avoid lost file nightmares.

Proofreading and Revising - Review your spelling and grammar using these word processor tools. Then, print your draft paper and read it with a red pen in hand. You'll be surprised at the number of items you catch in hard copy that you missed on the computer screen.

Try to get at least one person to read, and comment on, your paper. Incorporate their feedback into your final draft.

Remember that a college term paper is a huge step away from your high school book report. It needs to be more than just a synopsis of other people’s thoughts. In order to write a well-organized, well thought out paper, you need to allow yourself time to develop your subject. Nothing will help you accomplish this better than time.