4 Freshman Writing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them - by Lauren Gartner

4 Freshman Writing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them 4 Freshman Writing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them The freshman year of college can be challenging in many ways. There are new experiences to navigate, adult decisions to make, and classes that are often much more challenging than they were in high school. Many freshmen struggle with writing classes especially. The expectations in these classes are higher, and students are often asked to write about subject matter that is significantly more complex. Because of this, many freshman find themselves making some very   common writing mistakes. We are going to review these mistakes, and then discuss ways to prevent them through some easy to remember essay writing tips. Following 'Rules' About Where to do Your Best Essay Writing â€Å"Always do your writing at a desk in a quiet room that is free from distractions. Never turn on the television or radio, because the noise will distract you. Make sure you have good lighting† You've probably heard this advice since you were in elementary school. Unfortunately, with the exception of the part about good lighting, most of this advice is wrong. The best place to study is anywhere you are comfortable and productive. That might be on a couch in front of the television set, or in the school library. Your best, and most error free writing will be the result of working hard and editing and proofreading. Relying too Much on Spell Check One of the best pieces of advice for college freshmen is to avoid using spell checker to do their editing. The tool might point out gross spelling errors, but it does not do a very good job of detecting misuse of words. In addition to this, spell check dictionaries aren't usually up to date, and they don't always contain technical jargon or other terms that may relate specifically to   your classes. Spell check also encourages a bit of academic laziness. Take the time to review your writing, and you will find more mistakes than spell check ever did. Not Pursuing Outside Help There are so many avenues that students who need help with writing can pursue. There are tutors, instructors who are willing to help during their office hours, and student learning centers. Students who need papers written quickly and professionally can use an essay writing service. Unfortunately, many students put off asking for help until it is too late. Writing to Impress Rather than Convey Information Successful college essay writing is all about your ability to get your point across in a clear and concise manner. Unfortunately, college freshmen often believe that they can impress instructors and earn grade points by using essays to demonstrate their large vocabularies, and their ability to write in minute detail. This does not usually have the effect that they want. College professors are not impressed by these things. What they appreciate is brevity, reasoned logic, and good research. These are the four common writing errors that we believe most impact college freshmen. What do you think?