Jessica Catrow

                                              HOW TO WRITE A COLLEGE PAPER
Abstract

In this essay I am going to address how to write a college paper. There are steps you need to take to write well. These steps include using proper punctuation and proofreading. It is important to be able to address what is commonly wrong with your paper. Some common mistakes student writers make include run-on-sentences, being repetitive, and misusing commas. I will address these mistakes and an effective writing process in the following pages

Introduction

How do you know if you are writing well? Your paper will be coherent to your readers if you are writing well. Writing each paragraph with a topic sentence and unifying the paragraph with your topic will set you apart from other writers. You want to have good writing to show respect to your readers. There are a lot of reasons for good writing. A good reason for a having good writing skills is communicating well with your readers.

My writing has evolved using these different steps. The first step is knowing what you are writing about. Before you get started have a good idea of the topic of the essay. Know what you want to write about or what your instructor would like you to write. I always research what I am learning about, especially if I am not familiar with the topic.

The second step is brainstorming your idea. Once you have familiarized yourself with your idea then you can brainstorm. Brainstorming is an effective and efficient way for writing new ideas and thoughts. I just sit down and clear my head, think about my idea for the essay and start writing everything down. You want to write everything that you are familiar with about the topic.

The third step would be to outline your idea. Now you can write an outline with everything you brainstormed. The outline should be a map of coherent sections, topics, and paragraphs. You want to write an introductory thesis statement, body paragraph with a topic sentence and details, then a conclusion confirming your thesis. You can learn more and get a layout of the out line at this website:

http://www.bookrags.com/articles/2.html

The fourth step should be free writing. Think about everything you brainstormed and wrote down in your outline and just start free writing. Your thesis statement should be your idea for your essay. Each topic sentence should relate to your thesis statement. Try and write for twenty minutes straight. Don’t correct your paper and don’t worry about punctuation.

The fifth step is starting the introduction to your essay. Come up with an eye-catching introduction. Get your readers excited about your writing. Knowing what you are writing about is a good start. Now that you have a clear idea and outline to go off of, you should know what you would like your thesis statement to be. Your thesis should be a catchy sentence that prepares your readers with a clear idea so they are ready to read your essay. The thesis statement is typically at the end of your first paragraph.

The sixth step should be the body paragraphs. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence that unifies the whole paragraph. I like my paragraphs to be at least a couple of sentences long. Your first sentence being a topic sentence and then about three details supporting your topic. When you are writing there are different things you should avoid. It is just a matter of knowing what to look for. Be cautious of using connotation. A connotation is an association your readers might have with a word. You don’t want to upset your reader if they have negative association with a certain word. Don’t use run-on-sentences. This is when two or more independent clauses are conjoined without a conjunction; you could easily loose your readers. Using slang would not be appropriate in that only certain groups of people would understand what you are writing. Avoid being repetitive in your writing. Saying the same thing over and over gets boring and your reader might start skipping over what he or she is reading.

The seventh step is to make sure you use your voice and are bringing your unique personality and vision to your writing. There are different ways to use your voice. You can write in a passive voice. This is a style of writing that the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb. You may also use verb tense. This indicates that the action is taking place in the present, past, or future. If you use a sentence that uses strong emotion or surprise your sentence should end with an exclamation point!

The eighth step is the conclusion. Bringing your essay to an end and summarizing the key points to the piece. There are different ways you can write your conclusion, my favorite being the parallel structure of the essay where the introduction and the conclusion tie together.

The ninth step is proofreading. I think that proofreading is the most important step in writing. There are different ways to proofread. You can read the writing out loud, and can have someone else proofread for you. Always proofread more then once. When you proofread it shows your readers respect. Proofreading means examining your text carefully to find and correct typographical errors and mistakes in grammar, style, and spelling.

Conclusion

By following all of these steps you will write better structured and coherent essays—you will have a coherent piece of writing that will be communicating with your readers in an effective way. I believe your readers will want to hear what you have to say.

　

　

　

　

Citation

Flemming, Grace (n.d.) Brainstorming Techniques

Retrieved at:

http://homeworktips.about.com/od/homeworkhelp/a/brainstorming.htm

(2013)How to Make and Use a Essay Outline

Retrieved at:

http://www.bookrags.com/articles/2.html

(n.d.)Free Writing

Retrieved at: http://web.mst.edu/~gdoty/classes/concepts-practices/free-writing.html

Perrin, Robert (2007) Pocket Guide to APA style

Wadsworth Boston, MA

Robitaille, J.& Connelly, R. (2007) Writers Resources

Wadsworth Boston, MA

Jessica Catrow

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Brazil has gorgeous mountains, white-sandy beaches, verdant rain forests, fronting a deep blue sea, and the vibrant city of Rio. Imagine soaking up this vibrant place. The exhilarating view of cidade maravilhosa (the marvelous city).

Cultural tips: Rio de Janeiro is the second largest city in Brazil. Rio de Janeiro is known for carnival celebrations, samba, Bossa Nova, and the balineario beaches. It is also home to one of the latest wonders of the world-the magnificent statue of Christ the redeemer.

Fun Fact: The 2016 summer Olympics and the Paralympics will take place in Rio de Janeiro. This will mark the first time that a South American or Portuguese speaking nation hosts the event.

Where to stay: A deluxe suite at the Arena Copacabana Hotel, on the beach, with a balcony over looking the sea. There is a complimentary breakfast in the mornings.

What to do: The first day just go and explore the city of Rio and mingle with the locals, do a little shopping, and eat at a local restaurant. You can enjoy the world famous Carnival. The second day, go on a variety of excursions, starting with a ride on the cable car to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain; have a picnic while taking in the beautiful scenery. After lunch take a train through the Floresta da Tijuca, one of the world’s largest urban rain forest, to the statue of the iconic Christ the redeemer statue at Corcovado Mountain. The third day go on a panoramic tour of down town Rio. Go and see the infamous Sambadrome, the exhibition area for the renowned Samba schools in Rio. Take a tour of the Metropolitan Cathedral inside and out, with its unusual pyramid shape, then tour the National Museum of Fine Arts.

When to go: February 8^th through the 11^th is when Rio de Janeiro holds there world famous Carnival. You can purchase tickets at this website,

http://www.rio-carnival.net/rio_carnival/rio_carnival_programs.php. Best time to go during Brazil’s summer month’s which are between December and March. Also listen to live music of Rio carnival Samba songs.

What to eat: Restraunte Real Astoria! This restaurant is beautiful with an amazing view of the sea. They offer fresh salmon and shrimp. They also offer the most representative beverage of Rio de Janeiro, the "Caipirinha" a very refreshing drink consisting of cachaca or cachaza (cane liquor), lemon, sugar, and ice.

Jessica Catrow

Spaghetti

Ever since I was a kid I loved spaghetti. Spaghetti is a main course in our home. My dad being Italian/American he made us eat spaghetti once a week. Helping my dad cook spaghetti, when I was young taught me a special technique.

First I go to Smiths to buy my ingredients. I go to the fresh produce section of the store to get my mushrooms and parsley, and then I grab the extra virgin olive oil. For dry herbs I like to get basil, thyme, and oregano. The spaghetti sauce should be CLASSICO tomatoes and basil you will need two jars. One small can of tomato paste, and one small can of diced tomatoes. Then the noodles grab a thick wheat noodle. Last I head over to the meat department and grab the low fat ground beef and a mild sausage.

Second I go home and start simmering the sauce right away so the herbs can simmer there taste into the sauce. Add as much herbs as you would like for taste. Make sure you chop your parsley into small pieces. I add the two jars of spaghetti sauce, one can of paste, and one can of diced tomatoes, then simmer for twenty minutes.

Third I cook the meat. With the sausage I peel the skin off so it will mix better with the hamburger. I cook the hamburger and sausage together. Cook the meat completely. Throw the mushrooms in with the meat about eight minutes before the meat is browned. When meat is browned, drain it completely.

Fourth, I add the meat and mushrooms to the sauce. Continue simmering for ten-fifteen minutes, covered. Always taste your sauce and see if you need to add any other seasonings.

Fifth, while the sauce is simmering start your noodles. I fill a large pot about 2/3 of the way with water. Add two tablespoons of olive oil. Cook on high until the water boils. Then add your noodles. Cook about eight minutes, until el dente. Then drain your noodles.

You now have a delicious spaghetti meal for you and your family. I hope you enjoy my family’s recipe as much as we do.

 

Jessica Catrow

                                               Tulips

  When I am planting my flowers all I can think about is how beautiful they will be in six months. Kneeling down I can see the beginnings of a new life. My heart wants to help it grow, my soul is peaceful. I live for nurturing new life, it’s what keeps my heart beating.  For anything worth having you must be patient for it to bloom--flowers are an embodiment of patience. As the great American botanist Luther Burbank once put it, “Flowers always make people feel better, happier, and more helpful. They are sunshine food and medicine for the soul.”
Tulips are spring flowers, they are a sign that summer is close by. You want to plant your bulbs in the fall. Tulips are perennials so they will come back year after year. Tulips are native to Eastern Turkey, and they do best in growing in conditions similar to Eastern Turkey. Cold winter and dry hot summer, which make Utah an ideal location.
Choose a spot in your garden that is partly shaded, but that also gets a fare amount of sun. You should remove all the rocks and leaves that are on or around the area you want to plant your bulbs. If your dirt is really dry, wait until it rains, or water then plant your bulbs the next day. Make sure the soil is dry when planting so you don’t get fungus. The depth of the hole should be twice as deep as the bulb. I suggest using a trowel to dig your soil. The soil that is underneath is more important then the soil on top. So I like to mix a cup of miracle grow in my hole.
       When purchasing your bulbs choose plump and firm tulip bulbs you do not want shriveled or soft bulbs. Shriveled or soft bulbs, might mean the bulb is dead. Make sure the soil is loose so the bulb has room to grow. Sometimes you can plant your bulbs shallower in heavier clay soils or deeper in sandier soils.  Place your bulb with the tip pointing upwards. If you are planting multiple bulbs make sure you plant them two to three times there width apart. Using your hands, gently draw the soil across the bulb, make sure you don’t move them. Press firmly over the soil with your hands and fingers. You want to press firmly because you don’t want any air pockets your roots will dry out and your plant won’t grow.
        Almost right after you plant, your bulbs they begin to root. The roots take in the cold temperatures that stimulate them to sprout in early spring. Certain varieties of  tulips will have a better chance at coming back every year, because they are very close to native strains and have high disease resistance. This just depends on where you are at and your weather conditions. As the temperatures get warmer, the tulips start to grow rapidly and eventually they bloom. The bulb that you have planted is totally used up and actually starts to disintegrate. New bulblets form and start to grow - this period between blooming and the plant dying is referred to as the “grand period” of growth. This is when the energy flow reverses and starts to go downward to build new bulbs instead of upward to form flowers.
        Using a fertilizer will help any type of soil. So you should fertilize bulbs.  You can add mulch when you are planting but keep in mind that they may take longer to emerge. Fertilizing in the fall with special bulb fertilizer is the best time. You want to use a higher phosphorus number this is important for the root growth. The numbers are on the bag by law so they may read 10-48-0 nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium. Phosphorous aids in root development and increases flowering ability and bloom size. Only water the area if the ground is dry. Though too much water is not good, sufficient water at the time of planting is necessary to get them growing and to ensure the start of a strong root system.
      After the tulips have passed their peak, top the old blooms and let the plants die down naturally. This will help the new flowers to grow bigger and stronger. As long as you have followed these steps your tulips should come back just as vibrant every year. In some areas they have a hard time and might die a little more every year. In this case you would want to dig them up and replant the whole bulb in another well drained area. Like life, things sometimes fail before they can bloom again. If you apply yourself and be patient, than you are giving your tulip a soul to blossom in nature. Nurturing that soul into a vibrant colored blossoming tulip.

http://www.wikihow.com/Plant-Tulip-Bulbs
http://www.quotesdonkey.com/298-patience-quotes/24789-patience-is-a-flower-that/