Introduction

Written specifically for college students taking Freshman Level English Composition, this blog contains tools, and details concepts that facilitate effective written communication. The goal here is to help students develop good habits and learn how to express their ideas effectively.

Congratulations, you made it to college. Now, you can go weeks without seeing your parents. You can wear whatever you want and sleep as late as you like. You can cut four classes per subject, per semester and not get in trouble. Besides that, you can literally sleep all day on Saturday and Sunday and no one will care. There’s nothing like your freshman year in college. You’re practically an adult, but you don’t have to act like it unless you want to. All you have to do is pass college algebra, take two more English classes, and then you get to the cool subjects for your major. For the most part it’s all good news.

However, deep down inside, you know the bad news is coming. That’s what I’m here for. This will help you through what is probably the worst part of your college experience-- writing. The bad news is, those two freshman composition classes consist primarily of writing. You’ll have three or four major papers due each semester. But wait, it gets worse. By the time you’re a junior or a senior you will live and die by the written word. You see, you are in college now. Your teachers are instructors who have PhD’s. That means they’re experts at what they do and they really don’t care if you show up next semester or not. They are interested in the folks that try and actually get it. So, the whole benefit of the doubt thing doesn’t apply here. You either make it, turn fantasy into reality, or flunk out and go away.

To that end, this blog will absolutely help you make an A on your next college paper. The tools and concepts outlined here facilitate good grammar and effective communication. There really are no shortcuts when it comes to writing. Writing is hard—always has been, always will be. However, learning how to apply these tools to structure your thoughts enables you to focus on what you want to say, rather than freaking out over what to write. Once you start using good writing technique you’ll find yourself recognizing parts and pieces of those mind crushingly, funkadelic grammar worksheets from freshman composition. At that point, you will have harnessed enough knowledge to make grammar and punctuation work for you to present your work professionally, (believe it or not, that’s what we’re here for).