Here are some ideas that can help you succeed in your writing courses. Some of the differences between the writing you were asked to do in high school and the writing you will be asked to do at the university are explained in these two brief essays. Following these essays are "What Every Student Should Know,” "Eliminating Bias,” "Suggestions for Prevention of Academic Dishonesty,” and "If You Have a Problem," which have all been written to assist you to make the most of your university courses. 

Going Beyond the Five-Paragraph Essay

By John Edlund 

Many high school students have learned a type of organization called the "five-paragraph essay." The pattern works like this:

• Introduction: Thesis and three reasons.
• Body Paragraph One: Discuss reason number one.
• Body Paragraph Two: Discuss reason number two.
• Body Paragraph Three: Discuss reason number three.
• Conclusion: Summarize.

Although the five-paragraph essay format does provide a basic organizational structure, there are many potential problems. To list a few:

• Most newspaper editorials, magazine essays, scholarly articles, and other examples of writing of this general type don’t have five paragraphs.
• The reader usually needs some sort of context for the thesis, some idea of why he or she should be interested in reading about this now. In general this format doesn’t do much to engage the reader.
• Such essays are usually too short to require a summary at the end. The summary repeats ideas that the reader has just read about and hasn’t had time to forget.
• The format encourages too much repetition—often the same three phrases are repeated in the introduction, the body paragraphs, and the conclusion. The reader gets bored.
• Finally, students who use this format often haven’t been taught very much about what good reasons are.

What are good reasons? Are they examples? Are they arguments? Are they facts and figures? Are they sub‑categories of the thesis? Actually, your reasons can be all of these things and more. And don’t you think that if your reason really is a good one that it might take more than one paragraph to discuss it fully?

For some better ideas about how to organize and develop your essay, see An Essay is like a Journey.

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An Essay is Like a Journey

By John Edlund

Your introduction is like a signpost at the beginning of a trail. It tells readers where you are going to take them, and what they will see along the way.

As you think about your introduction, ask yourself

• What is my main idea or thesis?
• Who are my readers?
• Why is my idea important here and now?

The body of the essay moves the reader along toward the destination or goal. It might have one paragraph, but usually it has several. Each paragraph is related to one of the points you want to show the readers along the way. Some points may take more than one paragraph to develop completely. There should be connections and transitions between the points you show the reader.

As you think about the body of your paper, ask yourself:

• What points do I want to make to help my readers understand my idea?
• What examples can I use to help the reader understand each point?
• What evidence do I have that each point is true?
• How can I keep the reader interested in following my ideas?

The conclusion is the end of the journey. It looks back on the points you have shown the reader, and reinforces, but does not necessarily repeat, the main idea. It also should create a feeling of ending, a farewell to the reader.

As you think about your conclusion, ask yourself:

• How has the reader’s mind been changed by following my points and examples?
• If we continued this journey, where would we go next?

•  If the reader ignores the points you have made, what might happen?

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What Every Student Should Know

Here are some helpful hints that you can use in all of your courses:

Exchange Phone Numbers
If you have to miss a class, you can get the assignments and find out what you missed from another student.

Plan Ahead
Allow yourself ample time to write your papers.Most of the time, your instructor can tell if the paper is a 2 a.m., last‑minute draft. As soon as you know a deadline for a paper, schedule writing time for yourself.  It is also a good idea to plan a certain amount of time each week that is devoted to each class. The general rule of thumb is two hours of outside class time for every credit hour.

Printing Files: Keep Your WrightOne Card Ready
Details for printing at Wright State are provided at this link:
http://www.wright.edu/cats/guides/students.html#printing

Ask Questions
If you have a question, chances are someone else in class is wondering the same thing. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and clarify your understanding of assignments or points being made.> Could you make the following mistakes?

What Instructors Expect	What Students Understand
"For the short paper on a video, I wanted students to make connections among the archeologist’s questions, the methods used to get answers, and principles from their reading."	"This assignment was like writing a high‑school movie review.  I wanted to give my own personal understanding about the video, so I was going to write a narrative."
"In the journals I wanted students to really wield their own opinions and grapple with issues, to really think about course material."	"When I first heard the assignment, I thought I was supposed to write anything, like a reaction, just to show if I learned something."
"I wanted students to really wrestle with the questions on the assignment sheet, to give in‑depth answers.  I wanted students to distinguish between the author’s words and their own interpretation."	"I was supposed to write a 6‑page analysis on a reading and juice up the answers. I tried to make it sound good by adding lots of details and sounding excited in my writing."

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Eliminating Bias

Inclusive writing eliminates bias and shows that you know enough to use language accurately and fairly. Writing inclusively is simple to do and means that you do not inadvertently restrict your writing.

• Change "man" or "mankind" to "humanity" or "people."  
  

• Look out for hidden "men" or "man," as in “chairman,” “congressman,” “firemen,” etc. Instead, use words like "chair," "congress representative," or "firefighter."
  

• Be aware of the implied meanings of words — words depend on context.  "I am an old man" is a neutral factual statement, but if someone yells, "Hey, old man!" it can be disrespectful.  
  

• Be careful with pronouns. Do not assume "doctor" can be replaced with "he" and "nurse" with "she."
   
• Avoid confusion with pronouns. Here are a few ways:
  • Make pronouns and nouns plural. Instead of pairing "The student" with "he or she," use "The students" and "they."
  •   If you must use a singular noun, use "she/he," or "he or she" as pronouns.
  • Delete pronouns when unnecessary.  For example, "A good teacher pays attention to his students" works as well without the word "his."
  • Be careful with racial designations. If possible, ask someone what they prefer to be called.For example, John likes to be called "African-American," not "black."  If you cannot ask, avoid labels