A Written World of Wonder

If you’ve picked up this manual, it must mean you need some guidance when it comes to essay writing, or you could be wondering, what’s so complicated about writing an essay that someone had to write an essay about writing essays? Essay writing is harder than most people let on. Why else would practically every student groan whenever a professor assigns one?

What’s the Point?

To whom it may concern,

I am a college student and am required to take a course where we must write a fifteen to twenty page research paper. I personally think this is ridiculous. I guess my question is, why do I need to know how to write a paper? I’m not even an English major!

Sincerely,

The Non-Writer.

This is a question that plagues the minds of several students, especially those who are not English majors. Why learn how to do something you will never have to use ever again? Unfortunately, you will have to use writing skills in practically every job you have. Writing skills are an important factor when it comes to a business.

One professor I knew told a story about her husband and how he had to hire a new accountant. In the application process there was a writing section. One gentleman stood out above all others, and was hired almost immediately. But when he handed in his first assignment, her husband couldn’t understand half of what he wrote. In fact, the proposal was so horrendous that there was no way he could fix it in time. He called the guy in for a meeting and asked him about it. That’s when the truth came out. The guys mother had written his application writing samples. He was fired on the spot.

If that doesn’t give an incentive to learn how to write a proper essay, I don’t know what will.

Choosing a Topic

“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”

-Jack London

Choosing a topic for an essay is sometimes harder than writing the actual essay itself. A good rule of thumb to go by is picking a topic that you understand very well or that you are interested in. Choosing a topic that you understand very well will make writing about it a lot easier than writing about a topic you know nothing about. The same goes with writing about something you’re interested in. If you choose a topic you could care less about, research will be boring and you will be less inclined to actually work on the paper.

Sometimes, though, you don’t have a choice on what topic to write on. More times than not the professor of the course will assign your essay topic to you. There are pros and cons to having a professor assign a topic and letting you choose your own topic. It all depends on the type of professor you have. There are two types of professors to look out for:

The Assigner

The assigner is a type of professor that will give you the topic to must work on. Generally these are assignments that are discussed in length throughout the semester so that you understand completely what the professor wants. Of course, not every assigner professor does this. Sometimes they expect you know exactly what they want to see. They are generally known as the mind reader professor, and if you have one of these a good rule of thumb is to ask them exactly what they want if you are stuck. Half of the time they will tell you exactly what they are looking for. It is also a good idea to tell them what you are working on so they can let you know if you are on the right track or not. Of course, there are those mind reader professors who get offended that you don’t know what they want, or are even more vague in their second explanation than in their first. If this happens ask classmates what their interpretation is of it. If they have the same interpretation you know that you either all understood or misunderstood the professor. You are not alone.

The Chooser

The chooser professor takes two forms. There’s the professor that lets you pick the entire topic on your own and the professor who assigns a topic but let’s you pick how you’re going to explore the topic. The pro with this type of professor is that you have free reign with your topic and can choose something that works for you. The con with the chooser professor is that they tend to think you should know everything about the topic you choose to write on. Why else would you choose your own topic?

The Writing Process

Once you have your topic the writing process can begin. The actual process of writing a paper may take a few different steps, depending on what the type of paper is. In almost every type of paper there will be some form of research that has to be done. Either you’ll have to quote a book or you may have to find more information online or from electronic databases and newspapers in order to get the information you need.

A note on using the internet for research: rule of thumb is to use websites that have a .org, .edu, or .net ending. You should not use blogs or .com addresses because they generally will be opinions rather than information. Even when using the appropriate address link, be sure to read thoroughly through the material before using any information from the website.

How to Begin?

Even before you start your essay, it is recommended you make an outline. Some students can write a perfectly coherent paper without making an outline, but for those who struggle to figure out where to go with a paper, writing it out may help. Some ways of creating an outline are:

The List

Putting each paragraph into bullet form first will allow you to see if the essay will be coherent. You will be able to notice if you are missing any important points in your paper as well.

Starting from the Bottom

This isn’t technically an outline method, but it is another way to begin a paper when you have no other idea how to start it. As long as you have your thesis, this technique will be able to work. After writing down your thesis, start working on one of the body paragraphs and do the introduction later. It’s effective because it helps release some of the clutter in your mind and allows your brain room to breathe.

How long is a paragraph really?

Dear Survival Writers,

This may sound like an odd question, but how long is a paragraph really?

From,

Confused.

The length of a paragraph can be confusing to some students because not every professor follows the same format. Some professors want 6 sentences while others are happy with only 3. If you aren’t sure how long a paragraph should be, the general rule of thumb is that it’s 5-8 sentences long. Of course a paragraph can be longer, just make sure it’s not too long. A big block of text can intimidate and even bore readers, making them skim through it rather than actually reading it.

Form

The form of a paper is considered: introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and conclusion. There can be more than 3 body paragraphs in an essay. Unless otherwise stated by the professor an essay should not include “I,” “me,” or “myself.” If you’re using headings for each section, make sure the heading is with the paragraph. Do not have the heading at the bottom of a page and the paragraph start on the next page. Try not to overuse transition words, and do not use “In conclusion” to conclude your essay. There are other ways to let your reader know that you are finished talking about your topic and you are ending it.

Editing

“No passion in the world is equal to the passion to alter someone else’s draft.”

-H.G. Wells

When to Edit

Editing is the last part of the essay writing process. A student should always edit their papers before handing them in to check for any spelling errors or odd sounding sentences.

Proofreading

After completing your essay, it’s always good to step away for a few hours, or even up to a week before looking at it again. This method may not be best for those students who are procrastinators, but for early birds it’s the perfect method. When you proofread a paper it is always best to read your writing out loud. This way you can hear how each sentence sounds. If you end up stumbling over a sentence, or it just doesn’t sound right, that generally means that your sentence should be re-worked.

Another approach to the proofreading method is to have a friend, fellow classmate, or parent proofread for you. It’s recommended that you ask someone who you know will help and not just quickly read through it and say, “It was good.”

Spell Check

Spell check is a fun little tool that, when clicked, pulls up every word it believes you spelled wrong and gives suggestions to what you might have meant. Spell check is also those green, blue, and red squiggly lines found under misspelled or grammatically incorrect words in the document. Microsoft Word also automatically corrects words that it sees you’ve spelt wrong.

There is nothing wrong with using spell check, but it should be used sparingly. It is important to go back and read over what the sentence says when using spell check. Students have the tendency to just click “change all” not realizing that some words Microsoft Word thinks is spelled wrong are really correctly spelled.

That’s All?

I hope this manual was helpful in some way. There isn’t much to essay writing, and it is really easy to get help on an essay if you ask. This manual did not discuss every aspect of essay writing, but focused on some rule of thumb topics. If you are still having problems with your essay talk with your professor or someone from your class. After all, seeking help is better than going through an experience blindly.

Long distance relationships are known as one of the hardest relationships to have. Some people don’t even try to maintain long distance relationships because they don’t think they will work out, or they have the impression that it will be hard to stay loyal to their partner. I am currently in a long distance relationship. I didn’t meet the guy online or anything. We met through a friend and have been dating for the past five years. Our relationship turned long distance when he decided he wanted to study for his Masters in Hong Kong. No, my boyfriend is not Chinese. He decided to minor in Chinese during the last few semesters of college. Throughout our relationship, music has been a main factor, being the link between us on the day we first met. When I hear certain songs, they help me express the way I feel about him and about us being apart.

The Canyon Behind Her –dredg: Love and Distance

I don’t remember the exact day or time that my boyfriend, Joe, called and asked me one of the biggest questions of my life. I remember it was in the afternoon and I remember I was in my bedroom on my computer. Sometimes I wish I could remember more, but at the time I didn’t think he was too serious about it.

“I’ve been thinking,” he said. “How would you feel if I studied in China?”

Without hesitation, I remember replying, “Why not?” The fact that he wanted to study half way across the world didn’t really bother me. In fact, I encouraged him to go. I didn’t think about how it would impact me in the long run, I just knew it would work out. We had been together for four years at the time he asked that question, and I felt it was the ultimate test.

“The Canyon Behind Her” from dredg’s album “El Cielo” presents two questions that could answer several questions presented when the thought of Joe going half way across the world in order to obtain a Masters.

Does anybody feel this way?

Does anybody feel like I do?

For anyone, the thought of letting someone you love so much travel half way across the world just to study may seem insane. You know you’ll miss them, and you know there will be jealousy and questions about what they are doing with their day while you are asleep. But what has to stand is the trust you have for one another. What some people may experience is pointed out in the second chorus:

Half of me is gone

The lonesome part is there

This is true. Half of me is gone. But I don’t feel lonesome. Not all the time anyway. My trick is that I constantly preoccupy my mind. It isn’t such a hard task with all the work I have to deal with during the semester. I do admit, that if I was at home with nothing to do I would be more lonesome than I feel when I am busy.

3 Libras –A Perfect Circle: Unreciprocated Love

I met Joe in July of 2005, and the link that started our relationship was music. Specifically, the Finnish band Nightwish. At the time, he worked at Taco Bell with a friend of mine, and we met one day when I had gone with her and my ex-boyfriend to get something to eat. Joe just happened to come in early to work also to get something to eat.

“Hey Joe! Come sit with us!”

I barely paid attention to the tall, gangly teenager who had sat down across from me. How was I to know that five years later we would be still together, going strong? My ex-boyfriend had recently broken up with me. As first loves generally go with teenagers, they tend to think there is no one else in the world that is meant for them. I was no exception, and the fact that I was the dumpee made the situation worse. Then the gangly teenager asked a question that, I’m assuming, pertained to their conversation.

“Have you guys ever heard of the band Nightwish?”

Nightwish is a metal band from Finland. They are a band who was not well known in America at the time. You couldn’t find them in any music store you went to, unlike today where their newest album can be found in almost any Best Buy. The question fought its way through my ear canal and into my brain. An alarm went off immediately. The soda I had in my hand was slammed against the table, threatening to be knocked over by the force of impact.

“I love that band!” was my enthusiastic response. The rest of the conversation before he had to go to work is no longer clear. The last thing I remember is him talking to me about Iron Maiden while walking with me to the door.

As I look back on the time when we met, I am reminded of “3 Libras” from A Perfect Circle’s “Mer De Noms” album.

Difficult not to feel a little bit

Disappointed

Passed over

When I look right through

See you naked but oblivious

And you don’t see me.

At the time, it related to the feeling of neglect that I felt from my ex, as well as the way I treated Joe. Now, it’s the feeling the accompanies the loneliness when it comes for a visit. It’s there the times when all I want to do is talk to Joe, but I can’t because he’s busy with something in Hong Kong.

And You And I –Yes: Togetherness

The e-mail assuring Joe he was accepted into the program at Hong Kong Baptist University came in the beginning of the summer. Of course, he still had to receive the official acceptance letter, but we didn’t know when it would come or when he would be leaving. We spent almost every day of the summer of 2010 together, especially as the summer was coming to a close. It was an experience of togetherness that has impacted the way I see our relationship.

From spending minimal time together during the school year, even though we did attend the same university, to spending almost every second together, it really showed me that there is a person in the world that I can spend a whole day with and not get tired of.

The band Yes says it perfectly in their song “And You and I”:

And you and I climb, crossing the shapes of the morning

And you and I reach over the sun for the river

And you and I climb, clearer, toward the movement

And you and I called over valleys of endless seas.

These lines express what our summer was like. We did almost everything together and ended our days with an evening walk around the neighborhood, talking about anything that came to our minds. One topic that we constantly came back to was what it might be like when he was on the other side of the world. We talked about possible times of the year when he might have the opportunity to come home. In the last few weeks of August, when we were still waiting for all the paperwork, there was the little bit of hope that Joe wouldn’t be going after all. While part of me liked the idea of only being separated by a train ride, I knew not to get my hopes up. His stay at Hong Kong was inevitable, and it was an opportunity I was not going to let him pass up. Finally his Visa and housing information came and, in a matter of hours, his flight was booked. There was no more time to wonder. The day after I moved into the dorms at school, he was boarding his flight.

After one month of being separated from Joe, I cannot tell someone how they can survive a long distance relationship, although at this time I feel that Joe and I will come out successful. It’s an experience that will be different for each relationship and it has to be handled in ways that work for the relationship. The link that music creates between me and Joe, the different memories and emotions that each song houses, is what helps me get through every day. When I feel a certain way, I listen to a certain album or song that I know will help with the way I’m feeling. The key is to find your link.