Research and term paper writing guidelines

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How to write a research paper for college in three days only 

If you are struggling to write your research paper and find that you only have three days left you should follow these steps:

1. Read and understand your prompt. This may seem simple but it is over overlooked. You do not want to answer the wrong question especially if you have only three days. Read through the entire prompt before you start writing. After you read the prompt you should analyze it into separate areas that you must respond to. For example: most high school students are asked in their college entrance essay to describe a person who had influence on their life and how they changed them. Yet most college potentials stop reading after the first part and write a full essay describing their special someone without mentioning how they changed them. Do not make this mistake.


2. It is helpful to underline or circle the parts of the prompt that you are required to know such as your page length or citation requirements. The last thing you want is to overlook something trivial with only three days left and find your grade drop drastically as a result.


3. Consider how you will respond to the prompt. Your prompt will have clues on how you should write your text and it is imperative that you find these clues. Once you have done this rank your ideas in order of what is most important or relevant to what is least important or relevant. This will help you to keep your thoughts organized.

If you have any questions regarding the assignment it is best to ask your professor even if you only have three days left.

Note that professors may write in code sometimes using vague phrases that could have multiple meanings. Consider the following “translated” professor code words:

1. Analyze

This more than likely means the professor wants you to take something whole apart and examine all of the components. You should make a reasonable judgment about the whole or the different parts based on what is asked of you. In this case you can make a positive or negative judgment… or both.

2. Define

This more than likely means you are supposed to give the meaning of a concept. It might be complex or simple.

3. Evaluate

This means you should give a reasoned opinion about something.

4. Explain

This means you should describe the manner in which something functions.