The transition from writing high school level essays to college level essays is often a confusing one. Students that received "A’s" in high school find that their writing only earns "C’s" in college. This grading difference is due to what college professors expect compared to what high school teachers expect from their students. Unlike high school teachers, college professors expect that college students are able to write with perfect grammar, punctuation, spelling, and structure. In addition to these mandatory expectations, college professors also look at how well their students are able to analyze materials instead of simply just their ability to summarize information. By knowing what is expected and how to format an essay, students should be able to consistently write "A" term papers in college with minimal stress.

Follow Instructions

The first rule of thumb when writing an essay is to follow the professor’s instructions. Every professor has a different idea of what makes an "A" paper. Often a rubrics sheet will be handed out at the beginning of the semester by the professor that outlines what format they want their students to use, including: citation style, in-text citation requirements, and what reference sources are acceptable. Students should use this sheet, or guide as a map to their "A" paper.

Know What Kind of Paper You Are Writing

The second thing students should keep in mind is what kind of paper needs to be written. There are several different kinds of papers that college students are expected to write: analysis, informative, opinion, and persuasive. Each of these types of essays has specific requirements for research and structure. If a student fails to meet these specific needs, even a well-written essay will not receive a passing grade. Again this falls back to following directions.