Stressful if One Is Not Properly Prepared.

¶ … stressful if one is not properly prepared. Writing a paper can be a stress filled time-consuming event or it can be learning and growing experience depending on how the student approaches the task. Writing a paper for school can be done with ease and calmness if certain steps are followed along the way. There are several important factors that can be applied to every written paper that will insure a better grade, a more thorough learning experience and a less stressful outcome.

Writing a paper involves several steps that must be built upon each other (Palmini, 1996). The first step to writing any paper is to choose a topic to write about. Often time's teachers or professors will assign a topic but even within an assigned topic the search can be narrowed for a more focused and more well written document.

A topic such as healthy eating can be narrowed to eating to lose weight, or what vitamins are found in which foods, but they both are in the general area of healthy eating as the topic. So the first step is always to determine what the actual topic of the paper is going to be (Palmini, 1996). It is a good idea to clear the topic with the teacher to be sure that it fits with the teacher's expectations.

Once the topic is chosen it is a good idea to develop a rough outline of how one wants to approach the paper. Putting down a few ideas in an outline form can help clarify the research path, which is one of the most solid and important aspects of writing a paper. The outline should provide a general idea of what things are going to be covered in the paper and in what order they will be presented.

This will help determine the flow of the paper before the paper is written and flow is an important aspect of any well-written paper. Following the topic choice and the rough outline to use as a blueprint for the paper, the next step is conducting the research. In years gone by research was limited to a trip to the local library. Today, however, research can include visiting not only the local library, but also worldwide libraries through the use of the Internet.

It also can include trips to various websites and chats with experts in the field through the use of emails and chat rooms. It is important to document where the research came from and who the author was so that the proper in text citation and bibliography can be utilized. The research can be conducted in several ways but it is important to remain focused on the topic chosen and not get to general.

A good paper uses only information that is pertinent to the topic and does not encourage rambling or getting off topic. The research should be placed in folders and on online files so that the writer can have easy access to it as the paper is being composed. The next step is the actual writing of the paper. This should be done in a smooth and cohesive manner. There should be an introductory paragraph that tells the reader what the topic of the paper will be about.

This paragraph should end in a thesis statement that states the actual narrowed topic that will be proven or discussed within the paper. The next part of the paper should prove the thesis statement. This can be done using many styles of writing but whatever style is chosen, must be used consistently throughout the paper. The paper can refer to facts and figures gotten through the research gathered to prove its points.

If the essay is to be an opinion piece it is still important to gather facts through research and cite it within the paper to give strength to the basis for the opinion. At this stage of the paper construction it is important to make frequent referrals to the outline to be sure that it is being followed. The outline can assist the writer in remaining on tract. It provides a reminder of what path will provide a cohesive, flowing and well thought out paper.

Once the main points have been made, which should always reflect back to the thesis statement it is time to prepare the conclusion. The conclusions is where all of the points are re-stated and the thesis statement is restated using different words. The conclusion is as important as the introduction because it ties together everything that the paper has been saying. The final step is editing. The writer must go through the paper and read it word for word to be sure the grammar; spelling and punctuation are used correctly.

The in text citations must follow the same style throughout the paper and the.