5 Types of Writing You'll Encounter in College

     College is the beginning of a new chapter in a student's life. In order to cope better with the upcoming assignments, everyone would prefer to know in advance what awaits them. This knowledge will help you do the work yourself rather than turning to coursework writing help. We'll tell you about the five most common writing assignments you'll encounter in college.

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Persuasive Essays

     As the title makes clear, the main task of this type of essay is to convince the reader of something, using facts, logic, and descriptions of situations related to the topic. In such texts, it is good to use expert opinions, practical examples, etc.

     It is sometimes compared to an argumentative essay, but a persuasive essay goes even further, focusing more on the strengths of the author's arguments and refuting any counterarguments that may be put forward.

     Persuasive essays are best realized when you can hook the reader, summarize your point of view, and show that you can bring up and refute other points of view. This gives the reader the impression that you are an authority on the topic.

Expository Essays

     Texts of this type usually include an analysis of a particular topic, which is done with the help of facts, statistics, references to various studies and reports. That is, facts are more important here than emotions in descriptive essays. Therefore, even in the first-person narrative, the author should avoid expressing their own opinion or expressing their emotions.

     The content of an analytical essay will largely depend on what is chosen as the object of analysis. Thus, when considering a scientific work (thesis, dissertation, scientific article), the essay can be devoted to the examination of the reliability of the research conducted, its potential, or the analysis of the conclusions obtained in it. When considering a work of fiction, the author's artistic techniques or the problems raised in the book can be analyzed.

Research Paper

     A research paper is an independently conducted study of a student that reveals their knowledge and ability to apply it to solve specific practical problems. The work should be logically complete and demonstrate the student's ability to use special terminology, to state their thoughts clearly, and to reason with sentences. Students usually use previous scientific works of others and offer their unique vision on or solution to the problem.

Book or Article Reviews

     The main purpose of these pieces of writing is to summarize the key meanings of the text and conduct critical analysis. This is done so that students will study books and articles more deeply, analyze their meaning, and try to understand how the author was able to convey their thoughts. You should not focus on what the text is about. Your job is to evaluate the effectiveness of the presentation. Book or article reviews should not include your personal feelings about the character or author. You should analyze what the author's goal was, whether they were able to achieve it or not, and why.

Contrast and Compare

     In this type of work, students must compare events, phenomena, concepts, objects, and any other things to find similarities and differences between them. For example, it might be comparing characters in a literature class or the impact of two different rulers on a country in a history class. The structure of this written work depends on how in-depth a comparison you need to make.

Tips for Coping with Writing Assignments in College

     No matter what type of writing assignment you have to deal with, there are standard tips that will simplify your life in college.

• Clarify the task. Always check that you have understood the task correctly. If you have doubts, you can ask the teacher again and consult with them.
• Always do your research. Start your work by gathering material. This will help you reflect on what you will write and have everything you need on hand.
• Take notes. Take notes in lectures, when you read books, and keep everything in one place. These notes will come in handy for you.
• Break down the writing process into mini assignments. This will help you get through your writing faster, even if you are short on time.
• Get feedback. Ask your friends or acquaintances to read your work and point out mistakes. This will help make your writing better.
• Always check and edit your work.
• Don't start with an introduction. If you find it difficult to write your paper in order, you can start writing it from any place and leave the introduction for later.
• Always double-check the data you use in your paper. Check your sources, citations, and documentation carefully.
• Forgive yourself for not being perfect. You are still learning and will continue to learn throughout your life. Don't get hung up on the perfection of your work.