TerryMartins
New member
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2026
- Messages
- 5
I'm a senior now. Graduating in May. Which means I've written approximately 41 papers, pulled 19 all-nighters, and cried in 6 different libraries across campus. Here's what I learned. Take it or leave it.
1. The intro is a promise.
Your first paragraph tells me what you're gonna do. If you promise something interesting and deliver something boring, I hate you. If you promise something boring and deliver something interesting, I'm confused. Be interesting from word one.
2. The thesis is a spine.
Without it, your paper flops around like a fish. With it, everything attaches and makes sense. If you can't state your thesis in one clear sentence, you don't have one yet.
3. Quotes are evidence, not arguments.
Don't drop a quote and walk away. Explain it. Why here? Why this? What does it prove? If you're not analyzing, you're just copy-pasting with extra steps.
4. Transitions are glue.
Every paragraph should end with a hint of what's next. Every new paragraph should start with a nod to what came before. Your reader shouldn't have to work to follow you.
5. The conclusion is a door.
Don't just repeat yourself. Answer the "so what?" Why should anyone care? What now? Leave me thinking.
6. Done is better than perfect.
A finished B paper beats an unfinished A paper every time. Turn something in. You can't revise a blank page.
That's it. That's the secret.
Now go write.
1. The intro is a promise.
Your first paragraph tells me what you're gonna do. If you promise something interesting and deliver something boring, I hate you. If you promise something boring and deliver something interesting, I'm confused. Be interesting from word one.
2. The thesis is a spine.
Without it, your paper flops around like a fish. With it, everything attaches and makes sense. If you can't state your thesis in one clear sentence, you don't have one yet.
3. Quotes are evidence, not arguments.
Don't drop a quote and walk away. Explain it. Why here? Why this? What does it prove? If you're not analyzing, you're just copy-pasting with extra steps.
4. Transitions are glue.
Every paragraph should end with a hint of what's next. Every new paragraph should start with a nod to what came before. Your reader shouldn't have to work to follow you.
5. The conclusion is a door.
Don't just repeat yourself. Answer the "so what?" Why should anyone care? What now? Leave me thinking.
6. Done is better than perfect.
A finished B paper beats an unfinished A paper every time. Turn something in. You can't revise a blank page.
That's it. That's the secret.
Now go write.