Is College Paper Writing A Real Problem For Students?

            By Lesley Vos

 Do all educators understand real reasons why their students do not like writing college papers? Moreover, they often consider such assignments the worst nightmare of their college life. Why does it happen, and what can we do to change the situation and make our students love research and paper writing?

 When a student enters a university, they might be shocked by a number of tasks they are asked to accomplish now. Young people try to get new skills: communication with new people, remembering a large amount of information, new data and schedule organization, right decisions making, ability to stay focused, new rules of discipline, etc. You must agree, all these skills may cause emotional stress or even panic from a student; and when the time to write college papers comes, students become more sensitive and vulnerable at once.

What can be a reason your students start to consider college paper writing a real problem for them?

 

• It’s difficult for them to choose a topic
• They do not understand the topic you offer
• They have so many other tasks to accomplish, and they are afraid of failing with deadlines
• They do not have a good theoretical base on academic papers writing
• It’s not easy for them to organize and express their thoughts
• They can’t make a research on the topic given
• They are bad with writing in general
• They do not understand what you want from them exactly

When a student faces some of above mentioned problems, they start to look for a way out; and big chances are they will ask someone else to write their papers instead of trying to do it themselves. The problem is, your students become cheaters in such a way.

Why do they choose this way to deal with the problem of college paper writing?

 

• It saves them much time
• It guarantees them a well-structured and professionally written paper
• It’s not very expensive for them to order such a paper

Usually, students do not understand all risks and dangers of ordering academic papers from others. First of all, you (being their educator) know your students’ writing style and knowledge, and it will not be a problem for you to expose them. Second, a student can never be sure that a person whom they ask to write their papers is a professional essay writer. Third, students hardly understand they may be expelled from the university if they are disclosed: paying for papers or using others’ work as your own are considered cheating, and colleges have a very strict policy concerning that. And even if this paper is written by a college professor (we all remember that case with Ed Dante, who confessed about doing custom essay writing for students), it does not mean it should (and will) be accepted without any problems.

Can you help your students anyhow?

We will not speak about lazy students who always procrastinate and do not even want to give it a try and write a paper themselves. They were, are, and will be perfect clients for those people who make money from college paper writing. But as it has been mentioned above, reasons of the problem with academic writing can be different; and sometimes it will be enough to help your students once to solve this problem forever.

 

• Advise them some useful links for writing:

Admission essays – to get some samples on application letters and essay writing.

TED – to find some lectures and experts’ advice on different topics, including writing.

Pro College Paper Writing Advice – to get an experts’ help and a good theoretical base on writing.

The OWL – to get an access to more than 200 writing resources, to choose a proper writing style, to learn how to cite resources.

MIT Online Workshop – to get both theoretical and practical information on the niche of college paper writing.

 

• Tell them where they can get a writing help for free

Doesn’t it sound weird, that students are still ready to use others’ works or pay other people for essay writing when they have so many free helpers? Thanks to the Internet, young people have more chances to access and use all necessary information provided online.

What can your students do to get it?

• to be active users of social networks where they can find dozens of thematic groups
• to join thematic communities where others are ready to help with college papers proofreading
• to visit online libraries to find resources for writing papers
• to ask fellow students to help with topics or research
• to take part in discussions of different topics online

 

• Let them know you are always ready to help them

Usually, students are afraid of asking their professors for help. Do not be so strict, and let them know you are open to discussions; assign some visiting hours when students can come to you and ask all questions they have concerning your assignments. They should feel you are here to teach and help them, not torture them with all your tasks.

Remember: you and your students perceive college paper writing differently. It’s like night and day; so, try to understand them and accept the fact your assignments may seem really difficult for your students to accomplish. Your task is to help them, guiding them through the darkness to enlightenment.

 By Lesley J. Vos, a private educator of French language and a passionate blogger who works on her first e-book at the moment.