Research papers, essays, and any other written assignment can make a student feel like they've stepped through a portal to the underworld and into the presence of Hades himself. Citation is complicated, detailed and can be overwhelming when you don't fully understand what's going on.
What is interesting is that most citation errors have nothing to do with the citation, but the grammar contained within the body of the work. Let's review some common mistakes and help you learn what to be on the lookout for.
Competent note taking relies heavily on your ability to accurately and clearly record the information. Take time to learn to type faster and know the keyboard shortcuts for commonly used things like bold and underline. If you prefer to hand write your notes work on your penmanship. Hastily scribbled and hardly legible notes are quite simply a waste of time.
When you are working on citations, refer back frequently to your handbook to make sure you are using the correct format and style for citing. Your citations in-text and in the bibliography are important and even missing a simple thing like a period can cause you to miss points if your professor is feeling particularly pernicious. Be detailed in your study of the citation style noting things like line spacing, margins, page numbering, and font size.
Effective note taking requires some preparation. If you haven't done the homework or the previous night's reading assignment, understanding your professor becomes much harder. Familiarize yourself with the material and arrive a few minutes early to class so that you can review the material again before class begins. Also, remove or turn off distractions like your phone and the internet so that you can focus on what is being taught.
The outline of the paper will become the roadmap that the student can use to guild them through their paper. By having an outline, a student will be able to break up their paper into workable sections with each section being a specific idea or piece of information that they can present.
Read, Proofread, Re-read, and RE-proofread your paper. Keep an eye out for the above mentioned faux pas and watch for capitalization and punctuation mistakes. Again, refer to your handbook for the capitalization and punctuation rules for any citations. Be aware of any mis-used homonyms like 'their', 'they're', and 'there' or 'to', 'two', and 'too'. Avoid slang terms and use only proper academic English.
As you work to learn these rules and others, you will find yourself able to implement them without thinking about it rather than having to pour over some handbook to make sure you are following the rules. Persistence pays off and the professors at your college in National City will be pleased with your progress.
What is interesting is that most citation errors have nothing to do with the citation, but the grammar contained within the body of the work. Let's review some common mistakes and help you learn what to be on the lookout for.
Competent note taking relies heavily on your ability to accurately and clearly record the information. Take time to learn to type faster and know the keyboard shortcuts for commonly used things like bold and underline. If you prefer to hand write your notes work on your penmanship. Hastily scribbled and hardly legible notes are quite simply a waste of time.
When you are working on citations, refer back frequently to your handbook to make sure you are using the correct format and style for citing. Your citations in-text and in the bibliography are important and even missing a simple thing like a period can cause you to miss points if your professor is feeling particularly pernicious. Be detailed in your study of the citation style noting things like line spacing, margins, page numbering, and font size.
Effective note taking requires some preparation. If you haven't done the homework or the previous night's reading assignment, understanding your professor becomes much harder. Familiarize yourself with the material and arrive a few minutes early to class so that you can review the material again before class begins. Also, remove or turn off distractions like your phone and the internet so that you can focus on what is being taught.
The outline of the paper will become the roadmap that the student can use to guild them through their paper. By having an outline, a student will be able to break up their paper into workable sections with each section being a specific idea or piece of information that they can present.
Read, Proofread, Re-read, and RE-proofread your paper. Keep an eye out for the above mentioned faux pas and watch for capitalization and punctuation mistakes. Again, refer to your handbook for the capitalization and punctuation rules for any citations. Be aware of any mis-used homonyms like 'their', 'they're', and 'there' or 'to', 'two', and 'too'. Avoid slang terms and use only proper academic English.
As you work to learn these rules and others, you will find yourself able to implement them without thinking about it rather than having to pour over some handbook to make sure you are following the rules. Persistence pays off and the professors at your college in National City will be pleased with your progress.
About the Author:
California College San Diego (CCSD)has trained students for rewarding careers in high demand jobs since 1978 in San Diego County, California. We understand the importance of giving our graduates real-world knowledge and skills, and how that relates to their career success.
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