While your professors are always ready to help you work through the writing process, it's very important for you to realize: Writing is self-discipline. That means you have to take the initiative to find the best way to break down the task of writing a paper into its different stages and find a way for you to best meet the challenges.  

The number one tip for excellence in writing is: Start early. The very day a prompt is handed out, select your topic and get to thinking about how to address it.

The number two tip for paper writing is: Produce clean copy. Your professors are not your copy editors, so learn how to edit your work for spelling, style, grammar and word flow. 

The third tip is: Work with a Human Situation Fellow. You can find information on our peer tutoring program here.

The number four tip is: Go to the UH Writing Center. Located in room 234 of the Classroom and Business Building (CBB), they can help you to get your paper into shape right from the start. Just schedule a consultation appointment and bring your notes, draft and/or ideas.

We're also pleased to present our own Ten-Minute Manuals: Quick Guides to Writing, Reasoning and Discussing.

1. Guide to Paper Grades. By Sharon Marquart
2. Surviving The First Paper. By Stacey Peebles
3. Writing the Academic Essay.  By Gabriela Maya 
4. MLA Bibliography Style Guide. By Stacey Peebles
5. Proofreader Marks and Common Errors to Avoid. By Richard Armstrong