How College Papers Prepare You for Career Projects

I know that writing a final paper for your college history class might seem light-years away from preparing a strategic report at a future job.

But the truth is, whether it’s a school assignment or a work project, you should approach both the same way.

The skills and habits you build in college will translate into how you approach your work, so start tackling assignments the right way now.

Strategies For Writing Better College Papers

Start Early
It wasn’t until my senior year that I realized how much easier (not to mention better) my writing was when I started earlier.

Sure, there was a certain adrenaline that came with rattling off a paper at 2:00 a.m., but along with it came stress, anxiety, and uncertainty about the final product.

My last year of college I started working on my papers weeks ahead of time (you know, when they were assigned) and I found I actually enjoyed the writing process a lot more.

I felt I had time to follow up on every detail, make my references and research really robust, and take periodic brakes during the process that refueled my think tank.

Today I apply to same process to my work projects, and it not only increases my productivity, it decreases my stress level.

Give It Time to Breathe
Really great ideas take time – not minutes.

So treat them like a bottle of good wine and give them some time to breathe.

What I mean is that you need to start early (see above) and then make a point to step away from your project or paper for awhile.

Work on something else, head to work, or sleep on it. With a little distance, you’ll find that one paragraph that’s been bothering you finally starts to fit into the puzzle, or how you can add one point to make your argument even stronger.

I use this technique all the time in my job, especially when I’m stuck on a concept I can’t seem to incorporate, and it never fails.

Plus, by giving large projects a little bit of room, you end up doing the work gradually, which makes it seem a lot easier in the long haul.

Get Fresh Eyes
Another huge benefit to starting a college paper (or a work project) early is that you have time to get it reviewed by a pair of fresh eyes.

By now you know the subject inside and out, but that means you might not catch a mistake that’s starting you right in the face.

A college roommate or a coworker is the perfect person to read over your materials and catch major flaws in your argument (or minor errors in grammar). But they key here is time – no one is going to be able to help you if you want until the 11^thhour to get their advice.

Give them plenty of time to review your work on their own time table, and throw in coffee or lunch as a thank you.

Whatever small amount you spend on the “thank you” is well worth the pay off in free editing and advice.

If you still need help, try college paper writing service on ThePensters.