The power of the written word is truly amazing! I can candidly say that years after graduation I am still realizing the power of the written word.
One of the most talked about tools in corporate America is effective documentation.
Simply stated, you cannot survive in college or the business world without effective documentation.
One realization I made after graduating college is that there can never be enough documentation! I'm going to list a few of the many ways college students can this principle to this advantage.
One: Write complete, yet correct answers on essay questions.
During my college years, I was always the last one to finish an essay exam.
One of the reasons was because I wanted the teacher to know exactly what I knew-the full scoop.
While I thank professors for spending hours reading my extensive (and sometimes semi-illegible) responses; this has worked to my advantage.
You must understand: professors want you to get an A; however, you have to provide the right answer.
The best way to assure you are providing the correct answer is to provide your whole answer.
This will mean you writing extremely long answers for test question.
In Math, you will work each equation step-by-step with clarity; reflecting your mental process and approach to the equation.
One great benefit to this is partial credit: if you make a mistake, you will at least now qualify for partial credit.
Another is the understanding of your mistakes, when you make them, and what you did wrong.
You want to correct all errors before you take the final exam.
With most finals counting more heavily than the bulk of classroom work; teachers expect that your skills will improve as you progress and the final to be better than the rest of the semester.
See, I told you teachers want you to pass! Two: When you are writing papers, make sure you 'spell-out' each and every detail in your work.
Take the reader on a detailed development from the beginning to the end of the solution.
Use technical jargon sparingly; do not live in "meiosis" or "molecular structures".
Keep this rule in mind: can a 9th grader read this and understand it? If not, you're too technical.
While some scholars write this way; they are not writing for understanding to the masses but to a select few in their profession.
In college, make your information accessible.
You may write an English class paper on "The Use of Multi-Platform Processing As A Cost-Efficient Parallel Processing Supercomputer Powerhouse", how can the English department graduate student grade it?? Congratulations, you have just shot yourself in the foot! Three: Start submitting articles to small newspapers and magazines on various topics relevant to your career field of choice.
Pick a range of magazines and start writing to the Editor often.
When the letters are released, save a copy or three of that magazine.
Note on your resume what edition your in and the topic of your work.
When you apply for a job after college, you will have publicized and 'pseudo-accepted' information while most students just 'passed tests'.
Congratulations, you are ahead! So, write, write, write, and write.
If you think you have written enough; double that amount and write that amount again.
The more exposure there is to your knowledge and what it can do; the better your college career will be.