Most of us have bad habits we’d like to break. Maybe you’re guilty of hogging the only TV in the dorm or leaving your Chinese takeout boxes all over the living room (both of which drive your roommates crazy). If your bad habits only cause a few disagreements...

You have spent the last couple of years in a committed relationship—with writing. Love them or hate them, essays have been by you through thick and thin. So when you walk into class and your professor says you’re going to do something new today, your heart...

Ever see those pictures of two almost identical images (like the one below) where your only task is to spot the differences between them? The images are so similar that it’s nearly impossible to find even the most minute change. If you paraphrase incorrectly,...

Think about your favorite TV series. Whether you’re old school and wait for a new episode each week or you prefer to binge-watch all seven seasons in one weekend, the harsh truth is that eventually your beloved series must come to an end. At the end of that final...

We’re going to be diving into something a little bit different today. Instead of a post about how to write a killer conclusion or what symbolism you can find in The Scarlet Letter, we’re going to discuss inclusive language. Language is how we communicate our...

Writing a personal statement can be daunting. There are only few hundred words standing between you and your biggest goal. Once your grades are completed and your volunteer and extracurricular work is logged, your personal statement is your last opportunity to...

How does a day rushing down water slides or floating peacefully down a lazy river sound? What if I told you that you absolutely need to go to a new local waterpark because it really is just that awesome? Would free passes seal the deal? If you’re a big fan of...

Would you write an email to your boss using the same word choices and style that you’d use to send an email or text to your friend? Would you start your email to your boss with “Hey dude, wassup?” Probably not. Why? Because writing to your boss demands a...

You can have the most action-packed novel out there, but if the characters aren’t great, the story probably won’t feel complete. When it comes to The Hunger Games, the characters feel in-depth and relatable—even in a place and time readers can’t necessarily...

Every once in a while, for better or worse, there’s a series of books that catches like wildfire. Think the Harry Potter series, the Twilight books, or—the subject of this post—The Hunger Games trilogy. Books like these not only gain massive popularity...

Your hands tremble as you nervously open the letter that just arrived from your dream school. And then… “Noooooo!” you scream in anguish as your dreams (and your soul) are crushed by those big red letters staring back at you. Okay, an actual rejection letter...

Imagine you’re auditioning to be a contestant on a cool new TV show that requires you to traverse the country in search of clues. If you get to the final destination first, you win a million dollars. (Not a bad deal, right?) As you step in front of a panel of...

Let’s say you’re a single person who’s looking for a significant other but can’t seem to find any normal people at school or at work, so you decide to try an online dating app. You want your profile to stand out among potential dates, so you carefully select...

Teachers often assign essays that have to meet a minimum word, paragraph, or page count. Unfortunately, this often leads to a paper littered with wordy sentences. Instead of adding more context or evidence to your thesis, you end up with a lot of fluff. While the...

What makes you so special? At one time or another, someone has probably asked you this snarky question to call you out on something. But when it comes to college admissions essays, it’s a downright serious question. The people reading essays really do want to...

Since you have to write an argumentative essay, you might as well learn how to write it well, right? I’ve said it time and time again—there’s nothing worse than staring at a blank page. Putting together an argumentative essay outline is the perfect way to...

Think essay titles don’t really matter? Think your profs don’t care whether you have an interesting and original title? Think again. Here’s a quick math equation to help explain why titles do matter. English profs often teach 4 classes each semester, with...

Remember those packs of building blocks you used to get as a kid? Each pack contained just enough tiny pieces to construct your favorite superhero, princess, or jet fighter. As a child, you likely relied on the picture on the front of the plastic package, rather...

One of your worst nightmares comes true: public speaking. Your next speech is due within days, and you imagine yourself standing in front of the class, shaking uncontrollably, and suddenly unable to remember anything you’re supposed to say. Your professor seems...

It’s late Sunday night, and you’ve spent more time than you should binge-watching your favorite crime drama. Even though you most certainly feel like those eight hours were time well-spent, they did nothing to help you think of a good topic for your upcoming...

Hungry for tacos? Feel like you can’t fully concentrate on your writing assignment until you make a trip for a late-night snack? As tempting as a few tacos and a burrito sound right now, don’t rush to satisfy your cravings just yet. Instead, continue reading...