Let’s say you and your pals are in the middle of an all-night cram session for a big exam when you realize you’re out of food. You volunteer to make a snack run to the convenience store, and on your way out the door, someone yells, “Grab me a bag of chips!” It’s not until …
Most of us have heard about melting glaciers, rising sea levels, and increasing temperatures across the planet. (Did you realize July 2019 was the hottest month on record?) Because global climate change is frequently in the news, we also have a pretty good working knowledge of the topic. We can probably hold our own in …
Tell me if this sounds familiar: You’re searching online for sources for your research paper, and halfway through reading, you ask yourself, “Who writes this crap?” Good question. You, your neighbor, or just about anyone can publish online. In the world of the internet, you could become Allie S. Everson, PhD and write an article …
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” You might recognize this quote as part of the poem on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. It has almost become synonymous with immigrants coming to the United States in pursuit of the American Dream. But if this quote and the …
What comes to mind when you hear the words “marijuana user”? Some people may automatically think Reefer Madness and see the film as an extreme exaggeration of users. Others may see it as a film with some underlying bit of truth to the dangers of marijuana. Still others may think of a marijuana user as …
Even though discrimination is an ugly part of society, you know that professors aren’t going to discriminate when it comes to handing out essay grades. No matter how many hours you work on your discrimination essay, if it isn’t good, your prof will let you know about it (no matter who you are). How do …
Most of us think technology is pretty awesome—that is, until you go on a late-night fast food run and the drive-thru voice tells you that the credit card machine is down (and of course you have no cash to pay for your burger and fries). Or maybe technology is great because you can take an …
Ask yourself this—how many hours do you spend interacting with technology each week?? Add up the number of hours you spend each week on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and other social media sites. Now add to that the number of hours each week you spend surfing the web, playing video games, or completing some other online …
Here’s a quick (and simple) survey: How many social media sites do you use regularly? How many times per week do you log in to a social media site? How many hours per week do you spend on social media? I’m guessing that, for some of you, the numbers are pretty high. If you’re writing …
If I say “animal testing,” which of the following two images comes to mind? Image #1: Professional, ethical scientists carefully monitoring and testing animals and developing life-saving cures. Image #2: People needlessly injecting, probing, and torturing defenseless animals. While some of you may have an image that’s somewhere between ethical testing and torture, I’m sure …
Ask any old person (that is, anyone over the age of 40) about what it was like researching and evaluating sources 20+ years ago. They’ll tell you about a strange process of going to the library to read books, take notes, and make copies—all without using a single computer. Another strange anomaly of researching in …
Police brutality, unfortunately, has been all too prevalent in the news lately. With it being such a controversial topic, chances are you’ll be writing about it in at least one of your classes. The subject of police brutality isn’t exclusive to criminal justice courses. You might write about the topic in a number of classes, …
Over the years, I’m sure at least some of your teachers have used unique writing assignments to help you learn. Maybe you learned about the Civil War by writing a letter from the point of view of Abraham Lincoln. Or maybe you learned about character and plot by re-writing the ending of Hamlet. Some topics …
Our world is shrinking every day – how do you like it? From the telegraph to the internet, from rails to jumbo jets, advances in communication and travel technology have connected people across the globe. Some of these connections have promoted prosperity while others have been problematic. For better or worse, globalization is a complex …
There are a few age-old debates in this world, and you have just been assigned one for your next persuasive essay—nature vs. nurture. Biologists, psychologists, sociologists and others have been arguing for decades about whether nature (a person’s biology or genetic makeup) or nurture (a person’s environment) has more of an impact in the person’s …
You have probably had to write about a fair share of boring essay topics, but this time, you’ve been dealt a topic that you think is completely played out–the death sentence. You may feel like your teacher is giving you the death sentence by making you write this paper in the first place, right? Well, …
Research Paper: Two words that strike fear into the hearts of many students. Four syllables that create panic, dread, and anxiety. But they don’t have to. Writing a research paper takes time and requires effort, but if you have a good topic and credible sources, you’re on your way to a great paper. Wait…what? Credible …