I’ve spent the last seven years teaching Spanish composition to students who range from completely lost to surprisingly competent. The thing nobody tells you about writing essays in another language is that it’s not just translation. It’s a fundamentally different way of thinking. Your brain has to operate in a mode that feels unnatural at … Read moreHow to Say and Write Essay in Spanish Properly
I’ve spent the better part of a decade helping students navigate the labyrinth of academic writing, and I can tell you with certainty that MLA format trips up more people than it should. Not because it’s complicated–it isn’t–but because most guides treat it like a sterile rulebook rather than a practical tool. I’m going to … Read moreHow to Write an Essay in MLA Format Step-by-Step Guide
I’ve spent the better part of a decade wrestling with titles in academic writing, and I can tell you that most students get this wrong. Not catastrophically wrong, but wrong enough that it signals a lack of attention to detail. When you’re embedding a short story title into an essay–whether you’re analyzing Flannery O’Connor’s “A … Read moreHow to Write a Short Story Title Properly Within an Academic Essay
I spent three years grading essays before I realized I was doing it wrong. Not the feedback part–that came naturally enough. The wrong part was how I weighted everything. I’d spend forty-five minutes dissecting a student’s argument, circling weak transitions, questioning their evidence, only to hand back a paper with a B+ when the heading … Read moreEssay Headings – Small Detail and Huge Impact on Your Grade
