Elements of a Typical College Paper

Elements of a Typical College Paper There should be a distinctive difference between papers written by college students and papers written by high school students. College papers are characterized by well constructed paragraphs, a clearly stated thesis, and interesting arguments. College papers are meant to be read by other scholars. Writing college papers involves a migration from the usual high school style of writing. This paper will discuss the elements of a typical college paper in accordance with the Modern Language Association (MLA) style of writing.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Elements of a Typical College Paper specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A typical college paper has to adhere to the formatting guidelines that are stipulated by MLA. According to MLA, a standard paper should be double spaced, have one-inch margins, and be typed using a twelve point Times New Roman font. The header of such a paper should contain a page number and the aut hor’s surname. The page number should be located on the right hand side. When submitting a paper, it should contain important information about the writer, class, subject, and instructor. The MLA specifies that this information be located on the left hand side. This information should include your name, your professor’s name, the class’ name, and date of submission. College papers are by definition, academic papers. Therefore, their targeted audience should be fellow scholars. This element should be reflected in the paper’s format, language, and argument. Academic papers are committed to matters and subjects that are of concern to the entire scholastic society. This means that the topics covered by college papers should have the ability to interest not only the writer but also the rest of the academic community. The arguments contained in a college paper should be both informative and elaborate. In addition, the paper should include the writer’s th oughts on the subject. The paper’s body can include quotations or information that is borrowed from other papers. This kind of information needs to be noted in form of in-text citations. According to MLA, this information should be contained between parentheses. The in-text citation should appear just before the sentence’s period. The information contained in an in-text citation differs depending on the type of source used. This information mostly comprises of the writer’s surname and a number representing the source’s page. When the writer mentions the author in a sentence, only the page number of the sentence is included in the parentheses. The MLA standards keep changing from time to time. It is therefore important for writers to keep updating themselves with these changes.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Each standard college paper should incl ude an introduction, a thesis statement, supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion. On certain occasions, the writer may have to consider stating alternative arguments in the paragraph that is just below the thesis statement. Introductions and conclusions often present a challenge to most writers. This is because they act as the paper’s frame. A good introduction should be able to capture the reader’s attention and Cleary state the thesis statement. A conclusion should provide the final word on the issue and restate the thesis. A college paper should not have grammatical errors. The paper should also have an appropriate tone and style in accordance with the main subject. In accordance with the MLA style, the paper should include a â€Å"† page at the bottom. This page should list all the sources used in alphabetical order.