How to Write a Graduation Exit Paper
You will write a variety of papers throughout your academic career, and one paper to take especially seriously is your graduation exit paper. This paper will likely be viewed by several teachers or faculty and will have a large impact on your final grade and, consequently, your graduation eligibility. Take your paper seriously but also treat it like papers you have written in the past; it will follow the same basic formula of introduction, body, and conclusion.
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Instructions
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Evaluate what kind of paper you are writing. There are a variety of paper types that you may be required to write such as research, demonstration, argumentative, or even a point of view piece. Carefully look over the guidelines that have been set by your instructor and follow these throughout the paper.
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Start writing your paper as soon as you can. Do not put your paper off until the last minute as your work will likely suffer under the time constraints. Make a schedule that will help you plan enough time to gather information and then compile and present it adequately. Your paper will most likely be read by several teachers, so be as professional as you can; the teachers that read your paper may not necessarily know you.
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Start with a strong introduction. The introduction is what captures your reader's attention; if your reader is bored from the start, you are not generating interest or providing sufficient information. Your teachers will likely read many exit papers during this time, so the introduction is especially important because the faculty may read little of your paper aside from the introduction. Leave out filler sentences that contribute to word count but provide little substance to your paper. Once you've made a statement, there is no need to reinterate your point numerous times.
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Write with the faculty in mind. Treat this as an opportunity to display the knowledge that you have gained during your academic career; try to display this knowledge while focusing on the topic at hand. For example, display your English knowledge by including elegant terms within your paper. This is especially easy to do with descriptive terms. Avoid using words such as good, neat, and fun as they convey little information.
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Meet paper length requirements; this is one of the first things that your teachers will check on your paper. You will automatically have points taken off of your paper if you make the paper too short. It's just as important, however, not to be overly wordy as you run the risk of supplying unnecessary information.
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Use appropriate grammar within your paper. Avoid run-on sentences, sentence fragments, and slang terms. Use the appropriate tense; for example, if something has already happened, write about it in the past tense. Use proper punctuation throughout your paper as well. If your teachers notice an array of grammatical errors from the start, they will likely base the majority of your grade on these mistakes because they distract from the content of the paper.
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Use the correct kind of research. Many schools have restrictions against user-updated sites such as Wikipedia. Pick websites or books that are presented from a professional or an authority on the topic. Have references to back up your claims; if you fail to do this, you run the risk of being accused of plagiarism. Give credit to your resources within your bibliography and within your paper. Use the information that you have gained and display it in an original way. This is easiest if you read though your research, learn the main points, and then set your information aside while you write the paper. You can go back and add references after you have written out your ideas.
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Plan a meeting with your teacher to talk about progress or concerns. Your teacher will be able to answer any questions or concerns that you are having with your paper. In addition, approaching your teacher in this way shows that you are taking the assignment seriously.
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References
- Photo Credit writing tablet of paper with pen image by Joann Cooper from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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E-How to write a graduate research paper provided excellent instruction and eased my apprehension about the task at hand.
