A thorough, thoughtful revision can change a C paper to an A paper! Revising can make a significant difference in how well your paper

This difference is why most professional writers — and successful student writers — revise frequently and thoroughly.

Revising is not a process of correcting surface errors, such as spelling mistakes or punctuation errors. Rather, it is a process of looking at your ideas and finding ways to make them clearer and easier to understand. This may mean adding, eliminating, or reorganizing key elements within the essay, even revising your thesis statement and refocusing the entire essay.

The amount of revision you need to do depends in part on how you approach the task of writing. Some writers spend more time planning; others spend more time revising. For example, pragmatic learners tend to take a highly structured approach to writing. They plan in detail what they will say before they draft. In contrast, creative learners may dash off a draft as ideas come to mind. A well-planned draft usually requires less revision than one that was spontaneously written. Regardless of how carefully planned an essay may be, any first draft requires at least some revision.