If you’re like most students, you probably have less familiarity with academic writing contexts than you do with informal contexts. You may not have written anything much longer than five pages of formal academic writing before coming to college, and you may have done only minimal formal research. The contexts for your college writing will require you to face new challenges; you may be asked, for example, to create a persuasive Web site or to research, write, and deliver a multimedia presentation. You can begin the process of learning by figuring out what your instructors expect from you. Of course, expectations about academic writing vary considerably in different courses and different disciplines (see Chapter 7), but becoming familiar with widespread conventions will prepare you well for most academic situations.