Before you came to college, you probably spent much more time writing informally than writing formally. Think about all the time you’ve spent writing e-mails, Facebook posts, texts, and tweets. Now think about the time you’ve spent writing papers for school or work. The informal style that you use to write an e-mail, text, or post can become a problem if you try to apply it to a formal research paper. Be sure that you know when you can use abbreviations and when you have to write out an entire word or phrase. When you write research papers in college, you should assume that your audience is composed of instructors and other serious students who will make judgments about your knowledge and abilities based on your writing. You should not be sloppy or casual when writing a formal paper.
Make Good Choices
Facebook through an Employer’s Eyes
Look at your own or a friend’s Facebook page. Do you see anything that puts you or your friend in a negative light? Think about how you would alter the content and writing style if this Facebook page were part of a job application. Consider the changes that are needed to give you or your friend a good chance of getting the job. Remember that employers now routinely check Facebook to see what kinds of information potential employees might post. Choose to post only information that you are willing to share with anyone—especially a potential employer.