All term long, I will stress the need to write following a four-step process. The four steps aren't magical; they're just a smart way to go about producing our writing assignments. These four steps are:

• pre-writing (planning & organizing)
• drafting
• revising
• editing (proofreading)

If each step is performed with effort and care, the final draft should prove successful. 

Perhaps the most critical step in this process is revising. Most beginning writers are pleased when they are able to compose enough pages to meet the assignment requirements, and never look to re-think what has been said in those pages. Often, a deadline will cause students to compose a "final draft" from only the most rudimentary notes, never giving the draft a chance to coalesce. Author Stephen King even goes so far as to say: "If you haven't marked up your manuscript a lot, you did a lazy job. Only God gets things right the first time. Don't be a slob" (The Writer, March 2000, page 9). 

We have a tutoring center on campus and via online. Should you need help beyond what our class can give you, please consult these good people.

I have composed a composite piece that includes grading criteria for college writing. The intention here is to give you some ideas about what is expected, and what might be the reasons for your specific paper grade.  Since grades involve more than just the paperwork, here's another guide to grades borrowed from an expert on the topic. 

For help in grammar, review these five basic categories of grammar errors. If you can proofread your paper checking for these problems--and find them!--I believe your paper will be much more successful.