Nearly every college undergraduate is going to have to take at least one, if not two, English courses during their freshman and sophomore years. English is one of those general arts course that every college requires. This makes sense because no matter what degree you are majoring in, you’re going to have to write a lot of papers, including research, argumentative, journal, synopsis, abstracts, and persuasive. If you are struggling in English, you’ll definitely want to find help if you are going to get through your degree on top.
Find a tutor
Every traditional college campus will have some sort of tutoring opportunities, and even some non-traditional online schools will offer extra help at no cost. These tutors are typically undergraduate students who are excelling in the field you need help on, so you know that the help you get will be from a peer and directly applicable to what you are doing.
Go to the writing center
Most colleges will have some sort of writing center as well. Writing centers are typically run by graduate and undergraduate students, and they will help you refine and develop a thesis, edit and revise your paper, and guide you through an often arduous writing process. Ask your professor if your school has a writing center.
Ask classmates, friends, and family to help revise and edit papers
If you have classmates, friends, or family that are good writers and know how to help you with the writing process, ask them for help. In return, you could help them with their papers. Even if you aren’t a good writer, you can still offer ideas of how to improve their papers by giving them suggestions on where to fill in argumentative gaps and giving your opinion on the subject. Just because you aren’t a good writer doesn’t mean you don’t have good ideas. Plus, being involved in the editing and revising process itself will help you become a better writer.
Speak with your professor
Believe it or not, professors are there to help you, not just determine whether you pass or fail. All professors will have office hours, and most will be willing to meet with you outside of their office hours if needed. Ask your professor to meet with them for some extra help. Some will even be willing to give feedback on your papers before they are due so that you can revise it to their requirements.
Take a remedial English course
If you are really struggling, consider taking a remedial English course to help you get familiar with the basic rules of the English language. Especially for English language learners, these classes can be detrimental to successfully getting through an undergraduate degree.
Join a language arts club
Language arts and humanities clubs are great for those who are majoring and not majoring in these fields. Some of these clubs will offer times where they will help students with their papers and give them feedback. The best thing about clubs like these is that they are filled with passionate language arts majors who are approachable and going to the same school as you.
Get help online
There are a vast amount of resources online that will help you with writing prompts, thesis development, research, and much more. All it takes is a little bit of Google-Fu and you will find yourself presented with a slew of resources at your disposal.
