Grammarly.

Grammarly. The Holy Grail to every college student with a functioning laptop and brain. Grammarly’s usefulness cannot be overstated. This website has helped me so much throughout my college career as an English major. I subscribe to the premium version, which has saved my life numerous times. (I’m actually using it right now!) Whether it’s a short reflection paper or a final paper, this website cuts out human error.

I bring this website up as my first writing tip for several reasons. First, using Grammarly costs no money, takes little time, and gives you the confidence to turn in that final draft. Therefore, downloading this program to your computer is a no-brainer, but this is where the best writing tip comes in:

Writing is a process. It takes lots of time and energy and re-reading. It also takes begging your mother and best friend to proofread regularly. It usually leaves you drained and, if you are anything like me, a little relieved once you are finally done.

For your writing to be the best it can be, you must put every effort into it. This is the message I will be on a soap box about: Good writing takes every ounce of effort you can give. All the hard work you put in will be read in every word. It is more than just taking time to brainstorm or one last re-read. Good writing comes from utilizing outside sources to make your writing, to make yourself, better.

Grammarly is a great way to put more effort and hard work into your paper, without draining yourself. Grammarly is an effortless, very cheap way to refine your writing process. It takes a little extra time and effort, but it is worth it.

This is not just about Grammarly. This is about learning to advocate for yourself. Take the time to look around you and figure out what can help you. And when you do find it, you can take the extra step to take advantage of your resources. Not only will taking the spare time and effort to refine your work pay off in the end, but it will also teach you how capable you are inside.