Revising and Editing
You've probably heard someone say they were going to revise or edit an
essay. Did you know these are different things? When we revise, we think
about the big picture in an essay: the thesis, the main ideas, the
supporting details, the organization, etc. When we edit, we focus on the
sentence-level points: spelling, grammar, word choices, etc. Both are
important and must be done when we complete your essay on the exam. This
resource provides strategies for revising and editing that you can
practice before your exam to help you strengthen the final essay you
submit.
Visiting Your Writing Center
Whether you're a student on a campus or an online student, chances are you'll have access to a writing center to help support you through your writing process. Writing center consultants can help you with every stage of the writing process, from understanding your assignment to helping you with strategies for revision and editing.
While it's important to note that writing centers won't "edit" or "fix" your paper, they will help you improve as a writer through instruction in person or feedback on your paper online. Writing centers can help you at any stage in the writing process–from getting started with an outline to revising your draft.
Feedback is critical to growing as a writer, and writing centers are here to help with that!
If you're an online student, even though you can't visit a campus writing center in person, you'll likely have access to an online writing center with consultants who can offer you the same kind of help with your writing. At Excelsior University, for example, students have access to TutorMe's Writing Lab. TutorMe provides tutors who will review your essays and provide feedback on them synchronously or asynchronously. Tutors can help you develop a thesis, cite your sources, improve your sentence structure, and more. Other online colleges provide in-house online tutoring, so check with your professor if you're not sure what your tutoring options are.
No matter how you access your writing center, it's important to remember that the feedback you receive can help you improve your essay and grow as a writer!