Since writing became a serious matter, the elements of Successful Writing have not changed. Good Writing is ….

• clear

• vigorous

• well organized

• tightly focused and

• adapted to its audience

Our goal in writing this section on Successful Writing is to impart the skills to our visitors. Quite simply, we want to offer our visitors clear and useful suggestions for strengthening their writing and to show them how they can develop a piece of effective writing through a process that is manageable and reliable. This section is most useful to the college students since they are in the situation to write a lot to come out of the college in success and with more writing skills to compete with the best of breed in the market.

As a college student myself in 1990s, I am aware of how writing in college has changed in the past decades. Although the standards for good writing have not changed, the kinds of writing college students do and the ways they now deliver their writing have changed a great deal. Students may be called upon to write

• A traditional college essay

• A research paper

• A web site for an assignment or organization

• Commentary on an electronic blackboard

• A contribution to a class listserv

• A response to a fellow student’s draft

• An oral Power Point presentation

• A technical report, printed or online

• Email messages to instructors, friends, and families