This was originally posted November, 2018:

Getting your paper completed and submitted is a great feeling. Getting it back with a lot of negative comments about your writing, style, and grammar, not so much.  Here are three things you can do which will have a HUGE impact on the quality of your final submission.

1. Always try to have your paper completed a day early and leave it sit for at least a few hours before going back to re-read and tweak before you submit.  I can guarantee this one fact alone will pay off huge dividends in the quality of your writing.
2. Proofread your paper by reading it out loud. I know it sounds crazy but this is a secret that all the best writers employ. By reading your paper out loud your ears will catch problems in syntax and grammar that your eyes don’t. In fact, I’m willing to say that you will be surprised at some of the mistakes you will find.
3. Keep the APA Quick guide near you when you write. Planning to come back and check things for APA later may sound like a good idea, but you and I both know that life gets busy, and good intentions won’t save you when the paper is being graded.  You can find the APA quickguide at this LINK.  It isn’t long, either save it to your phone for ready access, or print it off and keep it close when you write.

There you go, three tips that will improve your final product.

Dr. Upchurch