Want to Reprint? We encourage the reprinting of our articles for educational purposes. If you are interested in reprinting this article, we require that you follow our detailed guidelines. Please go to our Article Reprint Guidelines.

by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., and Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.

Writing is a major component of academic success. College students, regardless of major, write a lot over the course of their studies. You'll write first-year English papers, lab reports, history papers, term reports, case studies, and more. Writing is a major component of many college classes, and the better you can write, the better your grades.

How can you write better? By reviewing the most common writing mistakes made by college students -- and learning how to avoid them in your writing.

To assist you in avoiding these flaws in your writing, here are the top 15 writing flaws that can lead to lower grades. Take note of these flaws and take the time to fix them on all your written projects that you complete in the future.

1. Poor Organization
2. Failure to Support Thesis
3. Misspellings and Typos
4. Inadequate Citation of Your Sources
5. Confusing Sentence Structure
6. Using Sentence Fragments and Run-On Sentences
7. Incorrect Word Usage
8. Little Evidence of Research
9. Little Evidence of Understanding Topic
10. Poor Punctuation
11. Poor or Nonexistent Transitions
12. Vague Pronoun Reference
13. Overuse of Passive Voice
14. Weak Vocabulary or Overuse of Jargon/Buzzwords
15. Using Patterns of Speech in Writing

Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key academic terms by going to our College Success Glossary.

Dr. Randall S. Hansen, CEO of EmpoweringSites.com, has been empowering people his entire adult life -- to help them better their lives. In fact, empowerment is part of his professional philosophy statement. He is also founder of Quintessential Careers, one of the oldest and most comprehensive career development sites on the Web, as well as founder of MyCollegeSuccessStory.com and EnhanceMyVocabulary.com. He is publisher of Quintessential Careers Press as well as a published author, with several books, chapters in books, and hundreds of articles. He's often quoted in the media and conducts empowering workshops around the country. Hansen is also an educator, having taught at the college level for more than 15 years.

Dr. Katharine Hansen, Creative Director of EmpoweringSites.com, is a former speechwriter and college instructor who provides content for several of our sites, including Quintessential Careers, MyCollegeSuccessStory.com, and EnhanceMyVocabulary.com. She also edits QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for job-seekers, career counselors, and students. She is author of Dynamic Cover Letter for New Graduates; A Foot in the Door: Networking Your Way into the Hidden Job Market; and, with Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., Dynamic Cover Letters and Write Your Way to a Higher GPA, all published by Ten Speed Press. She can be reached by e-mail at kathy@quintcareers.com.

Tools to Improve Your Life