When we text or Facebook message, we often try to find ways to shorten our messages. Sometimes we shorten phrases, and say “c u l8r” instead of “see you later”, or use acronyms like “OMG” or ”LOL”. However, grammer plays a crucial role in college writing. Here are some simple ways to improve grammer skills in your day to day routine.

1) Speak/Type with correct grammar: No matter what situation are you in, always attempt to use correct grammar. When your texting you’re friends, I’m not saying that you should be a grammer nazi and try to correct every single mistakes someone makes, but try to type your Facebook status well enough so that people dont get the urge to throw a grammar book at you.

2) Blogs: Blogs is an excellent way to write on a essay format, which will exercise your ability to organize your thoughts into a essay. Not only does this practices your writing ability, it also allows you to vent your frustration and anger over a problem and bring it out into the open. A word of advice: don’t write about anything that you don’t want collages to see.

3) READ: Reading is absolutely essential to proper grammar and writing because you analyze the mechanics of writing as you are reading. However, I urge you not to read books that you already read before. Try to expand your vision and try to read novels that you havent tried before. Some literary picks I recommend are the Enders Game series by Orson scott Card, The Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, the complete original series of Sherlock Holmes by sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and other classics. Although reading blogs and Facebook statuses are fine, it should only supplement your reading, and not supplant it.

4) Attempt to use large vocabulary all the time: Sure you might pompous, but increased vocabulary used correctly could greatly improve your writing by allowing you to use a wide range of words that have the same meaning. Instead of saying slow, you could use lugubrious, pensive, onerous, or superincumbent. This would greatly improve you’re writing and decrease the chance that you will turn in an essay rife with says all over the page.

5) Aim to be clearer and use no more fillers: Keep essays as concise and sucint as possible. Get straight to the point and stop beating the bush. Your reader will not understand anything if you just fill your essay with useless information that has no reason to exist in the first place. If that information is essential, then make sure you tie that with your thesis instead of leaving the reader hanging. Your reader, that needs to hear it straight-up, needs an clear essay that informs him/her about your point without confusing them.

These strategies will allow you to improve your writing skills, hopefully facilitating the rest of your high school experience and making it a little more easier.