Graduate Success

Preparing for Academic Success at the Graduate Level Michelle Carlton Comm/600 June 10, 2013 Rick Bushman Preparing for Academic Success at the Graduate Level In beginning the road to a Master’s Degree, there are several important factors that contribute to success. It is imperative to understand the proper way to format a paper as a graduate student. There are specific requirements that must be met when writing at the graduate level. It is important to understand your own strengths and weaknesses in writing to be successful. Another factor of success as a graduate student is the ability to demonstrate effective time management skills and stress management skills. Characteristics of Graduate Writing Expectations are higher when writing at a graduate level. Papers are required to be written in the style promoted by the American Psychological Association (APA). This style is referred to as APA style. It is described in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA, 2010) (Dunn, 2011, p. 7). Dunn (2011) states “APA style papers rely on a standard organization, one prescribing where and how particular information should be placed for maximum benefit to readers.” (p. 7) APA style is simply another means to organize and present research. Originally developed in 1928, this style enjoys widespread use by researchers, writers, editors, publishers, and students in the psychological community, as well as in for writing in business, criminology, economics, nursing, social work, and sociology (Dunn, 2011, p. 7). When writing in APA style, a paper must be formatted according to guidelines. This includes proper margins, font, style, and spacing. All resources must be cited properly. All APA style papers will include a title page, and a reference page. There are many