Saturday, 30 April 2016

University Personal Statement Writing Tips

The university personal statement is a one to two page document that you write when you are applying to university. Some may think that it is not important or that they can do this last minute. However, the university personal statement is absolutely essential in your application for a university place. This is because many universities will have similar grade requirements and may not conduct interviews. Therefore when people have similar grades and the university is not interviewing, it becomes extremely difficult to select the right candidates. Thus the university personal statement becomes important in separating the candidates. When it comes to writing your university personal statement you will want to take a number of different factors and approaches into account.



Firstly before you even begin it is important to understand the purpose of the personal statement, as already stated this is used to distinguish candidates and separate people to pick amongst many equally strong candidates. So this is your chance to highlight your strengths and say why you should be offered a place. Therefore the first step is to write a plan, your aim is to write the best piece of writing about yourself in a limited word count this requires careful planning. You should plan for around five or six paragraphs each one with a heading so you know what you will discuss in each one. Often people will start with an introduction about why they have chosen their particular course and then move to more specific reasons linking to their personal experiences. This is a good idea as you will want your personal statement to flow naturally.

One of the most important things to remember when you are writing your university personal statement is that it has to be unique and should not be copied from anywhere. Your personal statement is your chance to say why you should be offered a place over anyone else. Therefore it is expected that you highlight your strengths being original in the process. This is why you should take your time and plan ahead, speak to friends and family to get ideas. Once you have a first draft get your university personal statement proofread several times by different people to ensure that it is perfect and ready to be sent in your application. 

Why is English proofreading so important?

Proofreading is the process of ensuring that a piece of work is ready for submission. This ensures that by checking the writing for any errors and correcting any elements of punctuation that may not be as consistent as they should be. It is therefore an important process for people in all fields from businesses to academics to even writers. Ensuring the accuracy of their writing is pivotal in conveying a professional image. The need for proofreading has been growing considerably in recent years. In particular this is the need for English proofreading. The growth can partly be explained by the spread of the English language. There are many world languages, however English now appears to be the most common one across the globe due to its convenience. Therefore, people are more likely to publish their work in English, write their novels in English and also prepare their company literature in the English language. Since for many English is not their first language, English proofreading becomes essential.



English proofreading is thus very important for many different types of businesses and individuals across the globe. The benefits of English proofreading for many will be that it ensures that their writing is ready for publication and ultimately it creates a positive professional image. Once the need for English proofreading is established it is then necessary to select the right proofreading service. There are many proofreading services around the world all now online offering their services. However, you should not simply select the highest ranked proofreading company, or those sponsored ads that are simply there due to paying for advertising. It is important to do your research and select the right one for you. Many English proofreading services will be based in the UK or USA, this enables the editors to be native English speakers who are thus able to provide high quality services. It is important to confirm this as some may be based in other countries.

In addition to this you should also research the reputation of the English proofreading company. You can do this by checking their reviews on independent third party sites to see if they have any negative feedback and to see what others say about them. English proofreading is a very specialist high end skill as the editors will need to be experts and have a high attention to detail, therefore you do not want to take any chances. You may also want to contact the company to see if they offer any discounts, as if you will be using an English proofreading company regularly, you will have a good amount of leverage. Therefore once you have found the right proofreading service for the right price, you can be assured that your writing will be flawless every time!


How to be an Academic Proofreader

Academic proofreading as a specialist area within the editorial industry has become highly important. Academic writing in general has been flourishing, this is as more and more people around the world embark upon research and scholarly work. As English is now increasingly the chosen language for publishing academic work, this allows academics to share their research and obtain a large global audience. However, with this grows the need for academic proofreading, as for many academics English is not their first language. Therefore academic proofreading as a profession is a growing one and there is a demand for highly qualified academic proofreaders.

To be an academic proofreader you first need to meet some basic criteria. You need to have a relevant qualification within a relevant subject area, this is because if you are going to specialise in one academic area it is imperative that you are qualified in that area. It is also important to have experience writing, whether it is essay writing or journal publications.




If you are confident that you have the necessary skills and experience to work in academic proofreading then first you need to compose a list of all the proofreading services that you are thinking of applying to. Many academic proofreading services will have an in-house team and will also use external freelance proofreaders who they will want to carefully scrutinise before selecting. Therefore it is important that you do your research properly about each particular company. Some academic proofreading services will have different selection criteria and may want different things so it is a good idea to select the company’s that will best suit you.

When you have your list of academic proofreading services the next step is to apply, start by attaching your CV, and make sure that you have updated and included the most recent version of your CV with your most recent experience. You will also want to write an individual, specific covering letter for each proofreading service that you are applying to. Academic proofreading services have very high and strict standards, therefore you will want to demonstrate your strengths and all the relevant skills for being an academic proofreader. Lastly, and most importantly make sure you thoroughly proofread your cover letter and CV so that there are no mistakes the last thing you want is for there to be errors which will definitely make a bad impression and ultimately go against you! Then wait for them to get back to you, you may also want to give them a call after a week if they have not got back to you, just to get an update on your application.

Working for proofreading services

The demand for proofreading services has grown in recent years, partly due to the demand for content editing related services around the world. As a result the number of proofreading services have also grown in line with the demand. There are many types of proofreading services now, some are small niche in-house services. Whereas some are larger full service proofreading company’s. There is also the emergence of platforms that offer proofreading and have editors from around the world. Although the quality can vary with such versions. Nevertheless there are many opportunities to get jobs in the industry and work from home.

Being a proofreader is not as easy as most people think, you cannot simply start proofreading professionally if you once obtained an obscure qualification when you were younger. You have to have demonstrated clear writing flare and talent, you will also need a good degree and a postgraduate qualification. The reasons for this are that proofreading is a difficult task, as you will come across lots of different subject materials, written in different ways, you therefore have to have a substantial amount of knowledge and experience in order to dissect this and correct any errors.



In addition to having the right qualifications and experience as a proofreader, you also need to be quick and be able to turnaround documents quickly. Many clients will have deadlines and will need their documents checked quickly, it is therefore important that you are able to work fast and to strict deadlines.

If you are convinced that you have what it takes to become a professional proofreader then the first thing to do is make a list of the proofreading services that you will apply to. Many proofreading services have in-house teams and will also use external freelance proofreaders who they will want to carefully vet before selecting. It is therefore important that you do your research about each particular company. Some proofreading services will have different selection criteria so it is a good idea to select the ones that will best suit you.

When you have your list of proofreading services the next step is to apply, start by attaching your CV, and make sure that you have updated your CV with your most recent experience. You will also want to write a brief but specific covering letter for each proofreading service that you are applying to. Proofreading services have very high and strict standards, therefore you will want to highlight your strengths and all the relevant skills for being a proofreader. Lastly make sure you thoroughly proofread your cover letter and CV so that there are no mistakes, the last thing you want is for there to be errors which will definitely go against you!

Sunday, 17 April 2016

University Personal Statement Editing

The University personal statement is one of the central factors when applying to University. Writing a personal statement during your University application process is your chance to speak directly with the admission staff at the University and highlight why you think you should be offered a place, highlighting your strengths. With University admissions at their most competitive levels in years, many Universities will also employ various other measures to find the right candidates, such as psychometric tests and they will also be interviewing applicants. However, there are many courses and Universities that mainly rely on your predicted grades and University personal statement. This is why your University personal statement can be essential for you in securing that University admission place.



What to include:

When writing your university personal statement you should break it down into segments to help with the writing process. You should start with including a bit about yourself why you have chosen that particular course. Then you will want to go into more detail and start to highlight what made you come to your decision, you will also want to link this into your strengths. Throughout your University personal statement you will want to be highlighting your strengths and linking them to positive experiences.
You should also break down what you are writing into paragraphs and in each try to address different points. At the same time you should be linking each paragraph to the next so that there is good flow to your personal statement and it is easy to read.

In addition to talking about your reasons and motivations for applying to your chosen course you will also want to talk about your experiences. Practical experience is vital in your university personal statement. It shows that you are motivated and passionate about your chosen course so much so that you have undertaken work experience. You should refer to this work experience and mention what you got out of it. This will stress to those reading your university personal statement that you are serious about your course path. Work experience is also another way of distinguishing yourself from others. As remember not everyone will undertake work experience. Therefore it is these elements that will make you stand out and distinguish you from other candidates.

Overall the most important thing when it comes to your University personal statement is to be personal, it has to be unique to you and grab people’s attention. For this reason you should take your time with it, plan and structure what you will say and where you will address certain points. Finally once it is ready you should get everyone you know to check your University personal statement for errors and also to give you their opinions. For that added assurance you should consider using a University personal statement editing service, they will iron out any errors and ensure that it is perfect and ready for submission.

Growth of English proofreading

In recent years English proofreading services have become increasing popular. In this article we will consider why this is and whether you should be using an English proofreading service to review your work. The use of English proofreading services is incredibly popular among academics, as they like the assurance of knowing that their work has been reviewed by an impartial third party, reliable, professional, and not simply casually looked at by friends and family.

English proofreading has grown in popularity partly due to the globalisation of the English language, English is now spoken and is the chosen language of many institutions around the world. As the standard of English is crucial. In many cases English is the second language of many academics, thus they need a fresh pair of eyes to ensure that their writing is to the necessary publication standards. With the spread of English as the chosen language amongst institutions around the world, it has also become easier than ever to hire professional English proofreaders and editors.



There are many English proofreading company’s now online and with the growth of online company’s it has become even easier than ever to find an English proofreading service. However with this growth has also emerged many fraudulent sites and services which you should be wary of.


We will now look at the positives and negatives of using English proofreading services.

English proofreading company’s use editors and proofreaders that have the relevant background and experience in your fields, so you can get expert opinions and advice on your work if you use them.

One of the main positives to using an English proofreading service is that a professional, expert will take a fresh look at your work. They will read your work line by line, in order to ensure that there are no errors. The benefit of this is that it will provide you with added peace of mind to submit your work.

If you are up against a tight deadline and urgently require your work checked most proofreading companies will offer some sort of faster turnaround time option.

Having said all that there are also some negative aspects to the use of English proofreading services.
Since there are now countless services online, it can be confusing, you may not know which one to go for. It can also be time consuming finding the right one and in the end you may think that you are better off proofreading your own work.

The cost of using such services can also be a major consideration for many. As these company’s only hire the most experienced and qualified professionals they charge a premium making the cost quite high.

To conclude, it appears that there are many positive and negative sides to using an English proofreading service. Therefore in the end it is important to weigh up all the above factors and work out what is best suited for your individual needs.

Proofreading Services – Pros vs Cons

Professional proofreading services have grown in number in recent years, this is because the demand for high quality academic editing around the world has increased. However before you decide to use a proofreading service it is important to consider the pros and cons when it comes to using proofreading services.

Firstly it is necessary to briefly establish what a proofreading company does as often it is easy to confuse the various editorial terms such as copy editing and proofreading. A copy editor will check the work and make heavy editorial changes, if it is a subject that you are unsure about this can be useful. However, often the problem with this form of editing can be that you can lose the intended meaning. Therefore it is better to be safe and simply use a proofreading service. A proofreading service will review the final version of your work and make changes to grammar, punctuation and word choice, to enhance readability and ensure there are no errors.


 
The pros of proofreading services are as follows.
A professional and reliable proofreading services company will take a fresh look at your work. They will read your work line by line, slowly in order to ensure there are no errors. This will give you the peace of mind to submit your work with confidence.

Proofreading services will hire editors and use editors and proofreaders that have background experience in your fields, so you can get expert opinions and advice on your work.
The majority of proofreading company’s now also offer varying turnaround times, this is a major pro if you are up against a tight deadline and urgently require your work checked.

The cons of proofreading services can be summed up as follows.
As there are so many it can be hard to choose, you may not know which one is the best and which genuinely has experts who will look at you work. This can be extremely frustrating and off putting.
Cost is also another con, proofreading services can be expensive due to the nature of the work it is time intensive. Also as only experienced academics are hired their rates can be expensive thus the fee for using this type of service can be high.

You may be unsure about whether you can trust a third party company with your work. This can be a key concern for many as due to the numbers of company’s the trust factor has certainly declined in recent years.
In summary there are a number of pros and cons when choosing proofreading services. However, there is no doubt that when you have found a good reliable company the services can be invaluable and well worth the premium. The key is taking you time and weighing up the pros and cons in your personal situation.

Thursday, 14 April 2016

The popularity of Academic Proofreading

Academic proofreading can be defined as the checking of a piece of academic work in its final stages once it is complete. The purpose of academic proofreading is to weed out any errors such as grammatical errors and stylistic errors to ensure that the work is ready for submission. This is not to be confused with copy editing which would be the process prior to academic proofreading and involves more heavy editing and rephrasing to enhance the writing.

In recent years academic proofreading has been growing in popularity. We will look at why this is and whether you need professional academic proofreaders to review your work. Academic proofreading is incredibly popular among academics, as they like the assurance of knowing that their work has been checked by impartial third party professionals, and not simply casually looked at by friends and family. As academic proofreading is a labour intensive process they can be sure that their work has been checked and reviewed to a high standard.


It has grown in popularity partly due to the internationalisation of the English language, English is now spoken and is the chosen language of many institutions across the world. As a result a high degree of English proficiency is essential. Often English is the second language of many academics hence they need a fresh pair of eyes to ensure that their writing is to the required standards. With the spread of English as the chosen language amongst academic institutions, it has also become easier than ever to hire a professional academic proofreader or editor.

There are many academic proofreading company’s now online and with the growth of online company’s it has become easier than ever to find an English proofreading company. However with this growth also grows unscrupulous sites and services which you should be wary of. The internet is full of pros and cons and academic proofreading is no exception. Therefore if you are considering using a proofreading company you have to be careful.

Firstly consider where the company is based if they have no contact information and appear anonymous this is definitely not a good sign. Secondly read their website content very carefully this is key! If it sounds like they do not know what they are talking about and they have made a number of mistakes in grammar then chances are they are fakes! You should also take a close look at how long they have been established, as well as any online reviews they have for their services.

Academic proofreading can be a great tool for academics in polishing their works before they are submitted, however you have to be careful and do your research.