Are you concerned about global climate change? Excited about the upcoming election? Angry at the paparazzi for stalking your favorite celebrity?

One way to involve yourself in a community of readers is to write a letter to the editor of a newspaper or magazine. You can voice your opinion and gain great writing experience for college at the same time!

It's easy to get started on your letter. First, find a topic that really matters to you. Then select a newspaper or magazine that addresses your topic. Read the instructions for writing to the editor and then get started on your first draft. Once your first letter is published, you'll be hooked!

It's that time of the school year when instructors turn the podium over to the students for classroom presentations. Class presentations and speeches are a little intimidating, but they are great experience for students. You'll be expected to speak in front of an audience many times in the future, as a college student or as a supervisor in the working world, so you can use this practice to prepare for a successful future.

One of the most exciting presentations tools I've seen is called Prezi. This is a cloud-based tool (online) that you can access and use for free. It's easy to put together a professional-looking slide show with this online software, and the result will be a fabulous show that will look much more impressive than the PowerPoint shows we're all so familiar with.

The shows feature a "zooming" effect along a path that is made of your own slides. If that's confusing, you can gain a better understanding by looking at a few sample presentations.

As fabulous as your presentation looks, you have to make sure you are prepared for the delivery. Make sure you have considered everything that can go wrong with the room and the technology before you get started.

I read an article recently about students who hesitate when it comes to speaking up in class. The article states that students from certain economic backgrounds may hesitate when it comes to asking questions. They tend to not ask questions as often as other students. This is unfortunate, because we learn so much from asking questions.

So many times, people of all ages hold back when they want to ask a question. I see it in adults as well as young students! The funny thing about this? Every time one person asks a question, it soon becomes obvious that there are many other people in the room who are wondering the same thing!

There can be many reasons for holding back. It's not always about the fear of embarrassing ourselves--although that is one reason. Students who get used to taking care of themselves, those with parents who work many long hours, might be so used to finding answers on their own that they just aren't comfortable asking for help.

The next time you have a question in the classroom, why not seize the moment? You'll probably find that others are secretly wondering the same thing. You'll be the hero!

A research paper is a formal report that contains an original idea (thesis) and evidence to back up your idea (research).

The research paper assignment is one that many find intimidating, but I think that stems from the fact that students get overwhelmed by all the tasks that are involved. I like to say that a research paper is not merely a writing assignment; it is an action assignment.

There are many "actions" involved in putting together a research paper. To start off, you have to go to the library, learn to find your way around the library, skim through books to see how relevant they may be, and read those books. And all this take place long before the writing starts!

I think students will be less intimidated by a research paper if they start off with an overview of the entire process. Big tasks always seem more manageable when we break them down into steps.