Okay, let’s talk MLA formatting — because I’ve got a confession. The first time I had to write an MLA essay in college, I accidentally formatted the entire paper in Comic Sans (yep, you read that right). My professor circled the title page with a red pen and wrote, “Cute font. Wrong century.” Mortifying? Absolutely. But hey, we all start somewhere.
Here’s the thing: MLA isn’t about being fancy. It’s like assembling IKEA furniture — follow the instructions step by step, and you won’t end up with a wobbly bookshelf (or in my case, a paper that looks like a middle school PowerPoint). Let me walk you through what actually works, based on my many late-night caffeine-fueled battles with Microsoft Word.
The Header Meltdown
Remember when I said I used Comic Sans? Let’s not even talk about the header. I typed my name, the date, and “Essay Thingy” in size 14 font, thinking bigger = better. Spoiler: It’s not. Here’s what you actually need:
- Top left corner: Your name, professor’s name, course, and date (Day Month Year — no commas, just vibes).
- Header: Last name and page number in the top right. Pro tip: Double-click the top of the page in Word to set this up automatically. Life. Saver.
In-Text Citations: The “Wait, Did I Make That Up?” Phase
Freshman year, I cited a tweet in a paper about Shakespeare. My professor’s note? “Interesting primary source.” Don’t be me. Use Purdue OWL’s MLA guide like it’s your new Bible. But here’s the cheat code nobody tells you: If you’re quoting a book, just slap the author’s last name and page number in parentheses (Smith 42). No need to overcomplicate it.
Oh, and if you’re citing a website without a clear author? Use the title. I once wrote (“How to Bake a Pie”) and prayed it was right. It worked.
Works Cited: The Hanging Indent Horror Story
I spent 45 minutes Googling “how to make the second line move over in Word” before discovering the magical “Ctrl+T” shortcut (or “Paragraph Settings” > “Special” > “Hanging” if you’re fancy). Your Works Cited should look like this:
- Book: Last Name, First Name. Italicized Title. Publisher, Year.
- Website: “Article Title.” Website Name, Day Month Year, URL.
And for the love of Dunkin’ coffee, alphabetize the list. I once handed in a Works Cited ordered by “which sources I liked best.” Let’s just say my professor wasn’t impressed.
The “Why Does This Even Matter?” Revelation
Here’s the kicker: Formatting feels tedious, but it’s like showing up to a job interview in pajamas versus a blazer. It signals you care. My turning point? Sophomore year, when I helped my roommate fix her citations 20 minutes before class. She brought me a giant iced coffee from Starbucks the next day — a trophy for adulting.
Your Game Plan
- Steal a template. Google Docs has built-in MLA formats. Use them like a time machine.
- Run it through Grammarly. Not for grammar — use the plagiarism checker to catch accidental uncited quotes.
- Print it out. Errors pop on paper. (Trust me, I’ve cried over a missing period at 2 a.m.)
You’ve got this. And if all else fails, just remember: Nobody’s docking points for a misplaced comma. Well, most nobody.
(Need an example? Shoot me a DM — I’ve still got that Shakespeare/tweet essay saved for… motivational purposes.)