A Complete Guide to Writing a Good TCC/Memoir

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After a technical or undergraduate program, you may ask to write a summary paper on the course you took, or a TCC/MEMORY, as most people call it. At first, this may seem like a "seven-headed beast" to those of you who have never written a manuscript of this kind, especially if you are doing it alone. However, if you follow all of the basic instructions I'm going to give you in this article, you will be able to write an excellent memoir in less than 30 days.

Before we go any further in our learning process, I will explain the purpose of a memoir and why institutions require you to write one.

What is the TCC or Memoir's purpose?

The goal of the TCC or Memoir is to demonstrate, through a project written in a straightforward and hopefully replicable manner, the benefits of what you have learned during your studies to society (preferably to business).

The reference will be for you to learn more about the project and how it could improve their firm (in terms of gaining more clients, increasing productivity, and increasing profits) if a product or service industry deems it relevant.

When TCC stops being a duty and becomes a consumer fantasy, we have the chance to become wealthy or famous through our ideas.

Note: You can publish your TCC in R markdown or Jupiter Notebook and upload it to the Internet.

Why do institutions ask you to write a TCC or Memoir?

When you have completed a course or a master's degree, institutions or universities may ask you to write a TCC or a memoir to measure a student's knowledge upon graduation to implement an appropriate work process based on what they have learned. In other words, if the student knows how to apply what he has learned. He will have no trouble working in any business.

Now you know the purpose of memory and why your institution requires you to write one. Now let's move on to the essential elements you need to include to write a quality memory.

If you are only starting with your memoir and would like to know how to write a quality memoir, there are nine essential steps you need to take to write a quality memoir:

Step 1: Try to familiarize yourself with the technical aspects first.

It is best to learn the format required by your institution as soon as possible. That includes font size and type, number of pages, type of binding, and other formatting elements. While writing your paper, you should not worry too much about formatting, as you will need it for review and submission. Instead, I advise you to familiarize yourself with these rules as soon as possible.

Step 2: Delineate the topic, target audience, and problem of your research.

The number one rule for writing a good and successful TCC or memoir is to feel about what it can contribute to society. It doesn't have to be something grandiose or famous. It's about rethinking a problem in everyday life, discussing a topic that is not widely discussed in a theoretical-philosophical sense, and so on. Never forget that a sound idea could eventually result in a patent, an internal project proposal, or even more research leading to a degree.

Once you have an idea of the topic you want to research, you should keep in marbles that it should stand thought of in terms of the target audience you want to reach and who will benefit most from your research. As students, teachers, specialists, technicians, managers, etc. The same topic can vary greatly depending on the target audience you want to reach, and it is this target audience that will guide your research problems.

How do I choose a topic to write my TCC/Memoir?

When you choose a topic or theme to write your TCC/Memoir, You need to ensure that you have access to the sources. Otherwise, you will have to go to another library in another institution, or even another city or country. That means it is best to choose a subject you are not very comfortable with but that you have access to the sources. You shouldn't decide to do a memoir on a topic you love to death if you don't have access to the required resources. Otherwise, what happens? Your TCC or memoir will rely heavily on "hearsay," which is highly objectionable. A work of this nature must be highly scientific, objective, and serious, or else you will lose the battle from the start. 

This means, that if you choose a subject that you are passionate about or deeply interested in, I can already see your success written in the stars. You must have the resources and a guide who can be reached at any time. That way, you'll wake up wanting to start writing, you won't get bored reading the literature on the subject, and you'll master the subject so well that you'll talk about it like it's your favorite movie.

Step 3: Build a bibliographic file for the topic you have chosen for your memoir.

• Go to a library and search the catalog for "keywords" related to your topic or theme.
• Write down on paper, or in Word, the following information in the books you have selected as vital or to read to the library: the book, title, author(s), publisher, year, and some relevant pages.
• Put the bibliographic index, from the beginning, in alphabetical order. Why? It's an easy way to find a particular author when you're at a more advanced stage of writing. So whenever your bibliographic index merits a new author, don't forget to update the order.

Step 4: Write an introduction that puts your work in context.

After some reading and research, you should write an introduction. The introduction is where you begin to tell the reader about the context that gave rise to the topic of your work. It can be born from a personal inspiration that will live backed by similar research developed in the field or by a literature study done on the topic.

The introduction is also the place where you present a summary of the best-known works on the subject, with the appropriate bibliographic references and the purpose of the work. In addition, it's possible to make a kind of description of what will stand developed in the following chapters.

WARNING: This introduction will not be final. It will undergo many changes, and it's a healthy sign of progress.

Step 5: Always plan the next step.

There is no point in going to the library to write a memoir if you don't know what specific part you are going to write and read. My experience is that when nothing stand planned, I end up doing a thousand and one things but not finishing anything. Get organized, and you'll see progress in a clear and concise way.

Step 6: Establish guidelines for the division of the chapters.

There are no strict guidelines for dividing chapters. Each form of research will determine how. If you are unsure how to divide it, one approach would be to follow the same order of components found in a research project, such as: theoretical basis, methodology, discussion of results, and final considerations. The "bibliographical references" section, which is a necessary component of any academic work but does not always constitute a chapter, would come later. In addition, there may be an appendix section, which are documents that are not necessarily part of the text but are necessary to understand certain aspects of the work.

Step 7: Scientific humility

I'll be honest with you; neither I nor you, who are both doing research, are more intelligent than anyone else. You don't know anything yet. The world is a great place, and there are a lot of people doing incredible work. 90% of that work is not published, and of the remaining 10%, most of it's not issued until a year later. That's why you need to establish a batch of guidelines for working actually, to avoid confusion and stress when writing your memoir.

Here are the most crucial guidelines for writing your memoir. 

• Learn to listen: in a conversation with your tutor or another researcher, talk less and listen more. You will come out ahead in this conversation.
• Ask your supervisor questions; they are called "GUIDES" for a reason. Be brave!
• Learn to rewrite. Rewriting is writing, but with some light already in the tunnel. At this point, learn to cultivate patience.
• Don't underestimate any writer. Sometimes the book or scientific article that seems unimportant to us is the one that gives us a great idea. The inspirational muse always appears when you least expect it.
• Don't put pressure on yourself. It sounds easy to say, but I know how hard it is to do. Working many nights can bring you stress and very little progress. In this case, you need to know when to relax (music, relaxation, dancing, talking, movies, and so on) to jumpstart your creative process. After a well-deserved break, you will surely see that all the content will come out at the exact time.

Step 8: Sit down and write. That's it.

There will be days when the urge to get back to writing and reading will be nonexistent. Before you know it, you will be sitting there punishing yourself for not working. You will hear voices telling you:

VOICE 1: "Maybe you should rest today."

VOICE 2: "What do you mean? You are crazy! You should move to writing; there's no time to waste! "

While these voices fill your head, what do you do? Miserably nothing. So if you need a break, take it. It's normal, and it's good for your health. It recharges your energy and renews your inspiration.

On the other hand, if you decide to write a memoir, go ahead. Just sit down. That's it. Write one sentence, which will lead to another, but if you feel like you need to take a break and you find that you're not ready to write, that's okay. Trying is itself a sign of progress. Therefore don't force yourself to write when you don't feel like it so you don't write a poor-quality memoir.

Step 9: Don't leave writing your memoir to the last minute.

Don't wait until the last minute to write your paper. Don't leave it for the last time, even if the deadline is for that term. 

• Try experimenting with topics during your degree to identify a topic you like. That will make your research and writing more straightforward.
• Gather ideas for topics and see who offers work opportunities. If you can contact an advisor before the mandatory selection period, it will be a great help in defining your studies.
• You should think of the memoir as your contribution to society and not just as an instrument to give you a degree. That's your opportunity to express how you see your course.
• Be organized so that you don't feel pressured. Align your expectations and set deadlines with your advisor. Present the elements you have found about yourself in each meeting and only end it with the following assignment due. If you and your mentor wish, you can set up weekly meetings via instant chat so that he can further guide you on the memoir you will be discussing.
• Speak with mentors who are there and provide feedback quickly. The worst kind of teachers are "Wizard Master" instructors who emerge out of nowhere, make gibberish comments, and then vanish.
• During the first few meetings, define the structure of your text with your mentor. It will be easier to fill in the blanks. If you feel it necessary, prepare a mock qualification for your advisor.
• Save backups in multiple places. Don't let your academic life depend on a single instrument that may stand stolen, spontaneously malfunction, or be unavailable.
• Keep all references and articles with your text. Often, you will need to refer to them several times during your research.

Step 10: Complete your memoir well before the deadline.

If you complete your memoir before the deadline set by your institution, your supervisor will have time to correct it and help you improve it if you have made mistakes. The relationship with the supervisor is crucial because you will know first-hand what is acceptable in your memoir. You must write your memoir with grammatical and spelling accuracy because language mistakes give a wrong impression, even if the content of the monograph is good.

Take a demanding advisor to ensure good work and learning. Check your question that guides the job to have good references and let it trigger to turn into an article

Here are the tips I can give you for writing your memoir.

To prepare your memoir, you must pay close attention to your files and writing.

About the files

• If the document doesn't have to be written in a format, write it in a text format.
• Use an application that creates an appropriate external file rather than a format that saves the file in the application.

          1 - With PC software, this is usually an external file, but with applications, it saves in the application or something, so it's vital to note this and how to extract it to your external storage and then print it.

           2 - Use a saving application like Evernote to save your files, as it will be easier to extract them.

• Write to a file on the cloud (and you don't have to think about every save).

About writing your TCC/Memoir.

It depends if you are good at writing, but if you are not good at writing, here is what you should do.

• Don't write long sentences.

          1 - If a sentence is longer than 40 characters, ask yourself if it can break down into multiple sentences. Sentences more extended than 70 characters are usually difficult to read. Also, the logic becomes strange. That said, a sentence is not ten words.

          2 - A sentence of 10 words or fewer is standard in a novel, although it is uncommon in a memoir.

• Include short sentences sparingly, as a series of long sentences can be hard to read.
• Line breaks shouldn't employ frequently or formally.

          1 - That's also different from a novel.

• A paragraph should address one main idea. Learn what it is first.
• A paragraph is a paragraph, but if you are not good at writing, you need to break up every punctuation mark to make it look like a bullet point or you can add a new line after each punctuation mark to make it look like a list of bullet points.

          1 - It's more comfortable to replace a sentence with a bullet or to move it away from the rest of the sentence.

          2 - Later, eliminate the line breaks and make it a paragraph again.

          3 - Use conjunctions correctly.

In addition,

• By checking newsletters and other publications, you can mimic the style of articles written by different professors.
• Check sources carefully for citations, references, etc.

          1 - Keep the source so as not to overload.

• That isn't a daily composition nor an opinion article, so it's managed to be calm and memoir-like.
• The parts you find odd here are "terribly odd" to others, so fix them.
• Write every day.
• It's easier to spot mistakes if you print out your proofreading.

          1 - Especially when correcting typos, it's easy to make strange mistakes, such as erasing the previous and following characters when overwriting, so it's safer to do it on paper.

• Ask your teacher to read your memoir each time you are 30–60% complete.

          1 - I did it myself! When I bring in what I thought I had done, I usually get a lot of corrections (That's normal since it's student work), so I show them the progress.

          2 - It's hard for teachers to make fundamental changes to a paper they've worked on together.

If you follow the tips I've given you for writing your memoir, you will have no problem losing your files, and it will bring something new to the company.

Now you know everything there is to know about writing a memoir and what you need to do to write a quality memoir. So I would like to explain its importance and why it should be mandatory in all undergraduate courses.

Why should you write a memoir in all undergraduate courses?

I believe that the TCC or memoir at the master's level (not all university masters demand it) should be required because it is a unique chance to learn helpful things, including for industry, but for which one does not have a way to gain.

One is not confident in being able to answer the problem depending on the topic or the assignment's proposal, especially given the amount of time left before the course is up. This issue is frequently unresolved or poorly documented. From the pose you have in an undergraduate or even master's study, that's a significant shift. No matter how challenging a discipline may be, it still has a teaching strategy it's set up to allow students to learn and solve difficulties with adequate effort. Everything contains in the teacher's book.

The learner can't truly test the skills they have acquired throughout the course until this crutch has been "removed." The topic would then shift to the depth and extent to which someone with a bachelor's degree expects to be able to think critically about the field in which they graduated. I believe that many students enter and exit university courses with expectations more in the range than those of a specialist. There is nothing wrong with it because technical expertise, or "know-how," is valuable and not something to be taken lightly.

For instance, a computer scientist's abilities extend beyond programming. A computer scientist may not be up to date on the most current web development frameworks, just as a programmer may not be able to address a problem by considering its computational complexity. The issue is what type of instruction is best for learning each skill.

I must say that I also believe that making something mandatory will motivate those who want to graduate to write a memoir.

Is it possible to write a good memoir while studying at a distance?

Yes, it is possible. Although it will depend on the type of study you take (theory, practical, or half and a half), how the TCC or your memoir will be delivered or presented, and your organization, However, the internet is an ocean of knowledge. You only have to do a good search, and you will locate thousands of good articles, books, and videos to study. I firmly believe that it shouldn't be much different than making it online.

Make sure you have conducted research. The final project is, in and of itself, work that must do remotely. I bet you can do the rest on your computer by compiling all your research on your own. If you have the chance to meet with your adviser just once or twice and you conduct a lot of research on your own.

Since you can meet with your advisor via video conference or email, the rest is almost the same as meeting in person.

If your TCC or memoir involves a hands-on activity, a lot of it will be assembling a circuit. For example, I recommend contacting a professor at a local university, explaining the situation, and requesting support for the use of labs to conduct the hands-on experiment. 

Don't forget that you can search for books and references in the nearest public library, buy used books from online bookstores, or borrow them via social networks.

Organize your ideas by developing the skeleton of your paper: what is the main topic? What are the supporting ideas? Divide your ideas into chapters to see if they make sense when put together.

Decide what you want to cut and what you want to keep. Limiting your topic and research is the most practical way to save effort and produce a more coherent document.

Finally, get organized: take time to produce and time to relax. The hardest part of distance learning is staying productive. The easiest way to stay productive is to balance things out.

What are the biggest challenges you may face when writing your TCC/MEMORY?

1 - Getting the TCC group together at dates and times when everyone can do it (many have families, children, and thousands of commitments) ;

2 - Get all the resources you need to develop your memoir: there are many legal studies you would like to do to get the best research possible, but without investment, you will not get the result you want ;

3 - If you are the team leader of the brief you are writing, then 70% of the work will be your responsibility;

Is it advisable to use Wikipedia as a source for my memoir?

No, I don't recommend it. It's a bad idea for various causes because Wikipedia is a secondary source. If you cite reliable sources, your arguments will hold up. Wikipedia is not a reliable source. The fact that something writes on Wikipedia does not mean that it is true. It is different if something writes in a recognized, peer-reviewed journal: what write in these journals is considered reliable because they are checked by professionals in the field, who are not infallible but can be trusted most of the time.

Wikipedia does nothing more than aggregate commonly available information from, for example, textbooks. The textbooks, in turn, refer to scientific essays, which are peer-reviewed (read by members of the scientific community who check their quality before authorizing their publication).

Well-written Wikipedia entries cite the secondary and primary sources from which the information derives. Therefore, when citing information you have read on Wikipedia, you would do well to check the source from which the knowledge comes and perhaps cite the head itself to see if it is authoritative. If the source is missing, or if it is a potentially unreliable source, then you need to do further research to find out if the information is true or false or if it is simply controversial.

Writing a memoir requires one main skill, and it's no small one: being able to distinguish reliable from unreliable sources. Writing "source: Wikipedia" is like saying "source: my cousin told me" and thus missing the real purpose of the work.

How to avoid plagiarism in a memoir?

There are two actions to take to prevent plagiarism in a memoir:

• Identify where the plagiarism is with software or a website. (You can use plagiarismdetector.net, check-plagiarism.com, duplichecker.com, and many others...)
• Once you have identified the plagiarism, you can: -remove the plagiarism; -paraphrase plagiarism with Quillbot.com; -cite the plagiarism with an appropriate note.

Conclusion

There. Now you all know what you need to do and respect when writing a memoir. Remember, even if it is not part of your curriculum, every student should have experience writing a full memoir and be able to publish their first memoir in a journal. Writing a memoir is a crucial time when students have access to the technical output of their field of study and must think critically and analytically in writing their work. It is a learning process without comparison.