Stuck on How to Head a Paper in College—Need the Quick-Start Guide!

[Tom_WritesStuff]

I’m deep in midterm chaos and my prof keeps scribbling “improper heading” on every draft. Can someone spell out how to head a paper in college—MLA vs. APA vs. Chicago—before I burn more points?

 

[OliviaReads]

improper heading

First thing: heading ≠ header.

Heading sits on page 1 only (name, course, date).

Header repeats on every page (last name + page # or short title).
Getting that straight is half the battle for how to properly head a college paper.

 

[NeoQuill]

MLA in one breath: flush-left info block → double-space → centered title. Example:

Alex Chen
Professor Rivera
ENG 102
26 May 2025

That’s the template my English department swears by for how to head a paper for college.