After contemplating, outlining and writing an essay or organizing and formatting your resume, the last thing you want to do is start from the beginning and proofread the entire document for silly typos. You think to yourself, “It’s fine, I didn’t mistype ‘public’ or leave strange letters stranded between words.” So you print your essay or resume and submit it, only to realize afterward, when you receive your graded essay, for instance, that you actually did make a silly typing error. You grieve the grade you might have received or the job you might have been offered, and you promise yourself never to turn in anything without proofreading again.

Until your next paper is due.

I am as guilty as the next person of not rereading every assignment, resume and email for mistakes, despite regularly making typing errors. Does anyone else type “form” instead of “from” a little too frequently?

In an age of texting and quickly sent emails, it is easy to let proofreading slide in our smallest writing samples. But the five seconds it takes to reread your email setting up an appointment with your professor can make all the difference. Reading what you are about to send saves embarrassment and helps you appear more professional. Even in more casual instances, proofreading is a good idea. Just imagine how much simpler life would be if you reread that text you were about to send your ex-boyfriend.