This is a great question! Thanks for asking!

The amount of writing really depends on your major. Some majors -- like history, political science, or journalism -- are really writing-intensive. The courses in these majors may require many essays in a single semester, perhaps up to 10-15 pages of writing outside of class. For example, see the University of Washington's advice: https://www.washington.edu/uaa/advising/degree-overview/general-education/additional-writing/

Other majors -- like engineering or computer science -- don't often see a lot of essay-writing in their curriculum. I was an engineering professor for eight years and I only assigned a handful of two-page essays. Instead, the kinds of writing that we do in that major are writing software requirements or specifications or writing working code.

Different majors require different kinds of writing. But, the better the communicator you are, the more successful you will be in your work.

Hey Astral! I totally concur with Tanya's answer. I majored in Political Science and Spanish Literature, which were very heavy writing majors. Most papers were between 10 and 15 pages, with final papers as long as 20 pages (yikes!). Keep in mind that majors like this will also require smaller writing assignments between 1 and 3 pages. It's a lot of writing, but like most things, it gets easier with practice. Also, colleges and universities offer writing tutoring and lots of support for people who are intimidated by writing projects. Check out your learning center. Maybe approach professors or TAs to see if they are willing to give you feedback or advice on your first draft. And, to echo Tanya, learning to be an effective writer will serve you no matter where you land after college. Best of luck to you!

The shortest word limits for college essays are usually around 250 words (less than half a single-spaced page). Rarely will you see a word limit higher than around 600 words (over one single-spaced page). College essays are usually pretty short: between 200 and 650 words