Consider the thesis statement. This will be the first section of the draft for the outline, known as the introduction for the college paper. A thesis is a brief summary and is the foundation of the major points covered in the paper. It will let the reader be aware of what you will demonstrate or prove in the paper.
Support the thesis with main points and ideas. This will be the next section of the outline. Argumentative points will go in this section, as well as reasons defending your thesis. The body of the paper typically contains most of the information and breaks down the points in the final paper. It is OK if you decide to change a few ideas around, especially since this is the draft of the outline.
Arrange the main points and ideas into sections for the outline. Remember it is only a draft therefore jotting down incomplete sentences or phrases is acceptable. Whatever works best for you at this point is adequate. If the college paper consists of many points and ideas, add subdivisions and sub-categories under each section. There is no need to worry about citations at this point, as you are only gathering thoughts and ideas.
List the major sections using Roman numerals. For example, list I, II, and III. Under each sub-categories, include a section if needed, with a capital letter such as A, B and C. Ideas and points in the sub-category will use numbers. If you have additional comments or points, use lower case letters in the outline.
Summarize the conclusion. The conclusion only needs to consist of a sentence or two in the draft. You can always revert to it later on and add more if need be. It is important to remember that the conclusion reiterates the overall material and does not introduce new facts. Once the draft is complete, read the entire outline. Make notes if need be and eliminate irrelevant information.