Whatever major you choose, you’ll have to write tons of essays on your way to graduation. Maybe that is not your favorite part of learning or you straight up hate it. Nonetheless, you’d need to learn to craft a well-thought essay. And there are not-so-obvious ways to make essay writing more pleasant. Here are ten reasons why you approach your written assignments the wrong way.
Treating it like a chore
First of all, you’ll need to change your mindset regarding essays. You probably think of it as something that is only relevant to your uni grades and, thus, needs to be done. However, there are considerable benefits from essay writing that will translate into your post-uni life.
Essays train you to express your thoughts clearly and constructively. You’re learning to rely on facts, sources and practice objectivity. A well-developed essay writer is never short for words. And that is a highly valuable skill not only in the job market but in your social life.
Not understanding the assignment
Another mistake that you make is not paying attention to instructions. As obvious as it might be, not understanding the assignment is what robs a lot of students of their grades. Hence, when you’re thinking, “professionals should write my essays,” make sure to upload all the instructions to assignments for pro writers to take care of it. Do not take this matter lightly.
Make sure to read the instructions carefully and understand what your professor expects of the final work. Do not hesitate to ask questions. Remember that teachers would rather explain the particularities of the assignments than read a completely off-topic essay.
Lazy research
Half of your success with the assignment is well-chosen sources based on your research of the topic. You’ll spend twice less time on your writing after well-done research. Do not rely on the first three links on Google.
Go straight to Google Scholar or similar services to find reliable peer-reviewed sources for your paper. Always check if the professor has required certain sources to be used. Understand what you have to look for and keep short notes of the main points. You will be amazed at how easy your writing becomes after your research is done.
Trying to retell instead of reflect
Another thing that makes you hate your writing assignments is not trying to express yourself. Of course, you need to rely on sources and other people’s claims on the matter. However, there is barely any interest in retelling what has already been said. Instead, reflect on what you’ve found and develop your thoughts on the topic.
Consider looking into:
- How do you feel about an author’s argument?
- Why do you agree or disagree with their ideas?
- What is your take on the matter, and how does it correspond with the sources?
- Why do you think their ideas are important/irrelevant?
Reflect on what you’ve read and devise your arguments for the essay.
Focusing on word count instead of the content
Have you ever desperately searched for a hundred more words to meet the instruction requirements? We’ve all been there. But there are much better ways to meet word count requirements than inserting unnecessary information.
Read your essay again and see what arguments can be developed more. Notice the points that might benefit from a better explanation. Return to your sources and look for additional ideas that will help to craft your argument.
Ignoring the structure
Following the traditional structure of a five-paragraph essay will make your writing ten times easier. It is already telling you where every element of the assignment has to be. Do not just type a bunch of text in hopes of connecting it all together later.
Work on every part individually. It is even beneficial to write your body paragraphs after crafting a good thesis and leave the introduction and conclusion for the end. Craft your arguments and tie them together based on your thesis. Make the structure work to your advantage.
Trying to cram too much information
At the same time, do not use every piece of information on the topic at once. You do not want your writing to be all over the place. Instead, craft an argument and stick to it in one paragraph at a time. Do not deviate from the idea you’re developing in the section.
To avoid cramming too much information, use notes during your research phase. Having primary ideas written down will help you to concentrate on one point at a time and pick out the most significant arguments to support your thesis.
Not polishing your thesis
This is a big one. Developing a great thesis is the most important part of essay writing. Do not neglect it. Your thesis should be a sentence that explains all of your essays at once. Thus, you should work on it during the whole writing process.
Do check if the initial thesis you came up with corresponds with the body paragraphs. Make sure that it covers all the points of your writing and serves as the shortest summary of your text. Edit and craft your thesis along the way and pay extra attention to it.
Skipping editing and proofreading
A written essay is not finished without editing and proofreading. As boring as it might be, this step is as important as writing itself. Do not ignore it and send unpolished paper to your teacher. You’d not want to lose points for a couple of typos.
Make time for editing and proofreading your paper. You might notice inconsistencies or fallacies while reading your text as a whole. Besides, you’re likely to miss a lot of small errors when focusing strictly on the content. Hence, do not take this matter lightly.
Writing on a tight deadline
Lastly, do not expect yourself to write an excellent essay in a few hours. Especially when it is a research paper that requires you to engage with tons of material from the class. Start working on your paper at least a few days before the deadline.
Have a clear idea of how much time all the phases of essay writing will take you. It is better to work slowly on your research and thesis rather than rushing a ten-page essay in one evening.
Wrapping Up
That’s about it. Treat essay writing as gaining new skills, understanding instructions, doing your research properly, devising your arguments, pay attention to structure and concise writing. Take time to work on your essay overall and craft your thesis, edit, and proofread. Approach your essay writing like this, and you will not dread your written assignments anymore.
