How are you supposed to tackle an important essay when you don’t have enough time to go through all stages of the process? Before we go any further, let’s get something out of the way: you CAN do it! If you have basic understanding of the topic, then you can tackle the assignment if you’re committed enough to make good use of the time you have on your hands.
Tips that Make Essay Writing Easier
Are you willing to complete this essay? Yes? Good to know! Now all you need to do is implement the following tips into your practice.- Learn from the Master. Follow Orwell’s guidance! Have you ever read Politics and the English Language by George Orwell? You might think that now is the worst time for reading someone else’s essay, but this is much more than a paper. Orwell gives you a valuable lesson on writing in this piece. This is the most important lesson you’ll learn: inflated style is no good. You should write clearly and avoid replacing short words with complex terms. Do not use passive when you can write the same thing in active voice. Avoid ‘prefabricated phrases, needless repetitions, and humbug and vagueness generally,’ – Orwell said. He basically tells you what your professors want to see in an essay.
- Be yourself Do you know why your teachers assign essays? They want to see what YOUR opinion on the given issue is. An essay has to express your unique personality. If you don’t have a particular opinion, then you should conduct a thorough research and form one. That’s what your studies are all about – building your personality and developing strong values. When you start viewing the essay as an opportunity to express yourself, the task will seem more challenging, but also more exciting than ever. There is no need to complicate things; just say what you think on the given topic and structure your arguments in a proper academic form.
- Do not skip the pre-writing stages
It doesn’t matter how short the deadline is; you cannot write an essay on a whim. A proper academic paper needs a good research, brainstorming, planning, and outlining. These are the stages that form the basis of your paper. If you skip them, you’ll end up with a disorganized piece of content that will lose the attention of your reader somewhere along the way.
- Don’t edit when you write. Edit later!
This is one of the most common mistake students make during essay writing: they think too much during the writing process. “Is this sentence okay or does it sound lame? Is there a better way to say this?” Don’t do that! Just follow the outline and let the first draft flow. Since you already brainstormed and you have a basic idea of the final version of the paper, you shouldn’t have a big problem to write the actual sentences.
Once you’re ready with the draft, leave it aside. Have a coffee, talk to a friend and think about something else for an hour. Then, you can come back to it and start the editing process. Suddenly, you’ll be able to notice all logical gaps and bring the content close to perfection.
- Be very conscious when writing about sensitive issues
Teachers like putting their students in a trap. They commonly assign controversial topics related to religion, racial intolerance, abortion, and other issues that set the ground for strong personal opinions. If your arguments sound offensive in any way, you’ll be in trouble. Make sure to consider both sides of the coin and expose your opinions in a moderate manner.