Essays are one of the most common types of assignments for students of all academic levels, and they require quite a few skills. From the ability to express thoughts clearly and logically to the correct structuring of the text, a creative approach and convincing arguments ‒ this is how much a teacher can check just by reading your paper.
So, how do you write high-quality text that will stand out from the crowd of similar ones? Read this guide to get a couple of useful insights.
Research, Research, and Research Again
You will never write a decent essay without a deep understanding of the topic. If the topic seems vague or you don’t understand some parts fully, don’t be afraid to ask your professor to explain it to you. Ask for advice from students who are well-versed in the subject and spend a few hours collecting information about key points.
Your essay should fully cover the topic. Therefore, asking your professor for clarification only shows that you care about the quality of the assignment and are truly engaged in the learning process.
However, if you are short of time to write an essay yourself, then here is a great solution. I’ve already tried an option to write a research paper for me by Essayhub.com, and it worked like a charm, so you can use outsourcing to simplify your life, too. The writers have vast experience with writing any kind of academic paper, so just send them the requirements and voila ‒ a brilliant paper will be ready before the deadline.
Fight Procrastination
Working on an essay consists of several stages:
- Research;
- Drawing up a plan and structure;
- Writing a draft;
- Final editing and proofreading.
To overcome the temptation to procrastinate and avoid spending days on each stage, set a time limit.
Let’s assume a couple of hours for each point (if the essay isn’t too extensive). This way, you will have time for final edits, and you won’t miss the deadline.
Rely on Mind Mapping
The most common mistake in the essay writing process is creating an outline. Having a clear, well-thought-out skeleton, you can easily write a high-quality text with a well-formulated thesis, arguments, and evidence.
Write down all the ideas that come to you without classifying them as amazing or stupid. Write them down. Next, choose those that seem the most powerful ones.
Stick to the Plan
The purpose of the introduction is to set the mood for the text and make the reader truly intrigued. For this, rhetorical questions, quotes, and interesting statistics come in handy. Plus, you will present your thesis in the introduction.
The body usually consists of 3 paragraphs, and in them, you’d better follow the argument + evidence pattern. By the way, you can add a fourth paragraph with a counterargument to dispel a popular belief and show your expertise.
As for the conclusion, its final sentences are super valuable because they add integrity to the work. Their function is to make the work memorable. Sometimes, it seems that the closing lines are the reason the essay is worth reading.
Create a Comfortable Atmosphere
So, you’ve studied the topic, done your research, and prepared a plan. It’s time to sit down and write, and this is where procrastination may meet you.
Let’s say you don’t have an environment where you can fully focus. It’s better to choose a place where people won’t distract you. For example, choose a library or an off-campus cafe. Turn off your phone or use airplane mode. You can also install a social media blocker on your laptop until you finish writing a certain section.
Quality Over Quantity
If an essay is supposed to be, let’s say, 5-7 pages long, most students are tempted to write seven or even eight pages. They think that more is better, but this is wrong. In addition, you will waste a lot of energy this way. It’s better to write within the limit.
Plus, remove meaningless parts. If your text is fully ready, but you still need a specialist to read it and strengthen it, then ask professionals from the best essay writing service for help. Their tips will certainly come in handy.
Focus on Editing
Proper editing is half the battle. The text probably contains many typos, repeated words, or confusing phrases. Therefore, here are three options on how to make the text stronger.
- After finishing work, give yourself time to rest because your eyes are used to the material and you won’t notice mistakes right away. Go for a walk, stretch, drink coffee, and move on to something else. Then, start editing and read the text out loud. This way, you will feel like you’ve taken the future reader’s place.
2. Let your friends and acquaintances read your work ‒ you could use a pair of fresh eyes. Ask how convincing the thesis, arguments, and evidence are. Are the transitions smooth? And most importantly, is the text engaging?
3. Use AI-based tools like Hemingway and Grammarly. The first helps you write like Hemingway, that is, simply and powerfully. The program highlights overly long and complicated sentences and encourages you to simplify them to improve overall readability. The second platform frees the text from grammar and punctuation errors by scanning your text in a couple of seconds.
Add Quotes as You Write
If you need to include citations and a bibliography, do so as you write. Whenever you cite an author, add a footnote indicating where the quotation came from. This will allow you to write your essay quickly, and you won’t have to switch between references and the essay later when you’re done writing.
To Wrap It Up
At first glance, writing an essay may seem monotonous and endless, but if you divide the work into clear steps and find inspiration, the process will be fun. Brainstorm, formulate a thesis, create an outline, work on a draft, and most importantly, take the time to edit. Above, I shared effective secrets for a high-quality essay ‒ try them in practice, and you will notice a significant improvement in your academic performance.
