Top University Student Essay Writing Tips

View PDF | Print View
by: conniemccarthynn
Total views: 6
Word Count: 690
Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2012 Time: 7:10 PM

Throughout your time in college or university, you will need to write essays as the main bulk of your work, and having a key strategy for writing these will be imperative.
Know the material. The first step in preparing to write an essay is to read all the material you need to know about the topic. Take notes and read over these notes regularly until you have knowledge of the topic, or print off pre-written notes. Make sure you have enough information available to you to know what you are writing about before you start to write.
Take it easy - now this probably isn't what you're going to hear from your professor, but when you are writing your essay you should be taking it easy and allowing the information to flow onto the paper. Breathing in and out a few times tends to relax most people when they are under a little bit of pressure and you should be no exception. If you don't relax before you write your essay then you will feel any stress that you are putting yourself under and are more likely to write an essay that is not focused properly
Read the question. Know from the start how long your essay is supposed to take you, the expected word count and any other instructions. Make sure that if a specific font or word size is specified that you use it, and keep the word count in mind as you write.
Know your question in-depth - simply knowing what your essay question is asking wont be enough to write an effective essay for submission, as you will also need to understand that you will need to analyse all of the information out there and understand what is expected of you. You will also need to ensure you know the different parts to the question and what key terms are used and also mean.
Set a schedule - knowing when your essay is to be handed in and when you need to have it completed by will probably put your mind at rest. You will need to establish a plan of the different things that you will be doing throughout the different parts of your essay, including the research and writing stages.
Make some notes - if you spend a few minutes figuring out exactly what you would like to say and plan the different stages of your essay then you will be able to have a clear understanding of the direction in which you will be going. This will help you ensure that repetition doesn't appear in your writing and that all relevant angles are covered.
Begin strong - if you construct a boring and long introduction then the reader will become bored already without beginning to read the whole of the essay. This first part will set out the rest of the essay in positive or negative light; don't let it be the latter.
Reassure yourself along the way - as you go through your essay you should be looking at the question you are attempting to answer. Re-reading the question as you write your essay will mean that you are able to check that your work is on track.
Simplicity is key - if you are looking at writing your essay and think it will be complicating attempting to include the different parts to it then you shouldn't' An essay does have a collection of different thoughts, but it also should help you write about the things that you have researched about. The main thing to make sure of, is if you are running out of time then don't panic, as this won't solve anything for you.
Edit and proofread. Re-read over the essay, the next day if possible, and revise and edit. Check for spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and inconsistencies. As you read you may realise you've left out important information, or that you need to move a sentence. Make sure you re-read after you've done your editing, to check the essay still makes sense and that it still answers the question.