10 Best Essay Writing Tips for College Students
Most students in college classes find essay writing a chore, and a very unpleasant project. It can take up all your time, effort and cause a lot of frustration. Pressures are already very high on college students for discovering their strengths, figuring out what they are going to do for the rest of their lives, and stress in their familial and friendship relationships on top of that. It’s enough that a student will be working part time as well as going to classes and studying outside of class time, without an extra essay assignment to worry about. If this sounds like you, then you are in the right place. Keep reading for tips on how to write an essay that will help you get it done faster and write it better, leaving more time left over for yourself and your family.
Finding Writing Tips
Here are 10 top tips for writing essays that every student can take advantage of no matter what their class subject is or what instructions you have for the essay. Follow these steps (in no particular order) and you’ll be well on your way to a great essay, written in less time than usual.
- Start with an outline. This is important because it allows you to plan out everything that you want to say which will save you rewriting time later on.
- Loosen up your first drafts. When you are writing your first draft of the essay, just let your fingers flow (whether you are typing or writing with a pencil) and don’t judge yourself on what comes out. The first draft is just that; a first draft.
- Do your research first. When you do it before you start writing, you won’t have to interrupt your momentum later to look something up.
- Schedule your writing times. Plan the days and hours you need to work.
- Edit backwards. Starting from the end allows you to spot errors more easily.
- Team up with a classmate. As they say, two heads are better than one.
- Have an environment you can work in. If you need background noise, turn on some low music; if you need silence shut your door.
- Follow a format. It’s easy to fill in the blanks with something that is already written.
- Pretend you’re telling a story. Imagine the person reading your essay and their reactions to the contents.
- Lastly, have someone else take a second look at it before you hand it in.