If you’re currently in college or university, then you already know that your course load can seem absolutely overwhelming at times. Between making sure you complete all of your assignments and projects, squeezing in time to study, participating in extracurricular activities, and finding time to enjoy some semblance of social life, it can be difficult to find time to take care of yourself and relax.
The last thing you want to worry about is how to write an essay that will impress your professors and get you good grades!
How To Get Started
It’s almost time for school, which means you’re probably prepping for yet another year of tough tests, essays, and studying. Whether you’re an incoming freshman or returning senior, it can be tempting to want to dive into your coursework right away. The good news? You already know how to write college papers—whether it’s a simple essay or a research-heavy project. And if you follow these simple steps, writing for school won’t seem so intimidating.
Figuring Out What To Write About
There’s no golden rule for coming up with essay topics. Generally, you should write about something that’s interesting and important to you, but make sure it also reflects your instructor’s interests. If you want to explore an idea further, there are two great places to find essay prompts: search engines and books.
Checking Your Grammar and Spelling
One of those things that might seem like it doesn’t matter at first (and you might even get away with not doing it for a while) is proofreading your writing. The reason? It’s pretty time-consuming and most people don’t want to spend that extra time doing it. Most college students don’t consider proofreading an important part of their job—or any part of their job, for that matter—but it’s an incredibly important thing to do. Because if you don’t spend some time double-checking what you’ve written before handing in work or sending out emails, you could be costing yourself more than one letter grade on your next essay.
Working on the Paragraphs
The very first thing that you need to do when working on your essay paragraphs is to figure out what your main point is. What exactly are you trying to prove with each of your essay paragraphs? This might sound silly, but it’s an important first step. If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you get there? Next, choose three or four points that support your main point and make sure they’re relevant and logically laid out. Finally, outline each paragraph and make sure each one starts with a compelling sentence. Using transition words (e.g., firstly) in between each point will help unify your argument. And once everything looks good? Proofread, proofread again—and then hire a professional proofreader if necessary!
Formatting, A Final Check
How do you feel about your essay? Is it as perfect as it can be? If not, that’s okay. Use our essay formatting guide to make sure it looks its best when you send it off. When you’re ready, take one last look at your essay and make sure that you have an introduction, three body paragraphs with relevant examples from class, and a strong conclusion. Once again – if something isn’t quite right – use our guide to make changes before sending your work in for grading. You may not get full credit for exceptional writing but I promise that simply following directions will earn you at least partial credit and will spare me (and possibly even you) some frustration.
Finishing Touches
Even though you’ve drafted your essay, don’t stop now! Go back through your writing and make sure that it is completely free of spelling and grammatical errors. The most carefully written piece of work will be unreadable if riddled with mistakes, so ensure that any you find are corrected. You should also have another person (essay writer) proofread your work – another set of eyes never hurts when checking for errors. The key is to not rush through either process as both are integral in ensuring that what you produce is polished, professional, and ready for submission!
