5 Things All New Students Should Keep In Mind While Writing An Essay

College is almost synonymous with papers. There are hardly any college curriculum, if any, that will let you escape without at least writing one essay. With that in mind, be sure to keep these things in mind when writing your essay and when editing. I promise it is almost impossible to get a good grade with the first draft of an essay.

1. Thesis

The thesis is the one thing that your paper is centered around. So, when writing an essay, always keep your thesis in mind. The thesis is the very soul of your paper, its identity. Without it, your paper will remain a string of incoherent words on a paper or computer screen.In each paragraph, in every sentence, understand and know what your argument is. The longer you write, the more directions your papers will be heading towards. By the end, your paper will not make any sense. To help do this, take a break after every paragraph and see how it relates to you thesis and introduction. If it doesn’t, this is the best time to add a sentence or two at the end to connect it back. Doing this will also help lengthen your paper.

2. Conclusion

The conclusion may be the second most important part in writing an essay. Your thesis and your conclusion should format your paper like how to pieces of bread format a sandwich. Though not the exact same thing, the conclusion should reiterate everything the paper tried to say without the evidence. Id you can write a conclusion with ease, it means most of the work has already been done in the main body of the paper. What is left to do in the introduction is summarize what you already had written. If you are still lost in writing your conclusion, consider mirroring your introduction. Try to write your conclusion almost as if you are staring with what you ended your introduction with. This way, your paper will more likely call back to all of the past points, thus elevating your paper to the next level. If you have a flare for the dramatic, the end of the conclusion is the best place to add a stunning mic drop. Here, you can add a call to action that really resonates with you, and by doing this, expands your paper by introducing academic texts and applying it to the real world.

3. Contractions

We all use contractions when we speak but it does not have a place when writing an essay. Can’t, won’t, don’t, etc. are common expressions in communication. However, using contractions work against the length of your paper and its professional script. Contractions are used to allow for quick understanding of words. In papers, the reader has time to read and understand your message. By using contraction, it implies to the reader that the text was written in haste and, probably,with less attention to detail. Even if this is true, it is best not to give your professor a reason to  lower your score. Also, it is almost a guarantee that your professor has given you a page or word limit. By using contractions, you are doing more work than you need to. Write out the contraction and you will see, if you are used towing them, that your paper will definitely grow longer when all the contractions in your paper are dissolved.

4. Due Date

Always keep the due date of your paper in your mind when you are writing an essay. If you are prone to forgetting, write it in your agenda, schedule, calendar, walls, etc. It is possible to earn a good grade by pulling an all-nighter before the paper is due, but honestly, the stress and pressure is not worth it. Instead, take your time writing your paper so college does not seem like strings of stressful moments without any levity. Writing a page a day will slowly start building up progress and before you know it, the paper will be completed with yous saving yourself mountains of stress and sleepless nights.

5. Past Essays

Use your past essays to help you write your current essays. Your professor would have probably added some comments on your previous papers. Use these comments to fix your other papers. Doing so will definitely raise your grade as well as show your teacher your potential. This is always a benefit since you may be wondering about going to graduate school in the future and are in need of some recommendation letters.

These are only a couple of things that can help you when writing an essay for college, but these aren’t the only tips. Ask around on your campus for any additional help and if you discover any new tips not listed here, please share them! Good Luck on your papers, everyone!

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