Even experienced writers often struggle with small details and structural niceties. The academic standards are so strict that it can seem impossible to get everything right. Still, every insignificant error affects the grade, making some students desperate. They ask, is it really possible to get an A?
The answer is, yes, it is. What you’ll need to achieve that goal is patience and the readiness to review what you’ve written at least three times. That’s a lengthy and tedious process that can really benefit from optimization. Keep reading to understand how to tackle each assignment without wasting too much time and get a great result no matter the difficulties.
Always outline your essay
Outlining is probably the best way to plan what you’re going to say in your essay. Every experienced writer takes several minutes to jot down the main arguments in the correct order and define the goals of their paper.
This method also helps college students keep to the task of their instructor. For example, you’ll need to outline several solid points for an argumentative essay, and an expository one will demand finding more perspectives on one idea. However, it’s not enough to outline the body of your paper to start writing.
Most essays have a rigid structure for the introduction and conclusion as well. The first sentence of the text must draw the reader’s attention, so it can’t be some cheap filler that’s only there to get the necessary word count. Sure, you aren’t free to use contractions or slang to make your point clearer. Still, there must be no empty words in perfect essays.
Another point of interest is the first sentence of your conclusion. This one should restate the thesis in light of what your paper has just told the reader. It takes a real expert to paraphrase the gist of the entire paper in the context of the newly revealed facts and observations. That’s why so many companies value such skills and hire professionals who are ready to accept such verbal challenges.
Edit your thesis statement
This might sound weird, but the thesis statement should change as your work progresses. The writing process is often tricky, so you’re likely to discover new things as you move from one point to another. Let’s look at the key elements that can alter during that process.
- New arguments may appear. When you read tons of articles and books to find out more about the topic of your essay, your opinion can often change. It doesn’t mean that you’ll have to redo the whole outline from scratch, but some of the points you’ve made before will require changes. The problem is that many students forget to edit their thesis statements accordingly, so their instructors subtract some points from their grades later on.
- Errors in planning can happen. Simply put, not all outlines are perfect. All of us can forget about the important elements, which may lead to a catastrophe. Sometimes, academic writers need to add more points to their original plan or change the existing ones to make sense when combined in one paper. If that’s what is happening to your work, the principle ‘reread your thesis last’ can help. Otherwise, you may end up with a weak statement.
- Unexpected findings can define an essay. Students aren’t professionals yet, so they can sometimes discover something they didn’t expect at all. This happens a lot in psychological research and similar scientific projects that need first-hand data to gain real quality. If you’ve written your thesis statement based on an assumption double-check what further findings have been made in that area of research.
Define all terms
Imagine you’re working for a car selling company. The customer who knows virtually nothing about how those vehicles work comes by and asks you to explain the difference between two models. What will you start with?
Chances are, you’ll describe the mechanisms like an internal combustion engine in simple English, and then answer the question in an understandable way. To some degree, this approach is useful when you’re writing an essay because academic terms often vary in meaning depending on the context and the specific research question.
That’s why you should explain what you mean by the words like ‘motivation’. Are you talking about the drive to buy fashionable clothes online in the paper about marketing? Or, perhaps, you’re writing a psychological essay about the custom strategies to increase internal motivation that high school students use? There’s a huge difference, and no reader of academic work should have to guess the exact implication of the author.
It’s even more important to clarify what abbreviations mean in your paper. For example, NLP can equally stand for Natural Language Processing and Neuro-Linguistic Programming. These linguistic terms aren’t the same, but there are some similarities, so your instructor may get lost without guidance.
If it’s really hard for you to remember all these rules without an example, there are reliable websites that can help in a professional way. For example, Custom Writings is a great academic essay writing service that will provide you with affordable assistance with any paper.
Eliminate distractions
That sounds rather trite because most people try to write in quiet places where they can focus. Still, there are additional methods that can boost your productivity and help you concentrate on your paper. Here they are.
- Try instrumental music. It can be Mozart or lounge jazz—anything will do as long as there are no lyrics. The music you choose can belong to any culture, from the USA to Guatemala. The main thing is that those rhythms should invigorate you and inspire innovative research.
- Have something in your hands while you’re thinking. Many professional writers squeeze special toys or spin keychains on their fingers while processing a new idea. If you have such habits, you shouldn’t be ashamed of them because such movements do a good service to our brain cells.
- Take a break every 40 minutes. The human brain has its limits, and one of them involves concentration. You can only work with maximum productivity for less than an hour, and then it’s important to rest a bit. Try thinking about the reviews you’ll get from classmates if there’s no way to forget about the essay.
- Drink water. Every single website has this recommendation, but that’s because scientists can’t stress it enough. Hydration is the basis of concentration, so you can’t ignore your own needs and expect a good result.
Essays are more than formal structures
Most of the ways to improve your essay writing skills presented above focus on the formal organization of academic papers in a fun way. While that’s certainly the trickiest part, you shouldn’t forget that the best essay is a personalized one. All instructors value the ideas of their students, so your teacher will be disappointed if all they find is a timid desire to follow the rules.
That’s why all learners should remember that the right structure and correct grammar are just two requirements at the top of the list. What comes after them is no less significant and valuable. The experts from essay services understand these factors, so it’s a good idea to order an example from them if you’re completely lost.
