Essay writing is an important yet challenging skill each student needs to gain. The good news is that âpractice makes perfectâ applies here: the more you write and edit – the better your skills will get. As a student, you need to be aware that there is a myriad of tips and tricks you can and should use to improve your essay writing. After all, your academic performance and grades depend on it.
Here are some of the tried and tested steps that might help you upgrade your essay writing fast
Explore the Type of Essay Youâre Dealing With
There are many types of essays, and the best way to make sure it comes out right is to work on its foundation. How do you do that? Primarily, you need to know everything about the essay you are expected to present. For example, is it a persuasive essay, an argumentative essay, an admission essay, or maybe an SAT essay? Each one is different, serves a different purpose, and thus requires you to follow different guidelines. Depending on the type of essay you need to work on, your language might differ, also the terminology you use, and even the structure of writing you need to follow. Thatâs why it is necessary to start at the very beginning and explore the foundation of your task.
Start With an Outline
When you have an outline of your paper, it is much easier to move along with it in a structured and organized manner. You know each step you need to take to get to the point and write an excellent essay that can get you the grade you want. An essay outline is sort of a plan of action, which can show you what it is you are missing and what it is you still need to work on for your essay to meet yours and your professorâs expectations. Whatâs more, outlines help speed up and streamline the writing process as there is no uncertainty ahead. Though first, you need to conduct thorough research on the topic and locate some relevant sources you can use to back up your claims before you proceed with a plan. A detailed outline is one of the things that will distinctly upgrade your essay writing skills.
Master Basic Punctuation and Grammar
A well-written essay presupposes not only a strong, arguable claim and relevant argumentation, quotation, and evidence that supports it but also the quality of your writing. It should be uniform and easy to read. To get there, you need a lot of practice, of course. But it is as well important to know at least the basics of punctuation and grammar. Proofreading your paper and making sure it is free of errors is the right step towards making a good impression on your professor: he or she will see that you are thorough and dedicated. Basic punctuation and grammar are not that difficult to master. And having these skills will make your essay writing more efficient, and help you be more successful in life in general, as you will be writing certain pieces (emails, formal requests, recommendations, etc.) after college as well.
Ask for Some Feedback
Sometimes, you might feel stuck, be unsure what your next step should be and how to enhance your essay even more. The truth is, there is always room for improvement, and there is always something you can change for better, but you might simply not see what it is. Thatâs why you should get a second or even third opinion. Asking someone knowledgeable, including your professor, to read your essay or the draft of your paper will get you a clear idea of the things you need to fix to upgrade it. Be ready to get some negative feedback on your essay, but always keep in mind that those comments will help you grow and become much better at essay writing.
Kill Your Darlings
Even if you didnât read any books by Stephen King, you have probably watched some movies based on his novels or, at the very least, heard his name. King is a phenomenal writer, and a few years ago, he presented a book that gives tips on how to become a better writer. Among them is the one he refers to as âkill your darlings.â It presupposes that sometimes there are futile pieces of information in your essay, story, article, or any other type of writing, and it is best to delete them even if you really like them. You might enjoy those parts or even be proud of them because of some particularly expressive language you used or some witty comments on the topic. But in fact, those parts do not bring any substantial value to the final piece. What Stephen King suggests is to ruthlessly delete those sentences or passages as they only decrease the quality of your writing, making it unnecessarily wordy and confusing. It is another reason why getting feedback is important: it will help you notice the parts of your essay that are not truly functional.
Get Some Professional Help
Depending on your situation, it might be reasonable to either work on your essay yourself or get some professional help from an academic writer. Each semester, you get tons of assignments on different subjects from different professors, each with his or her own specific requirements. Delivering all of them on time is challenging for some students, and they end up missing some of their deadlines or submitting low-quality papers. If you one of those students or just happen to be unable to finish your essay yourself and need someone to proofread, edit, or improve it while you take care of something else, the most sensible thing to do is to get some assistance. Getting help will spare you lots of stress, ensure you get a good grade for your essay, and successfully finish your course; it can sometimes be life-saving.
