A great essay can get you an A, while an average one can get you a B, and if you’re lucky, even a C. It’s not just about the content; it’s about the approach, too. If you want to write an essay that gets you the top grade, then check out this step-by-step guide on writing essays for college students. You’ll find helpful resources like essay templates and tips on choosing your topic in no time!
Start From Scratch
If you’re struggling to get started, maybe it’s because you’re trying to write an essay without first collecting your thoughts. This can lead to a disjointed, hard-to-follow essay. The best way to avoid writing in circles is to know what you want to say before putting pen (or finger) to paper. Start by jotting down some notes on each of your points and how they connect. Then go back through them and see if any holes or gaps need to be filled. It might seem like extra work, but your ideas will flow more easily once you start filling in those gaps.
Research, Research, and Research
A healthy dose of research can solve any writing problem. Whether you’re working on a term paper or an essay, extensive research and properly cited citations are necessary to present yourself as an authority on your topic. And though you should do more than just skim Wikipedia, relying on secondary sources—not your friends or Google—will show colleges you understand where to find legitimate information about your topic. (And yes, we all know those citation websites aren’t going to get you anywhere.) So before you start typing away, take some time to look into books, journals, and scholarly articles written by experts in your field. You may even want to note any statistics or facts that could help bolster your argument when it comes to drafting.
Outline Your Work
It’s not easy to write a thoughtful essay off the cuff, so planning ahead of time is important. You can use an outline to help you focus on what your essay will cover and how you’ll get there. It takes a little bit of work at first, but planning your essay will help you steer clear of tangents and distractions so that when it comes time to write, all you have to do is fill in those dotted lines. In addition, outlining helps you figure out if your topic has enough meat on its bones—if it doesn’t, consider revising or brainstorming for another idea.
Get to Work!
You know your topic, and you’ve done some preliminary research to find an angle or focus for your essay. Writing an essay isn’t much different from crafting a college admissions essay—you need to present yourself in a positive light that showcases why you deserve a spot at whichever institution you are applying for.
Proofread! Proofread! Proofread!
No matter how well you write, it’s always a good idea to have someone else look over your essay. This is especially true if English isn’t your first language. Someone familiar with American English and has a solid grasp of your subject area can catch mistakes that you may miss yourself. Have someone edit your paper with a fresh eye, and take advantage of any suggestions they make to improve it. You should also ask them to read it aloud; sometimes, some sentences or phrases sound right in our heads but don’t come across clearly when spoken aloud.
Revise with a Critical Eye
One of my favourite methods for making sure I hit my writing goals is to revise with a critical eye. When you revise your paper, don’t just look at grammar and typos—you should be looking at whether or not you are hitting your topic, thesis, and goals head-on. Take time to evaluate your paper and see if it’s hitting every point clearly and directly. If not, take some time to add that extra little explanation you might need!
Polish Your Work
Once you’ve done your research and collected material, write a rough draft and set it aside for at least 24 hours. You can come back to it with fresh eyes and a clear head. Then revise and edit before submitting your essay to an academic journal. This is where having a professional editor can help make your essay shine.
Good luck on your journey to being a professional essay writer in college!