ESSAY WRITING TIPS FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
Writing an essay can be difficult for anyone who has never written an essay. Here are a few tips to improve upon your existing academic writing skills.
Writing an essay can be difficult for anyone who has never written an essay. Here are a few tips to improve upon your existing academic writing skills.
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<strong>ESSAY</strong> <strong>WRITING</strong> <strong>TIPS</strong> <strong>FOR</strong> <strong>UNIVERSITY</strong><br />
<strong>STUDENTS</strong><br />
Essay writing is a major component of the university academic curriculum for<br />
many programs. It can also be pretty daunting for anyone who has never written<br />
an essay for university. Get off to the best possible start or improve upon your<br />
existing writing skills with these tips.<br />
Plan Your Paper<br />
If you’re going to write a successful essay, you need to understand the topic and<br />
create a good plan. Good planning includes effective time-management, essay<br />
mapping, and goal completion. First, create a schedule and stick to it. Next, map<br />
out the steps for completing your paper. For example, the first step should be to<br />
choose a topic. Additional, important steps should be:<br />
Do some research<br />
Take notes from the research on your essay topic<br />
Create an outline<br />
Write your first draft<br />
Submit the first draft to a writing centre, professor, or your peers for<br />
feedback<br />
Use feedback to complete your final draft<br />
Proofread before turning in the paper<br />
While mapping your essay is important, you should also take note of and meet<br />
any milestones/deadlines set by your professor. These milestones will also help<br />
with essay planning and time management. However, setting your own<br />
milestones and/or goals could boost your confidence and performance. Mark<br />
these goals off as you complete them. The final step in a successful essay-writing<br />
plan is simply to turn in the paper on time.
Show Your Critical Thinking Skills<br />
Unbeknownst to most university students, the true purpose of essay writing is to<br />
test and enhance critical thinking skills. Of course, essays can also be an<br />
expression of students’ general knowledge, understanding in certain areas, and<br />
learned skills. However, blatant critical thought and analysis may be the greatest<br />
testament to what a student knows and has learned. Critical thinking can also be<br />
the difference between an average essay and an excellent one. If you want yours<br />
to stand out, engage with the theories and arguments you present, provide an<br />
academic and intelligent analysis – don’t just repeat other authors’ points and<br />
thoughts or information from your research.<br />
Understand the Topic<br />
Not understanding the essay topic is actually the top reason why students receive<br />
failing grades on essay assignments. Before starting your paper, make sure you<br />
understand the topic or research questions, as well as your professor’s<br />
expectations for the paper. If you’re unsure, then ask questions – even the simple<br />
ones. It can be extremely helpful to simply ask what you should do on the paper.<br />
This will help you decide what and how much to research. Remember that some<br />
essay assignments require more in-depth research and analysis than others.<br />
However, make sure you perform targeted, concise research that thoroughly<br />
covers your essay topic or questions. Think of the process as similar to what you'd<br />
do when looking for the best student housing Ottawa has to offer. Your search<br />
should be as narrow as possible and be based on your needs and pre-determined<br />
criteria. And the more you know about what you're looking for, the better the<br />
results. This applies to writing a great essay and finding great housing!<br />
Build a Solid Structure<br />
An essay that flows well is easier to read and follow. It also aids in conveying your<br />
messages throughout the paper. So, make sure your essays always have a logical<br />
structure. The most basic structure, includes:<br />
An introduction, stating your hypothesis or the main ideas of your essay
A body, presenting your main points or arguments<br />
A conclusion, summarizing the main points covered in the essay and<br />
presenting any reflection on them<br />
To ensure your paper follows this basic structure, just create an outline to use as a<br />
guide. This will also help you create a focused argument or story arc.<br />
Furthermore, a strong structure can ensure your paper stays on track and only<br />
covers points relevant to the essay topic. Additionally, the order of your<br />
paragraphs should make the paper cohesive and comprehensive. Just remember<br />
to use logical transitions between the main points and paragraphs and reorder<br />
them as needed. Good luck!
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