For many college students, essay writing can be one of the most frustrating parts of their studies. You might have discovered this on your own, or your professor might have mentioned it in class; either way, you need an essay writer. Writing an essay from scratch can be difficult, especially if you don’t know what to write about or how to come up with great ideas to convey your thoughts through the essay you’re writing.
First Things First
The first step in writing a college essay is deciding which school you will apply to. This will help narrow down your essay topic since each school has different standards, themes, and essay requirements. Read through each application carefully and try your best to tailor your essays accordingly.
Know What’s Expected of You
Before you start writing, know what your teacher or professor expects of you. For example, if you are taking a course on English lit at your college and have an essay assigned, make sure you understand how many pages it needs to be and any other requirements (e.g., font size). Having these guidelines will help you stay on track and avoid dealing with last-minute panic about whether or not you’re meeting all of your instructor’s criteria.
Choose Your Topic Carefully
So, you’ve decided that you need to write an essay. Great! Now, it’s time to pick your topic. It should go without saying that you want a topic that interests you and something that doesn’t seem too difficult or too easy. You don’t want to choose a topic that seems like it will be impossible because then you won’t have any motivation to finish writing your essay, but at the same time, if it seems too simple, then there probably isn’t much room for creativity in your paper. A good rule of thumb is to look at past papers from previous classes or talk with current students about what topics are typically covered in college courses.
Structure and Outline
When writing an essay, you should always begin with an outline. An outline gives you a clear overview of what your essay will look like and help organise your thoughts. When it comes time to write, you can more easily figure out what specific order points should be made and which ones will work best together. While writing a college essay may seem difficult at first, taking some time before you start writing to create an outline is essential if you want your essay to make sense and flow smoothly.
Write Down the Body Paragraphs
A common essay is structured as an introduction with a few body paragraphs and a conclusion. Each body paragraph should have a topic sentence and three or four supporting sentences. Don’t worry if you’re unsure how many words you can use; just stick with what you know and think of it fitting all your arguments into one paragraph.
Support Each Body Paragraph with Evidence
Think about why each body paragraph is important. For example, if you’re writing a persuasive essay about which shoe is better—running shoes or tennis shoes—you can use evidence from personal experience and anecdotes to prove that running shoes are better than tennis shoes.
Link Between Thoughts and Counterarguments
How to write a perfect essay, though? You might want to start by listening. While you’re researching your topic and figuring out what you want to say, keep an ear open (or a virtual eye) on other people’s arguments. If you find yourself questioning what they’re saying—or if it seems like there are holes in their reasoning—you should try your best to figure out why.
Revise, Read Out Loud, Edit
You’ve just finished writing your first essay—or maybe you’re a seasoned professional who has been writing essays for some time. The first thing to do is read it out loud. Reading your essay aloud gives you an extra pair of eyes on your work, and it helps reveal problems like awkward phrasing or run-on sentences that might otherwise be overlooked. It can also make it easier to spot repeated words or phrases that could be used more effectively in another way.
Proofread, Proofread, Proofread!
Go over your writing and polish it up. Make sure there are no errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax (unless you’re intentionally making a statement—for example, purposefully misspelling intense because you want people to think you’re being ironic). No matter how much time you spend thinking about what you want to say, an essay full of errors will distract readers from your message. In many cases, they won’t even get past it.
Don’t Rush! Give Yourself Plenty of Time!
If you’re a busy college student, it’s easy to rush through your essays. You want them done now, and you want them done well—but rushing can only lead to careless mistakes. Instead of pushing your essay writing off until the last minute, take time out of your schedule each week or month to work on essays one at a time. A little time in advance lets you run each essay through editing before moving on, giving you more than enough time to give each essay your best effort.