7 Writing Tips for Students to Excel in Academic Essays
As a student you are going to be dealing with academic essays quite a lot. That’s because they have long been part of the higher education level assessment criteria and are likely to remain. An academic essay is generally a piece of content that covers a topic in a given niche. An academic essay can be used to show a student’s knowledge depth and logical thinking capabilities in an area of specialization.
An academic essay can range from 500 words to 3000 words or more depending on the topic or purpose of the essay. If you’re new in college, you may find it difficult to craft a strong essay to improve your academic performance.
That’s because there is no linear process of essay writing and some topics can prove to be complicated to tackle. However, an effective guide can help you understand what to do before embarking on writing an essay, during the process, and after crafting it. This blog will look at the different academic essay writing tips that will simplify the process and help you fetch the best marks. So let’s get started!
The Best Writing Tips for Students to Excel in Academic Essays
- Analyze & Understand the Topic
First and foremost, an academic essay is meant to help a student express opinions and expertise in a given area of study. Although they may overwhelm students, essay writing is an ideal chance to showcase your prowess and put your ideas forward. It is also a good chance to show your critical thinking capabilities, and creativity on a topic.
However, there are different types of essays i.e argumentative, expository, descriptive, and narrative. These all require a different approach toward a topic. For example, an argumentative essay will require you to provide a counteractive side of the topic. Generally, an essay approach depends on the instructions.
With that, analyze and understand the topic you are supposed to research and write about. If possible, try to discuss it with your teacher or fellow students before you start writing the actual essay.
- Plan & Prepare
Essay writing is a complex task and will certainly require you to prepare dimensionally. Generally, you will have to understand the timeframe within which your essay must be ready. You will have to gather resources, for example, research papers, classroom notes, or brainstorming ideas. Note down the things you may want to include in your essay and take a standpoint.
- Make a Draft
A draft is a preliminary copy of your essay. It provides an opportunity to analyze the mistakes you would have made in your essay and correct them accordingly. Also, a draft gives you a chance to include any crucial information you may have forgotten. However, drafting will generally depend on the amount of time you have. If your essay is short and as well have plenty of time, then make a draft and craft a final essay after that. However, it’s recommended to be keen with every step of the writing process in case you are dealing with a lengthy essay.
- Craft a Strong Introduction
An engaging introduction is everything. It’s the introduction that captures the attention of the reader, gives an overview of the topic, and displays your creativity. However, an essay introduction is made up of different elements. These include a thesis statement, an outline, background information, and a strong hook. Ensure to connect with your reader from the start and mind the tone.
- Cite Credible Sources
Essay writing requires a lot of effort and time because all your points must be backed by credible sources. More so, peer-reviewed sources. Citations act as evidence and support any claim you provide. You will have to use a few online tools or those recommended by your professor to attain the citations (intext and bibliography). Apart from citations, illustrations, facts, and statistics can be leveraged to back your claims and allow your essay to stand out.
- Take care of Cohesion
An essay is made up of three different parts and these include the introduction, body, and conclusion. An introduction offers an overview of the topic and it must be attractive. The body is a section where you explain your points to the core and include intext whereas the conclusion is the closing section of your essay. Your entire essay will also be made up of paragraphs and the overall structure will depend on your preference or the lecturer’s guidelines. However, ensure to connect every essay section to the subsequent paragraphs. This will help keep the reader intrigued and interested in your views.
- Proofread your essay
It is very important to spare time and edit your essay. Proofreading your essay will help you identify and eliminate grammar errors. It generally gives you a chance to edit your essay, and make a few changes in the style, citations, and overall structure of your essay. You can also use tools to check the grammar, spelling, engagement, and sentence fragments in your essay.
You can also read out your essay aloud or give it to a trustable friend to pass through it for any suggestions.
To encapsulate, essay writing may seem like a complex task but it can be made enjoyable with proper planning and preparation. This blog has detailed the different aspects you can consider before, during, and after writing your academic essay to fetch good scores. However, you can follow any strategy at your convenience since there is no definite approach to essay writing.
