Essay Tips

Unless you’re writing a timed essay, you should have plenty of advance notice regarding when your work is due. Good academic essay writing takes time, so use yours wisely by avoiding procrastination. Set aside realistic blocks of time to research, plan, write, and rewrite. This should be spread-out over days, weeks, or months, depending on the assignment.

Great research forms the foundation of academic essays. If you try to research your topic while you write, you’ll likely end-up with writing that lacks focus and organization. Think of research as a separate step, and give yourself time to gather research from a wide variety of sources. When you get ready to write, you’ll be able to pick and choose the best information to use, which will save you time in the end and help create a cohesive paper.

Among academic essay writing tips, this one is one of the biggest. Even if your essay doesn’t require a thesis statement, write one anyway. Look at a thesis statement as a compass that shows the direction your writing should go. A clear, specific thesis statement will provide focus for everything that comes after, helping you avoid going-off topic.

If you need to free-write a rough draft to get a handle on your ideas, by all means do so, but remember, the best academic essay writing has structure and clarity. To achieve both requires some planning. If you don’t like traditional outlining techniques, explore alternative ways to organize. You might write key information on index cards, draw a flowchart, or use a mind map. Use whatever organizational tool works best to help you put the pieces in order.

For me, I used to spread my research out on the floor in order to help me categorize it to help brainstorm my thesis and topic sentences. I would then take those categories and turn them into an outline. After, I would add more and more information to my outline, filling it out until all I had to do was remove the bullet points, indent my paragraphs, and add transition phrases until it became my rough draft.

Before you write the first word, revisit your research and highlight specific information to support your thesis. Remember, one person’s fascinating statistic is another’s clutter. If it doesn’t support the point you want to make, leave it out.

I used to save unused, interesting quotes from my research in a document. There were many times later in a term, or even in another class, when I was able to go back and use some of those saved quotes for another paper.

By the time you sit down to write, you should have a thorough understanding of your subject. Keep in mind that your audience hasn’t seen or read the same research you have. Successful academic essay writing takes nothing for granted. Cover all the basic information, even facts you think everyone knows.

Think of your reader as someone who knows what words mean, but little else. You need to explain everything to that reader, or else they get lost. When you do not provide an explanation, you have metaphorically let go of your reader's hand.

Many academic essays explore complex ideas and information, but this doesn’t mean your writing has to be complex, too. Write to inform, not to impress, unless the prompt calls for it. Opt for straightforward language whenever possible.

In an academic essay, it’s not enough to say, “The Earth is round.” You must have reliable evidence to support your statement. Add evidence from your research after every claim along with an explanation as to how your evidence supports your claim. Remember, if you do not explain how your evidence supports your claim, your reader will become lost.

While you’re at it, make sure your supporting evidence is cited correctly using the appropriate style manual (e.g., MLA, APA, CMS, etc.). Incorrect or non-existant citations call your work into question. If readers find mistakes in something as simple as a citation, they’ll definitely be suspicious of the rest of your information. If a citation does not exist, you could be accused of plagiarism.

Additionally, don't forget to format your paper according to your discipline's and/or prompt's requested style format (e.g., MLA, APA, CMS, etc.). An instructor can quickly spot when a paper is not formatted correctly.

Do not submit your first draft—ever. It’s called a first draft for a reason. Reread your work for unclear passages, off-topic information, and grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and be sure to make corrections before you turn in your work.

Create a checklist of known problem areas. Include names and words you commonly confuse or misspell, along with grammar mistakes you frequently make. Reread your work several times, paying special attention to the items on your list.

For me, I knew to check for comma usage (I use way too many) and going off-topic. I would get essays back during my Freshman year with the feedback, "This was well-written, but off topic for the prompt," and then I'd get a D-grade.

Are you unsure what to look-out for in your writing, check feedback from your instructor and/or tutors. Do you see a common pattern of errors? Add those to your proofreading checklist. On my checklist are commas and writing on topic.

Have someone you trust perform a final review of your essay before you hand it in. A fresh reader may catch mistakes you’ve missed and will be able to point out areas where more information is needed.

Remember, you have access to tutors on campus. Use this service; your tuition has already paid for it.

When writing an essay...

• Divide into multiple body paragraphs.

• Have a thesis statement in your introduction

• Come up with multiple main points to support your argument—these will be your body paragraphs

• Have a conclusion that has a “clincher statement”

• Come up with a catchy title

• Write with your audience in mind. What kind of language and evidence should you use that would convince the targeted audience of your paper?

• Write with your purpose in mind. What organizational structure will you use for your essay to best fit your purpose?

• Be strong with your arguments

When writing an essay, don't...

• Begin with “Hello my name is___ and I’m going to write about____”

• Use the word “I “ in your arguments (thesis, topic sentences, etc.). For instance, instead of “I think we shouldn’t wear uniforms,” write “Uniforms shouldn’t be required.”

• Use 2nd person ("you," "your," etc.) unless you are teaching the reader how to do something. Otherwise, it seems like you are assuming something about the reader.

• Use 1st person ("I," "me," etc.) unless you are an example in your body paragraph(s) to help support your thesis or an anecdote to set your thesis up in your introduction.

• Be wishy-washy. Pick a side!

• Forget to support your opinions with facts and examples