Last term, I had an essay due by midnight, and I started it on 9 p.m. that night. It was supposed to be six pages long, double-spaced, and contain at least four sources. This is a typical situation for me, so I want to share some tips with you so that you can avoid at least a portion of the frustration that comes from last minute essay-writing. And, no, one of them is not "start the essay earlier." We're not here for jokes.
1. Write the body paragraphs first.
It's going to be much easier to write the introduction once you've already figured out the rest of the paper. Writing an introduction to something you haven't written yet is understandably frustrating, so skip it and come back to it when you know what you're doing.
2. Don't worry about mistakes in your first draft; spew out information and move on.
I often get caught up in making every sentence perfect when writing an essay, but it'll make you feel a lot better if you write just to get your ideas out and then make it sound more professional (i.e. The reader first gets a glimpse of the narrator’s conflict early on in the story, when the narrator runs into his brother's friend at that place by the school and he asks him for money or whatever).
3. Be as wordy as possible.
Are you trying to fill a length requirement? Well, forget about being concise. You don't have time for that. You started your essay the night before. So, throw in a bunch of words you don't need, like "such as," "in which," or "that" and elongate the crap out of your sentences. For example, instead of "we went to the store to get my mom some milk," write "the friend and I then took off down the road to the corner market where we frequently bought our groceries. It was there that we found the two percent milk that my mother had requested, the last one on the shelf, which we carried on our short trek back to my home." See how pointlessly longer that was? You'll risk sounding incredibly annoying, but you'll get the job done.
4. Type with smaller font and single spacing.
Does your essay have to be 12 point font and double spaced? Write with eleven point and change your spacing from 1.15 or 2 to 1. This will make you think you have much more to write, so you'll keep your pace. Then, when you're finished, BAM! You increase that font size, double those spaces, and see your page count multiply before your eyes. You might not be completely done yet, but this is sure to lift your spirits.
5. Vent your anger in your paper.
When you get to the point when all hope is lost and any more effort seems futile, don't stop writing. Just inject your anguish into your essay. For example, "On page 35, the reader gains more insight into the fear and protectiveness I hate this essay and I hate my life and I want to go to bed because school is stupid and I might as well drop out that the narrator feels toward his brother." It's better to keep writing then to stop and start up again 20 minutes later. Most professionals would say that taking a break is helpful, but not in your case. You now have an hour to write two pages and you have NO TIME for healthy learning. Just, for the love of god, remember to re-read it before you turn it in and delete your rants. One time, I almost left in a sentence where I called the story "boring crap." That's not how you get on the teacher's good side.
Now, go forth and write! Best of luck to you and your grades.
