No matter what major you are in college, papers are just part of the curriculum and often appear more frequently depending on the classes you take. One may like to write, but sometimes, papers and essays just suck all the energy out of you and the introduction of a new paper assignment can send your mind in many different directions.

If you’re anything like me, there’s usually stages during the paper-writing process and sometimes these stages can last a lot longer than you want. Admit it, we’ve all had procrastination take over for a whole day before getting anything done. If you’re unfamiliar with the stages of writing a paper, allow me to enlighten you (and if you are familiar, allow me to remind you).

Rubric stage

You’re looking over the guidelines and requirements and prompts and you honestly are just so overwhelmed during the beginning.

Thinking stage

You just sit there staring off into space and wondering about what your thesis will be, what your answers will be, where and when you’ll get your sources, and oh my goodness, you are trying to get it all together.

Outline stage

It’s probably best to make an outline of what you want to say in your paper. It’ll make your life easier later, but it’s also a reminder that you’ll have to start writing the actual paper eventually.

Research stage

Now you have to find your sources and not only do you have to make sure they are scholarly, you also have to read them to see if they are relevant or if you could pick something out to cite that supports your argument.

Citing stage

You’ve read all the sources you’ve picked and after evaluating whether or not your sources are good or not, you are ready to make your “works cited” page.

Procrastination half-stage

This is really a “half-stage” just because it could happen throughout the process rather than at a certain time before or after the paper is done so good luck getting out of this stage.

Pep talk half-stage

You realize you have to get out of this procrastination cycle so you constantly have to tell yourself that you can do this and to just start because the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll finish.

Intro stage

At this point, you’re staring at your computer screen and waiting for inspiration to come to you. Gotta have a killer introductory paragraph.

Middle stage

This is the stage where you may have another procrastination half-stage because this is usually the stage that encompasses the whole paper itself. Somewhere in the middle when you are deep in discussion or analysis and it’s just so much.

More pep talk stage

Another pep talk to get you out of a possible procrastination half-stage.

“Almost done” stage

You are on your final sentences and you can smell the victory already.

Relief stage

Finally! You’ve completed your paper and depending on what kind of person you are, you will edit it or just turn it in. But either way, you are done! Thank god.