We all dread it. Even I, as an English major, do not look forward to the oncoming due date of a paper. All we, as college students, want to do is pass a class and get as much sleep as possible. But tests, quizzes, and papers dash those dreams to powder. And writing a paper can be one of the most excruciating things ever. Five pages doesn’t always seem to be so difficult when you think about it, but when you’re four pages in and about to finish your conclusion paragraph, you start to feel pretty anxious. But like I said, I’m an English major, so I’ve got a few tips to help you guys out.
Tip #1: Start as soon as possible.
You know what the worst excuse is about turning in a terrible paper? That you didn’t have enough time. When you’re first assigned a paper or you see it coming up in the syllabus, you need to get on it. I don’t mean start typing it up right then and there per se though. What I mean is figure out what you want to write your paper on. If it’s going to be on a certain story or a point in history, study it. Some good advice for war is to know your enemy, so in writing essays, know your subject. So in some shape or fashion get started on your paper and get ahead of the curve. I remember once that I had a paper due and a test to do on the same day. Having the paper already started and ready to type made that weekend a lot less stressful for me.
Tip #2: Talk with your professor.
It may seem like your professor’s the devil for giving you a paper to write. It may also seem like your professor doesn’t care if you pass or fail the class. But trust me, as much as I hate reading bad fan-fiction, a professor hates reading bad essays. Knowing what your professor wants out of you and your essay can make it easier to type. Not even that, you can turn in a draft to them early and let them look over it (that email address they gave you on the syllabus isn’t only to tell them you’re not going to class). That way you have the ability to edit what they saw wrong and put in more information that they want to see. Your professor isn’t the devil in a tweed jacket, try to seek their help.
Tip #3: Proof read.
And I know what you’re thinking: “But Jonathan, I always proof read!” Is that what your last essay grade say? If you’ve got the paper typed up and ready to go a few days before it’s due, go over it with a fine toothed comb. Even if you let your professor look over it, they might not see every grammar mistake. Print out the paper and go over every word and sentence. Read it out loud to see if everything flows right. Hey, call up a friend or wake up your roommate and see if they can look over it too. A second, third, or even fourth opinion is never not a good idea when going over an essay.
