If your writing skills leave much to be desired, use these tips before starting to work on some new essay:
1. Don't waste your time
Time management is the alpha and omega of good study in general and good writing in particular. Hence, if you want to cope with any academic assignment successfully, it is important to start working on the task immediately after it was assigned to you. The trick is that simple and short tasks seem easy to do, but it is impossible to cope with them if many additional tasks are waiting for you as well. The secret is simple - don't procrastinate!
2. Re-read the assignment once again.
Another important criterion for successful task completion is whether you understand the assignment correctly or not. Sometimes it is possible to do everything wrong if you don't interpret the task clearly. Therefore, don't be shy to consult with your professor once again if you have any questions about the task.
3. Explore the topic of your future essay.
It is almost impossible to compose an acceptable text about an unknown subject. Therefore, try to find time to explore the topic of your assignment and learn something new about it. In this case, your text will be substantial enough to be accepted by your professor.
4. Don't forget about the plan.
One of the basic things to do in the process of text creation is to make the outline. It is very difficult to work without a plan because the very structure of the text will be unclear. Remember that each essay should have a strict structure: an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. A detailed and well-structured outline will help you not to forget about it.
5. Create a thesis statement.
A thesis statement is an integral part of each essay, though some students don't have any idea what is it. Overall, a thesis statement is your point of view concerning the topic reflected in one short sentence, which is usually placed at the end of your introduction. The following body paragraphs will be used to prove your position.
6. Find good arguments for body paragraphs.
Everybody knows that a good essay should look substantial; therefore, it is necessary for you to find strong arguments to prove your point of view. Arguments are very important, especially if you write an argumentative or a persuasive essay; so, you need only strong ones. However, if you have two strong arguments and one weak point, it is all right. You should just order them from the strongest to the weakest one. In this case, the entire structure will still have the power of persuasion.
7. Write a conclusion.
Don't forget that your essay should have a conclusion as well. A text without its final part will look unfinished. To compose a good conclusion, you should just summarize all above-mentioned arguments and restate your thesis statement, that will be enough.
8. Find the time to revise your work.
Most students neglect revision, although this part is an obligatory, important step of essay completion. While revising your text, you may find different mistakes or typos spoiling the first impression. To avoid them, always try to find time for revisions in any situation. In addition, you may revise the work of your friend while he/she would revise yours – this will give you a fresh look at the text. Such an approach is considered the most effective.
Hopefully, by using these simple tips, you will be able to cope with any kind of essays.