How to Write Better Papers in College

What does it mean to create a quality essay, book review, research or term paper? Well, first, your project should convey your skills and knowledge in a concise, cohesive, and clear manner.

To cut the long story short, college-level essays, research papers, book reviews, and reports need to make a strong argument, support all claims, and lead the target audience to a logical conclusion based on the given facts. Crafting a quality assignment in college is a skill that you can learn, and here are some tips and tricks to help you polish your skill.

Always Have a Clear Thesis Statement

By using a single sentence, make sure to present your topic and your stance that will serve as your thesis statement. When you’re done with your research, this may seem impossible. Imagine you have to quickly explain what your research paper is about to your best friend or family member. Your point of view should be clear within your thesis statement. A solid thesis statement is where you sum up your argument. The rest of the details will come later in the body section of your project.

Build an Outline

A great essay or term paper flows logically from one paragraph to the other. If you make sure to create an outline before you get your hands on the writing process, it will be much easier to present information in a logical sequence. What is more, when you begin to write, you may unintentionally end up on a tangent. When you have an opportunity to compare your text to the outline, you will be able to see where you should fix something in order to get back on track.

Start from the End

When you know your topic and your thesis statement are in front of you, it’s time to discern the things your tutor will look for when grading the paper. In other words, you can start with the end in your mind, writing your piece on the basis of what you know the college tutor wants to see. In order to start from the end, you have to take the following steps:

  • Review your work critically

Take your time to check your work using a highlighter. Your task here is to make notes and highlight the main issues that your tutor would like to see.

  • Come up with an anchor sentence

When you’re aware of what your tutor would like to see in your work, make sure to come up with one sentence reference that you will get back to whenever you’re stuck with the writing process.

  • Consider your gaps

Create a list of four weaknesses and strengths that you have in your work. It is important for you to be aware of all the pitfalls and confident about your strong points.
This point should take no more than fifteen minutes. As a result, you will save some precious time later, while the writing process will get less challenging.

 

Write the Intro and Conclusion Last

Coming up with a hooking intro is one of the biggest obstacles that students face when they write college papers. College students tend to think, “How can I introduce the topic if I’m just about to write my papers? I haven’t even created anything yet!”

That is why you should stay away from the intro until you have accomplished the body section. It’s no doubt that this technique may seem a bit contradicting but the reality is that it really works. This method will help you avoid the following scenario: you did your best to create your paper, and suddenly you realize your intro has nothing to do with the content of it.

The same rule can be applied to the concluding part. Work on it when you’re done with the whole project. After all, how can you draw logical conclusions when you haven’t finished the writing part yet?

Quality Over Quantity

If your college project is supposed to have from six to seven pages, you may be tempted to produce a piece of writing that comprises eight or nine pages. After all, more pages will demonstrate how responsively you undertake your assignment, right?

No. Every college and university professor will tell you that s/he prefers reading a good essay that includes three pages over a so-so paper that contains six pages. The reality is that most topics do not need more than five pages. If you try to provide more, you may end up with a blurred argument.

Once you know this, you will never try to write more than your tutor requires you to. Not only will you waste your precious time, but you will 100% get lower grades. Undoubtedly, your project has to be of the best quality for this to work.

Look for Help When You’re Stuck

More often than not, students find themselves thinking, “I need a professional writer to help me write my paper” when they’re struggling with any part of an academic assignment. If you need good advice on the specifics of writing a term paper, an essay, or coursework, approaching online writers for advice can help. We do not suggest getting anyone to write your papers for you, but there is no harm in taking advice from writers and specially essay writers. Competent and dedicated writers can guide you through the writing process and help you cope with an academic paper of any complexity level, regardless of the deadline.

At the end of the day, working on a college project is still a lot of hard work. However, if you follow the tips in this article, you will cope with your task faster and without a loss of quality.