How Students Can Upgrade Their Essay-Writing Skills
Academic writing is an integral part of a college education. Yet, it can be challenging for many students as it requires an advanced set of skills. It takes practice and effort to master all the ins and outs. But with the right motivation, every student can do it.
Tips on Developing Academic Writing Skills
The first thing to remember is that you do not have to be a writer to complete an excellent essay. The focus here is more on the thesis statement, clear objective, and strong arguments. However, professors evaluate and analyze all the factors that signify the quality of work. Those are:
- Research;
- Sources used;
- Thesis statement;
- Arguments;
- Narration and style;
- Grammar and punctuation;
- Formatting;
- Structure;
- Persuasiveness, etc.
So if you want to become better at academic writing, it is crucial to work on all aspects holistically. Here are the best tips on what students can do to achieve that.
Read Essays
Although this might sound obvious, to be a good writer, one needs to be a good reader. This is one of the best ways to adopt vocabulary, understand the style, and get into the specific rhythm of a formal tone.
And cooperation with experienced academic authors is another immense learning opportunity. They can deliver expert advice on topics you are interested in and showcase various intricacies that go into crafting a strong assignment. Also, you can be assured that the examples you find on such a platform are of the highest quality.
- style,
- delivery,
- transition,
- quotations,
- vocabulary,
- grammar, etc.
When you read an essay, think of what makes it good. How were the arguments presented? How did the author transition from one paragraph to another? What made this conclusion strong? Think of what you can adopt from these examples into your work.
Expand Vocabulary
To feel more confident with words, you need to have an extended vocabulary. In this case, this concerns the formal tone and all its specifics.
This doesn’t mean you have to use the most complicated terms in your papers. The goal is to use just the right terms to be clear and straightforward. Also, it is important to eliminate any jargon, slang, or informal phrases.
To enrich your vocabulary, you can read more peer-reviewed and scientific sources. Also, one can look through synonyms via tools like Thesaurus to find the suitable one. A good tool to learn more about styles of narration is Grammarly, for instance.
Work on Mechanics
This includes structure, organization, punctuation, grammar, spelling, clarity, etc. All of those things make it easier or harder to deliver an idea or an argument. It can be more complicated for those who have English as their second language, as there are a lot of nuances when it comes to flow or spelling.
If you feel like you struggle in one of these aspects, it might be a valid idea to take on a course or online program focusing on this matter. There might be some programs or clubs devoted to writing on campus.
Brush on your grammar knowledge as well. This is essential because when you are confident in mechanics, you do not spend much time concentrating on it. This way, you can build a strong argument on top of it instead of worrying about passive or active voice (opt for active voice in academic writing).
Write Regularly
There is nothing better than practice when it comes to developing skills. Make it a habit of yours to write a bit every day.
This doesn’t have to be a full essay or case study. But it can be a small piece where you have a goal, objective, and limited volume to dwell on them. Even journaling or a diary will be useful. This helps with the fear of the blank page and the anxiety that comes with the beginning. Also, it makes you more confident with words.
Adopt Structured Approach
Creating your own approach to essays can be a huge help. It ensures you do all the steps correctly and know where to start and finish. This may include the step-by-step workflow of doing an assignment and outlines for papers.
For example, you can divide the task into:
- Analyze the prompt and define the question;
- Choose a topic for your paper;
- Conduct research with notes;
- Formulate the thesis statement;
- Write the introduction;
- Complete the main body;
- Finish with the conclusion;
- Proofread grammar and spelling;
- Reread for logical flow, clarity, and style;
- Make edits;
- Check the formatting;
- Submit the assignment.
This is a basic yet effective way to approach the project. Everything is separated into small and actionable tasks with a transparent goal. It doesn’t look so intimidating, and you can do one thing at a time.
It is amazing to have some time to clear your head after you are done with the first draft of the paper. Take a break for an hour or two to gain a fresh perspective. Always leave enough time for edits and proofreading. Using grammar-checking tools is useful, but you still need to do it manually as well because no algorithm is perfect.
In Summary
Academic writing can be intimidating for students. But as with any other skill, it can be mastered with time and practice. Become an avid reader, expand your vocabulary, and write more. Also, create a systematic and organized approach to such projects.
How Students Can Upgrade Their Essay-Writing Skills
