Over the course of my education I have figured out that what I lack in STEM skills, I make up for in writing. I began my journalist career well within my prime; the 7th grade.
Since then, I have enjoyed a lengthy stint on my high school’s yearbook staff, ran around the city reporting for my college newspaper, The Loyola Phoenix, and now spend my hours behind a laptop scrupulously editing copy and client emails for Inigo Communications. I know how to write and write well. It’s not a brag. It’s just a result of endless hours of essays, research papers and proposals.
Because of my expertise, I’ve become somewhat of a local authority on essay writing. I’ve received plenty of requests to edit and restructure papers from my siblings, roommates and friends alike. I’m always happy to do so.
Knowing that online school must be particularly difficult for young students, especially considering how frustrating Zoom class is for a 21-year-old, I have decided to collect my advice here. Follow my directions, which have been carefully cultivated over years of tedious assignments. You should find that not only does your grade improve, but it takes half the time.
Step 1: The Outline — Every time I write a paper, I begin with an outline. This outline is meant to structure and collect my thoughts in a way that will make actually writing the paper a whole lot easier. I start with a thesis and introduction, conclusion, and 4 main ideas with bullet points for citations under each. Each main idea represents a set of paragraphs. Unlike the “pillars of a house” model that most high schooler’s are familiar with, I like to think of them as a chain. Every paragraph should connect to the next in a logical display of evidence to conclusion. Alter the number of paragraphs or main ideas according to the length and comprehensiveness of the essay assignment.
Step 2: Thesis and Conclusion — The thesis and conclusion should mirror one another. You should begin with a question and have that question answered by means of your main ideas. Don’t spend too long on your thesis. It should give you a general direction for the argument, but you’ll want to modify it as you go. Check out Purdue’s Writing Lab for tips on writing a thesis statement.
Step 3: Topic Sentences — The most important thing to keep in mind as you write your topic sentences is that each one should tie back to your thesis. Each topic sentence should be written like an argument. Say you’re writing your research paper on “why bears like honey.” The topic sentence for your first paragraph and argument, which is to discuss its deliciousness, should look like “First, honey is delicious, which makes it an attractive snack for a bear.” After writing the topic sentences, the thesis and the conclusion, read them through like a paper. If you could turn that paper in having made an argument despite the lack of evidence, than you have accomplished a stellar outline.
Step 4: Citations — As much as citations feel like pulling teeth, they are important to your argument and to your credibility as a writer. Do the citations before you begin writing. Trust me, it’s a headache to go through your paper after it’s written and attempt to plug in citations where needed. You’ll likely miss a couple and end up with a plagiarism charge. Yikes. Go through your research and sort out the evidence you want to use under each paragraph. Easybib is a fantastic website for creating citations.
Step 5: Copy – Now its time to fill in the additional material you need to achieve that “A” and the page length requirement. This part should be easy considering all the work you did to prep. Make sure that any additional sentence is worth your time and effort. It should build on your argument. Fluff, or sentences that add no value, are a waste of time and a distraction from your work.
Step 6: Edit, Edit, Edit — Go over your paper once, twice, three times. Read it out loud to yourself. Have a friend or mentor read it for you. Nothing disappoints a professor more than a grammatical error.
Some Additional Advice
1. Don’t use the passive voice! If you can finish the sentence with “from zombies” than you have trespassed into the horrid fog of passive voice! It’s not “I was scratched by zombies.” It’s “those zombies scratched me!”
2. Eliminate commas and reintroduce yourself to simple sentences. Where you can take out a comma, do it. Your sentences should be no longer than two lines. If I get out of breath reading your paper, you’ve already lost me and your audience.
3. There’s no place for qualifiers in academia. Don’t discount yourself. You are making an argument, stand by it. Forget the words “probably,” and “kind of.” You’ve done the analysis, now show it off.
4. Use APA style unless told otherwise. APA style is one of the most common style guides for social sciences. It’s best to get used to it. Even if the professor does not specify a style, it always helps to have a sleek presentation. Win the brownie points where you can. There’s nothing more satisfying than a clean title page.