6 min
3
10.04.2022
Now, when you left a high school behind and are about to make your first steps toward higher education and career, you can't just ignore assignments when you aren't really excited about them. But it doesn't mean that you should forget about your friends, hobbies, and personal life. Just try to develop some good habits that will make your studies easier. We are ready to help you along this way!
Before You Start Working on Your Writing Tasks
Don't think that you can just start writing, and that's it. This strategy may work for some easy tasks, but when you deal with a research paper, case study, or lab report, the prewriting stage is the key.
There are some steps you should make before you take the pen in your hand.
Check the Instructions
First of all, you should understand what exactly does your professor want to receive from you. Don't think that you remember what he or she said in the class, our memory can distort reality. Always start with reading the requirements to understand the type of academic paper, its topic, number of pages, format, deadline, and other details.
There are academic assignments when your professor wants you to write a paper from scratch: to develop the strategy, find information, build your own arguments, etc. Or your teacher may ask you to come up with a document on the specific topic when you need to defend a particular point of view (even if you don't actually support it). There may be different scenarios depending on your academic level, discipline, and other criteria, so always start with checking the instructions.
Plan Your Time
Now, when you know what kind of assignment you deal with, you can plan your schedule. It is a crucial mistake (though typical for most students) to wait until the last night before the deadline. Things go easier when you have manageable milestones that don't let you feel overloaded.
Try to be realistic about your plans. It makes no sense to schedule an academic writing session at 7 a.m. when you'd rather be dreaming about an extra hour of sleep. Think about your productivity hours and you'll get better results.
Good time management skills also reduce your anxiety because you take control of all tasks and you have no reason to panic.
Ask For Assistance (if You Need It)
It is great if you reading this article just to gain some useful insights and change your study habits. But what if you have the deadline in a day, and you're looking for a magic pill? Well, now it is too late to set milestones and organize brainstorming sessions. It is better to ask for assignment help from a professional writing company.
Writing services are pretty popular these days, so buying an assignment you shouldn't feel guilty or something like that. Just try to think about all this stuff in advance, when you have options and are not required to make the choice instantly.
Get Prepared For the Writing Process
Before you get your feet wet, it can help to ensure you have everything to feel confident and focus on your paper. So, consider these stages:
- Use all available sources to find the information. Look through your course material, check online sources, visit the college library. You can ask your professor whether one can provide you with some ideas where you can find more information.
- Outline your paper. You can detail it as you like but it is necessary to have the basic structure: with introduction points, your thesis statement, and key arguments, planned conclusion, etc. It would be a good idea to use sticky notes to write down your ideas because they help you to stay flexible and rearrange the structure elements.
- Ensure the atmosphere is inspiring. You need a space to study because the cozy sofa definitely can't be a good idea. If you don't have a working place at home, think about working from the library. You need a comfortable desk and chair, good lighting, enough stationary.
During the Writing Process
Writing skills are necessary regardless of your major. When you're pursuing higher education, you don't just get a profession, you gain critical thinking, an analytical mindset, ability to work with different sources.
Introduction
Each good assignment starts with a hooking introduction. It is your only chance to attract the readers' attention, so try to come up with an interesting topic sentence to introduce your point of view.
Some students find it easier to write this section after they've finished the whole paper. Give it a try!
Body Paragraphs
It is the part where you should include the main points of your content, and support them with some evidence. You can use stats, quotes, examples, etc.
This section should be well-structured so that your readers don't feel confused. Pay attention to each paragraph: they should have their own main ideas but it is also necessary to ensure that all of them support your initial thesis statement.
Wrap Up
The conclusion chapter is the place where you summarize the key points and motivate your readers to some actions, e.g. find more information on this topic, change their mindset or habits, or get inspired for new researches.
Of course, it is essential to understand that your content is highly dependent on the paper type. The cause and effect essay's conclusion can't be the same as the lab report's one. These documents have different purposes, and it is important to show that you understand them. Professors appreciate not just creative writing and flawless literacy, they want you to be appropriate.
Once You Have Your Writing Assignment Finished
Don't think that all is over as soon as you write the last word and put a dot. Now you have a material to work with, and sometimes this work can be longer and harder than the writing itself.
There are some additional tips that will help you to ensure you're ready to deliver the draft:
- Take a pause. If you've managed your schedule well, you have some time to get a little distance. It is necessary to recharge your brain so that it is fresh when you read your assignment again. You'll spot typos, errors, weak arguments, and other issues to fix. Don't be afraid to cut text out if you understand it doesn't make your paper more powerful.
- Make sure your document meets the requirements. Read your instructions one more time to understand if you missed something. It goes about the main question, formatting styles, (MLA, APA, etc.), referencing, number of pages, and so on. Look through each paragraph attentively.
- Check your content for plagiarism. It is important to follow academic integrity principles so try to avoid copying and paraphrasing someone else's content. You can find some free tools online to ensure your document is unique.
The final thing we want you to remember is pretty simple: practice makes better. You may hate writing when you're forcing yourself, but the more you work on your assignments, the more you like them. Try to find your own motivation and write with passion. It works!