Set aside some time for planning your paper – perhaps 25%. Set aside the bulk of your time for writing it – maybe 50%. Put aside about 25% of your time for proofreading and editing your paper.
Most paper assignments will revolve around a single question that you’ll need to respond to – your prompt. Spend as much time as you can making sure you completely understand the prompt. Read the details of the assignment. For example, your instructor might have specified that you need to include a certain number of sources, meet a word limit, type in Times New Roman, and double space your paper. Make sure you follow these directions.
If your prompt is limited to one text, focus only on that text. However, you may need to conduct some research, especially if you need to incorporate support into your paper. In this case, do a quick search on academic databases, such as JSTOR, EBSCO, and Google Scholar. Quickly skim the results to improve your understanding of the text and find good quotes to cite in your paper. Be careful when choosing your keywords! Read topic sentences, and then allow your eyes to skim toward specific examples in whatever you are reading. Use a highlighter to help you move through the text quickly. If you’re allowed to rely on and cite outside information, look for Sparknotes, Shmoop, CliffNotes, book reviews, online articles, and other sources that can briefly explain the subject matter. [3] X Research source
Your thesis is typically one sentence that takes a clear stance on a specific argument. For example, if the paper prompt poses a question about the cause of the decline of the Roman Empire, a good thesis would state a specific cause, such as the Empire’s reliance on non-citizens in its army. Once you have a good thesis, write it out and keep it in front of you at all times. Your thesis is essentially your mission of the evening – prove it or fail.
If you need, take a minute to look up specific ideas or facts you may think of while brainstorming. If it helps, organize your ideas in a graphic manner. Link ideas and facts together with lines, or as if they are branches or leaves on a tree. [5] X Research source
It’s a good idea to write all of your topic sentences for your support paragraphs before you write your paper. This helps you understand where each paragraph should begin and end, which will make writing your paper easier. You should have a minimum of three support paragraphs. Every paragraph should have a mini-thesis/argument that supports the larger argument of your paper. This could be the same as your topic sentence.
Write a sentence or two addressing the subject of your paper. Restate the thesis. Instead of rewriting your thesis, reformulate it: “The Roman Empire’s overextended military was unable to defend its vast borders in Europe and Asia Minor. " Make a final appeal to the reader to believe what you’ve said. You may want to remind the reader of some of your most compelling evidence.
Use whatever citation method/standard your instructor requires. This could be MLA, APA, or Chicago, depending on the course.
If it is really late, you might want to just get a few hours of sleep and wake up very early to proof and edit your paper. If it is somewhat late, like around midnight, you may want to take a walk, watch a TV program, and get a cup of coffee before resuming work on your paper. If you’re really determined to get your paper done as soon as possible, take a half hour break and grab a cup of coffee and do some light exercise to get your juices flowing.
Do just one quick run-through to edit for clarity. For a standard 1,500-word paper, this might take 30 minutes. Your statements should be self-explanatory and make sense. Topic sentences should concisely describe the subject of the support paragraph. Your thesis statement should be apparent throughout the paper. A clear paper should flow and proceed in a logical manner. Pay special attention to missing transitions and lack of logical flow.
While proofreading might be your final step, it is perhaps the most important one – do not neglect it.
Quiet areas of your campus library. Don’t hang around the coffee shop or computers where people access social media. A coffee shop far from campus – where you won’t run into friends. Your bedroom or home office. Make sure to unplug your TV and let your roommates know you’re working.
Be careful drinking products like Eight Hour Energy. Don’t combine caffeinated products with prescription drugs. If you’re not into caffeine, consider hydrating yourself and exercising a little before and while you write. In addition to drinking lots of water, you could try adding lemon to your water, eating an apple, or increasing your protein intake. [12] X Research source
Take a break when it seems appropriate. If you’re on a roll writing and making a lot of progress, put your break off until you run out of steam.
Many high schools and colleges require that papers be run through a program to check for plagiarism. These programs can detect similarities to any text that’s appeared online or in a published book. Additionally, the program will check your work against other papers turned in by students, both currently and in years past. Plagiarism isn’t work the risk, as you’ll likely get caught.
Use a day planner to plan all of your course work. Write down due dates and other important information. Start your work at least two weeks ahead of time. Start researching when the paper is assigned, then begin outlining once your research is complete. [15] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC’s on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source
