Writing an essay is easy. Right? Well, not so much. University writing has high standards that are sometimes challenging to achieve, and with all the pressure and fear of falling behind, understanding where to start can be a daunting task. We’ve got a small guideline to help you write your university papers better if you study abroad.
Finding the compass
So, you’ve got to write a real essay from scratch for your strict professor, and you can sense dread when even thinking about it. Don’t panic.
Read the instructions
Usually, when students see the paper instructions, they feel pressured to think immediately and get lost in the long list of requirements. Don’t do that; start slowly. Skim the whole instructions page or pages and gain a general understanding of how much time you may need to understand what’s going on.
If you require a lot of time, go and get a cup of coffee. First, study the main idea of the paper. How many pages should you write? What should you do? Does your professor want you to persuade, reflect, analyze, summarize, or present information?
After you get the main idea, you can dive into details. Don’t worry and think of it without emotions; be objective. Once you have the whole picture in mind, you will feel more comfortable with the thought.
Consult your professors
Your advisor can offer your assistance if you’ve got some questions left. Your educator is the leading college expert you can trust, so you can reach out to them for help. Don’t ask questions like, “What do I have to do?” or, “How to write the essay?”. Ask smart and specific questions and don’t hesitate to admit that you don’t know something.
Get inspiration
If you’ve decided to write a paper, get inspiration and collect the information you need to gain an idea of what you should do. Ask your peers or university professors to share good samples with you, or look for them online. However, there’s a risk that you’ll get something of less than top quality.
If you’re still feeling stuck, you can order a personalized paper at professional writing service, like CustomWritings for processing your “write essays for me” request. Such academic writing services offer academic support to students from the UK, USA, and other English-speaking countries.
Many companies provide custom writing services and have great experience working with different customers. They will be more than happy to help you buy an assignment as a sample you can consult with.
Structure
Most essays start to scare students when it comes to structuring the work. If you don’t have any idea of the work structure, this section will be helpful for you.
General facts
Each essay consists of the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Introduction and conclusion shouldn’t be too long: about 10% of the paper is okay. The golden rule is to dedicate one paragraph to one topic. This way, your writing will be well organized. Just take a piece of paper and scribble a small outline with an introduction, conclusion, and main topics you want to discuss.
Paragraph structure
Your instructions have mentioned the word count already, so you can count how much information you have written in every paragraph. Extract the number of words for introduction and conclusion and leave the rest for your body paragraphs. Then, divide the word count by the number of sections, and you’ll get the approximate number of words per paragraph so that they could look relatively equal.
Topic sentence
Each paragraph has a topic sentence that tells the reader of its main idea. The next sentences have to show the writer’s idea and support the claim.
Thesis statement
A thesis statement is one of the most essential features of your work because it answers the question posed by the author. However, many writers find it really difficult to make it sound compelling. Write a thesis statement when you’re already done with everything else.
For example, if you’ve been writing about global warming, say something like that, “The main causes of global warming are burning fossil fuels, overpopulation, and farming.” Don’t write as if you’re only going to give an answer in the paper, though. Give it in the thesis.
Introduction and conclusion
The introduction has to lead your reader to the problem you intend to present, and the conclusion outlines the already made arguments and allows the reader to understand why this issue is important.
Usually, they don’t have quotes or new information. However, the introduction can have a hook to grab the reader’s attention.
Choose sources
Support is the central aspect of your writing because it makes your paper reliable and trustworthy. Every good writer collects the information before formulating an argument. The worst thing you can do is create an opinion about something and find zero evidence. So, begin by searching for the information online or at the university library.
Scholarly sources
- Peer-reviewed articles
- Books published by universities or official organizations
- Websites with reliable domains
Remember: always keep your essay entirely original. You can use the information from the sources but paraphrase and quote the material that is not your own. There are many free peer-reviewed research works on the internet.
Google Scholar is one commonly used source for locating journal articles. You can also rely on some paid sources, like EBSCOhost, JSTOR, and Project Muse. If your instructions require you to use the university library, make sure to get all information to access it.
Check your language
When writing a review on your paper, your professor will probably make a great emphasis on the language. There is a significant difference between formal and informal lexicon, and many people unfamiliar with academic writing make common mistakes. So, what are the basics?
- Be objective. Always be unbiased and try not to influence your reader’s emotions.
- Do not use contractions. Using contractions is a norm in informal writing, but formal writing requires using the full form of your words.
- Unbiased language. Don’t use words that would show any type of prejudice and always refer to people without gendered language.
- Avoid emotional language. In academic style, most writers try not to sound too emotional, aside from reflection essays.
- Avoid too simple words. Oversimplifying sounds too unofficial, especially for a university student.
You’re ready now
Now you know how to write the best essays and better understand what you’re doing. Make sure to plan ahead and use this simple list to feel more comfortable with university writing. Studying abroad please remember: the more you write, the better your texts become.