Tips on Writing a College Essay

Writing a college essay doesn’t have to create sweaty palms or take tons of your time. You can learn to get your thoughts written down and organized more quickly. Below are some tips for getting it down and done.

Run your grammar and spellchecker – but remember that these editing tools are not mistake proof!

Get It Started

• On your computer, create a new document, then title and save it in a file.
• Slap a working title on the top of the first page. Add your name, the date due, professor, and course title.
• Scroll down and create a bibliography/works cited header.

Get It Down

• Before you do any research of any kind, go back to the top of the first page and write down everything (everything!) you know about the topic. This is a critical step in jumpstarting your essay or paper. Include all your opinions, any facts or quotes you can recall, and any opinions you have heard from others (Be sure to give them appropriate credit in the final draft).
• Now write down everything pertaining to the topic that you don’t know. Write out any questions you have or things you would like to know about this topic.
• Under the bibliography/works cited header, jot down a list of potential sources (books, people, websites, etc.) of answers to your questions.

Progress Check

• At this point you are not concerned with grammar, spelling, order of paragraphs, opening sentences, clever language, or conclusions. Don’t take time to correct anything or erase anything at this time. That comes later. You just want to get everything down. You may be surprised at how much you have written down at this point.

Save It

• Save your text file early and often. Back it up.
• As you do further research and add new information to the text you have created, do not erase any of your original writing. Just cut it, then paste it at the bottom of the document. Those earlier thoughts, ideas, and sources may come in handy right up to the end.
• As ideas come to you throughout the day or night, email them to yourself. This text can be pasted into your paper later.

Beat Writer’s Block

• If you can’t think of what to write next, keep writing anyway. Write similar to this: “I can’t think of what to say next about __________. I have writer’s block because I can’t think of how to expand or explain __________…” Keep it going. Ask yourself in writing why you can’t expand or explain further. Typing your thought processes will keep your mind going, and eventually ideas should start to pop. Later, you can just delete any garbage you typed.

Get It Organized

• Start putting all your data into a logical sequence. A luxury of the computer age is being able to cut and paste quickly.
• Check for gem paragraphs, facts, and phrases from your first “Get It Down” draft.
• Now is the time to make the language flow well and speak powerfully.
• And you can now delete anything that’s truly garbage. But save in a new file anything that could be used for a future essay – you may never have those same thoughts again!
• Make sure all quotes and facts are appropriately attributed and documented.

Final Checks

• Run your grammar and spellchecker – but remember that these editing tools are not mistake proof!
• Print out your essay and read it out loud to spot obvious errors and awkward language.
• Have a smart friend or professor read your essay. Encourage them to be brutally honest.
• Edit as necessary.
• All done!