Knowing how to write an effective essay is an essential skill for any university student, no matter what subject you study. However, high quality essay writing is a specialised skill and is not easy – it takes lots of practice! Luckily, the expert essay writers at Ivory Research have provided their top essay writing tips to help you write the perfect essay:
Plan, plan and plan some more
Everyone knows that tutors go on and on about the importance of planning your essay, but how many students actually know how to make an effective plan? Not enough is the answer! Planning is crucial to the essay writing process – putting your ideas on paper and getting them organised is the only way to know whether your topic is sufficient for the essay. There’s nothing worse than getting half way through an essay and having to abandon ship because you realise you haven’t planned properly. Planning will also allow you to get advice from your tutor which will also be a major help – so plan away!
Learn how to write a proper introduction and conclusion
It may seem simple, but so many students don’t know how to write a proper introduction and conclusion. However, these are crucial to a great essay – if the introduction is poor, you won’t get top marks. So it’s really important to get it right. Keep it simple – your introduction should state what you essay is arguing, how it will do so, and why this is important. Similarly, your conclusion must summarise what your essay has argued, how it has done so, and what this has contributed to the subject area. Just nail these simple points and you’re on to a winner.
Read far and wide
We get it – reading academic papers isn’t always the most exhilarating way to spend your time. However, it goes without saying that an essay can only be great if it shows that the writer has an extensive knowledge of the subject area. Start as early as possible – the more you read the better. Always look in the bibliography of papers and books for more sources – this is one of the best ways to discover less well-known sources and will score you extra marks. Make sure you reference all your sources properly and use enough quotes and in-text citations– you need to show you know you’re stuff and be able to back up your opinions with evidence.
Be original
Linking on from the last point, the best of essays are those that are original and make a genuine contribution to the subject area. Reading as much as possible will allow you to identify a gap in the current knowledge which can be filled by your essay. Don’t rely on just collecting existing information and rewording it – use your knowledge to produce your own ideas and arguments. The more original your essay, the higher it will score.
Get help/advice where you can
Although essay writingis generally an independent task, there is nothing wrong with seeking advice. This can come from a variety of different sources, including friends, colleagues and fellow students. However, you’re tutor will be your biggest help – book plenty of meetings, correspond with them as much as you can and never be afraid to ask. The more you keep your tutor informed, the better your chances of doing well. Another great source of advice is professional essay writers – these guys seriously know their stuff and get rave reviews!
Give the other side of the argument
This is another trap many students fall into – getting so into arguing their point that they forget to provide a contrasting point of view. While it is, of course, important to be assertive in your argument, you must demonstrate that you have properly researched and assessed the alternative view – this will show your depth of reading and knowledge and the strength of your argument. Because remember, an essay is just that – an argument – and no argument was ever one sided!
And don’t forget – leave some time for proofreading/editing
This is something a lot of students are guilty of and can happen for a number of reasons. For example, some students get so into writing their essay that they end up with no time to polish everything off ready for submission. On the other hand, some students are just lazy and can’t be bothered to do any editing. However, this is a crucial step – you won’t get a 1st unless your spelling and grammar is up to standard! Professional essay writers advise leaving at least a few days to go through your work and make the finished touches. It’s also really handy to get a fresh pair of eyes to look over the work in case you missed anything – this can be a fellow student or family or friend.