How to Create a Good Essay in a Few Hours
It's crunch time. You had a busy week, and now that essay you've been putting off is due later this afternoon. You woke up ready to work, but you're still worried. Breathe. You can get it done with a couple of easy tips.
Make Realistic Expectations and Create a Game Plan
- What do you know already?
- What do you have done already?
- What are the requirements of the essay?
- What resources do you have?
- What do you need to do to get the job done?
When you start an essay a mere couple of hours before your paper is due, you have to analyze what you can realistically do in that time. Examine your situation:
The last question is the big one. If you have to write a paper on a topic you have zero information on, you know you have to spend a lot of your time on research. You may get points off for your writing if you spend half of your time researching and the other half writing quickly. You're bound to make mistakes. But, that's better than writing a grammatically correct essay with no content. Focus on what you have to say FIRST. Then make the essay sound pretty.
Leave the Introduction and Conclusion for the End
There's a simple reason for this: these are the least important parts of your paper. You want your paper to focus on what you have to say. You want to give yourself the time to write down your main points and your support. And, to be frank, the introduction and conclusion are the easiest parts of the paper to bullshit and use as filler if need be in the final half hour/ hour.
Create Your Outline
No. Not an actual outline. That requires time that you don't have. A rough outline. Write your topic sentences. If the paper is on why you believe that we need to make gay marriage legal throughout the United States, your first goal is to think up your main points and write them down as the beginning of different paragraphs. One paragraph could be on the unfair atrocities gays have faced in the past, one could be on how America has a history of liberty that our oppressive laws don't support, and one could be on how the opposition's points lack validity.
Fill in the Blanks
Now that you have your topic sentences, fill in the rest. Explain each point with examples. Make them as detailed as possible without repeating yourself or using extraneous words to fulfill a word count.
Do NOT Forget to Proofread
When you are writing quickly, you are going to make mistakes. It's inevitable. Sure, you know basic grammar. You may not know how to write in this proper grammar when you are also staring at the clock. Also, grammar is an important part of any essay grade. While you may not have allowed yourself the luxury of correcting yourself as well as you'd like, always make time to read through your essay a couple times to look for errors. And when you do this, keep specific error in mind. Don't just read your paper and look for general errors. Look for misplaced commas, unintentional past tense, and passive voice. When you are looking for something specific, you have a better chance of finding it
