The content on this page is adapted from the book, Keys to Academic Success: Strategies for unlocking your educational potential so you can spend less time studying and more time learning. To purchase a digital copy of the complete book, click here.
Many students may think that you are either born a good writer, or you aren’t. But the truth is that anyone can become a good writer with practice, and the more you practice writing, the more you may find that you actually enjoy it. In the meantime, here are a few strategies that will probably help.
Don’t Procrastinate
Good writing is generally not completed in a single night. Yes, I know that you or your friend have probably gotten an A on a writing assignment that was completed at the very last minute, however if you are honest you will admit that even if it did get a good grade, the assignment was probably not you or your friend’s best work. And it most definitely was not as good as it could have been if you had taken more time on the assignment. So do not put off your writing assignments until the night before they are due. Writing takes time. Not only the time to actually write and edit, but also the time to think about what to write.
Think Before You Write
Take the time to think though your topic and the outline of your paper in your head before you start writing anything down. This can save you time as you eliminate ideas that aren’t as good and hone in on the great ones. It can also help you to keep your overall goal for the paper in mind as you start writing so you can be sure to cover all areas you planned to cover. If you are concerned you might not remember everything you thought through, jot down some quick notes to refresh your memory, but keep them brief and don’t let the notes distract you from thinking.
Start Over
If you’ve started a paper but you can tell it requires a lot of editing, don’t be afraid to set it aside and begin again. While this might sound crazy at first, the writing you already completed allowed you to begin to think through and process the material and starting over will give you a chance to phrase it more clearly without feeling like you are limited by the previous sentence structures. You might just find that this approach ends up being more efficient and results in a better paper than if you’d spent hours editing the first draft.
Use an Editor
If you struggle with grammar or spelling, consider having a friend or family member who is a proficient writer edit your paper before you submit it. They will be able to catch minor mistakes you might have overlooked and allow your work to be graded on its content rather than loosing so many points for lack of clarity or technical errors. However, if you use an editor, don’t just have them make the corrections to your paper. Look at the corrections that they made so that you are able to learn from your mistakes and avoid making the same mistakes in the future.