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How to Ace Your College Essay

If you ask a student whether they like to write a college essay, the answer will most likely be no. And that’s quite reasonable. First of all, writing is not everyone’s cup of tea. Second of all, even if you do love writing, academic writing is very demanding and often doesn’t allow for creativity.

That’s why many students ask experts to write essay for me to spare their time and effort. Still, knowing how to write a good college essay is a skill that most students will need. Below, you will find seven tips on how to write an essay that deserves an A shared by a professional DoMyEssay writer. Let’s dive in!

Start With Instructions

Though a piece of rather obvious advice, many students just skim through the task description without properly reading it. But giving it a thorough look-through can help you ace the assignment even before you start your college essay.

Most of the time, the instructions from your professor include specific prompts or comments on what side of an argument you should be on or what stance you must take. So, make sure you read it well and pay attention to negation in the prompt you were given. It is very easy to miss NO or NOT in it.

Develop an Outline

Having a framework, even a general one, for your future essay is very beneficial. First, it helps you stay on track and stick to the main subject. Additionally, when you work on an outline, you keep your notes and sources organized, which will significantly help you with citations later on.

You don’t have to make your outline very elaborate. Determining the basic structure is enough.

Do Research

Most likely, you won’t be going to the library to find information for your essay. And with the Internet, there is no need to do so. Still, when selecting sources for your paper online, make sure each is reliable and provides only reputable information.

You can use Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic, Science.gov, and other similar educational search engines for your research. This way, you can be sure your search results will be filled with specialized literature and peer-reviewed material.

You can use both primary and secondary sources in your college essay. The key thing to remember is to have enough evidence, examples, and supporting points for your thesis statement.

While researching, highlight the information you think you might want to use once you start writing. It will help you locate it much faster.

Write Your Essay

There is no one rule that fits all regarding writing itself. For example, some experts recommend writing an essay in one sitting and then returning to it the next day to polish it. And some suggest writing it section by section. However, our advice is to write it as it feels right to you.

If you feel like completing the whole paper in one go, you are definitely welcome to do so. If you want to spread your assignment out a little, consider taking on an entirely different activity between writing sessions to let your mind rest.

When you write your piece, stick to the outline you made earlier. If necessary, add new information as you go. Do not try to edit your essay while still writing. Leave this task for the end.

Use a Citation Tool

Once your college essay is finished, you need to make a reference list and add citations to the text. You can either do it by hand or use one of the many bibliography and citation tools that can do all the work for you. 

Such tools can save you a lot of time. It is also worth mentioning that a good citation generator will cite all your sources in any style you need. So, be sure to take advantage of this. Some of the most popular apps are BibMe, EasyBib, Mendeley Cite, etc.

Edit Your Piece

Proofreading and editing your essay is probably the most responsible task. You need to ensure the cohesiveness of your writing, the validity of your arguments, and the absence of mistakes.

To do so, read through each paragraph several times, each time focusing on checking a different aspect. Then, once you are done with all the paragraphs, read the whole essay from the end to the beginning. It will allow you to spot any inconsistencies in the logic of your writing and the contents. 

If possible, read your essay out loud to a friend or a parent. They can notice things you might have missed or share an outside opinion to help you improve your text.

Use a Grammar Checker

Once you are done editing manually, it is time to use a grammar checker. It is another irreplaceable tool modern technology allows you to take advantage of. A grammar checker will help you make your essay flawless.

In the first place, use it to check your text for grammar and spelling mistakes. Afterward, you can rely on the tool’s suggestions to improve the clarity and readability of your essay. Apps like Grammarly, Hemingway, ProWritingAid, etc., provide suggestions for you to ensure that your text has the correct tone and targets the right audience.

To Sum Up

Here you have it! These simple yet effective tips will help you stay on top of your essay writing game. Just make sure you use them all.