10 Assignment Writing Tips That Make Writing Easier
It’s always hard to write academic papers from scratch. For some people it’s hard to even start. But don’t worry, our assignment writing tips will make it easier for you to cope with your writing tasks, thus also allowing you to get higher grades.
Why our assignment writing tips make a difference
There are a lot of articles on what assignment writing tips to use when working on an academic paper, but most of them concentrate on the process of writing itself. However, the result you get also depends on preparations before the writing process starts and on the action you take once your work is complete. Our assignment writing tips will guide you through all the stages of getting your assignment done!
#1: Keep an eye on the deadline
Let’s be honest: not all of us can start working on an academic assignment in advance. For some people it’s easier to figure out the minimal amount of time they need for a particular task and work for several days straight in haste without getting a breather – and they still deliver the assignment on time. If you are one of the people who cannot bring themselves to start working early – don’t. No need to exhaust yourself with tips you won’t be able to follow. Just remember the amount of time you usually spend on the writing process of an assignment like this and give yourself an extra hour – or an extra day, depending on the size of the task. That’s not much, but you will thank yourself for that bit of additional time when the deadline comes.
#2: Look for samples (and inspiration)
This is one of the most essential tips for assignment writing process. Before you start working on your assignment, you should look for samples of texts on the same topic. Of course, you cannot base your own paper on someone else’s work, but you can find some interesting concepts and ideas that may inspire you to write about them from your own point of view or that are worth covering from a different angle.
#3: Prepare the sources
When writing an assignment, you need to have reliable sources prepared beforehand. Everybody knows that it would be not very smart to list Wikipedia as a source for your research paper, but there are also other, more subtle guidelines and requirements on what will be considered a trustworthy source and what will not. Sometimes these requirements vary from one college to another, so you should probably consult your teacher before choosing the sources for your work. You should be particularly careful when it comes to online sources – these are going to get reviewed stricter than offline sources like printed monographs and scientific magazines.
#4: Brainstorm for 5 minutes
Start writing your assignment with a short brainstorm. Make sure there are no distractions, set an alarm and try to concentrate on the topic of your assignment for 5 minutes straight. Don’t let your mind wander away from the theme and trust the process: even if it seems that you can’t think of anything worthy for the first few minutes, when the time is up, you might end up with all the arguments and counter-arguments for the assignment listed either in your mind or in the Google Docs before you. The trick is that in their mind people rarely stay on one topic for the whole 5 minutes – our brain jumps from one thought to another, without giving us an opportunity to really dive into the thinking process. But if you really try to concentrate on one thing only, you’ll get amazing results.
#5: Line up the structure
No matter what kind of assignment you are dealing with – an essay, a book review, a thesis paper – you should always start by lining up the structure of your work. This tip works wonders, because the structure of the assignment is worth half of it. The understanding of your structure allows you to create smooth transitions from one fact to another, from an argument to a counter-argument. When the structure is defined, you know exactly what you are going to write about as well as what the beginning and ending will be. That will allow you to get your thoughts together and stick to the plan while writing an assignment.
#6: Fill in the gaps
When you’ve written the body of your assignment, you should pause and take a look at it before you decide to end your writing process. Does one argument look shorter than the others? Are there any paragraphs that have a weaker wording? Are any of the points you’ve made missing a quote or an example to back them up? Or do you suddenly realize that the transition you’ve made from one argument to the other doesn’t look that smooth? Now it’s a good time to fill in the gaps, add up all necessary information and broaden the paragraphs.
#7: Introduction and conclusion come last
When you’re done with the main part of writing your assignment, you can finally get to the introduction and conclusion. It seems only logical to write a conclusion at the very end, while postponing the introduction might look a bit odd to you. But the reason why an introduction should be written after you’ve covered all the important points in your work is also pretty rational: when you know exactly what content you should point forward to, it’s much easier to include it all in an introduction as well as to pick the overall tone of the work.
#8: Proofread the text
Never underestimate the importance of proofreading. You should always check your grammar and your formatting. Even when your subject has nothing to do with linguistics or literature, the way you’ve written and formatted your assignment might take up a substantial part of your grade. Besides, when in a hurry, it’s very easy to make a mistake and spell some words in a wrong way, or even replace them by similar words without noticing it. So make sure to leave at least some time to proofread your assignment before you submit it.
#9: Keep your academic style in check
When you are passionate about the subject while writing your assignment and really enjoy the process, it brings both pros and cons to your writing. The good thing about it is that your assignment will probably be one of the most interesting ones among those written by your peers. The bad thing is that you might get carried away and get way too informal in style, slipping in some slang or making your assignment into a journalistic article. It might become much more entertaining to read in general, but, unfortunately, it’s highly dubious that your teacher will give you the credit you would deserve as a journalist. You should pay attention and make your style as neutral and academic as possible. Which doesn’t mean that you should overсomplicate your writing – it still should be concise and easy to perceive.
#10: Put your assignment away for an hour and then reread it.
This is more of a bonus trick, because many students finish up their assignments five minutes before the deadline and send them right in. But if you manage to get yourself some extra time between the moment you finish the essay and the moment you need to send it in, you have time for this hack. All you need to do is to put your assignment away for an hour after you finish it. Go relax by doing something completely unrelated to studies – watch a Netflix show, chat with your friends – and then return to reread your paper. This way you will be able to check it with a clear mind. Getting some rest before the final review might give you a new perspective both on the assignment structure and the words you chose to express yourself. Of course, if the deadlines are tight it’s better not to make any major changes – because that just might ruin what you’ve written already. But it’s always possible to polish your assignment a bit to get it better.
The process of writing the assignment can be overwhelming, especially when it’s the end of the semester and students get flooded with assignments they need to write in different subjects. So if you are surrounded by multiple writing assignments and feeling anxious about whether you’ll manage to get them all done on time, you can rely on us. Fill in the order form now and let us take care of your assignment for you!