How to Write an Academic Essay in the Shortest Time?
Sometimes, you get an urgent essay writing assignment that you are supposed to complete within the given timeframe. Students have a habit of putting off their assignments until the final submission day. As a result, you end up writing an essay that does not pass the professor's expectations.
Whether you are preparing yourself for the essay writing competition in your school or completing the academic essay writing assignment that was long pending, it is possible to craft a perfect piece in a short amount of time. Make sure that an essay written at the last moment cannot be as perfect as the content that you could have taken days to complete. But luckily, we have compiled a list of tips you can follow to write a decent last-minute essay that could at least help you to score good (if not excellent) grades. Let's begin the process of writing an academic essay in the shortest time.
1. Create a Plan
Even if you have 24 hours to complete the long academic essay, you can do that with proper planning. The first step to crafting a good essay is planning. How much time is left until the submission day? How many hours can you invest in research? What are your weaknesses and strength?
If you are good at writing, schedule 2-3 hours for the writing part and spend the rest of the time on difficult parts. For example, you must schedule extra time for conducting research, coming up with a perfect thesis statement, collecting sources and evidence, editing, and proofreading.
2. Consider the Essay Prompt
Of course, you heard the topic of the essay when the professor assigned it to the students. But, it is always better to double-check the prompt before getting started with the writing. You don't want to complete your last-minute essay only to discover that your content doesn't match the topic.
Understanding the prompt will help you in brainstorming. Furthermore, you will find it easier to conduct research on the given topic and write quickly. First of all, you should understand what the essay prompt requires. Are you asked to provide a summary of the particular problem? Do you have to analyze the situation? Does the prompt ask you to favor the argument or write against it?
3. Choose Thesis Statement
The thesis statement is the main point of your essay. You have to prove the thesis with appropriate evidence and examples. A good thesis statement is the one that exposes the main areas your essay focuses on. It should be around 2-3 lines. Try to make your thesis statement as easy and informative as possible. The entire essay depends on the thesis. Hence, you must invest some time in writing a good thesis that captures the attention of readers.
4. Research the Topic
Once you are done writing the thesis, it is time to focus on the research part. Basically, the body of the essay is divided into certain paragraphs. As it is an academic essay, each paragraph must start with an introductory line. You have to use the proper evidence to prove the statement.
You can either find this evidence through research or use the available sources. As you are running short on time, we suggest the accessible sources for evidence. You can find books, newspapers, magazines, and other articles in the library to construct the body of your essay with the correct evidence. Make sure that you use reliable sources, instead of personal blogs and biased articles. Weak evidence cannot prove your thesis. That's the reason why you should dedicate more time to research.
5. Create an Outline
You don’t have time for erasing the sentences again and again. You should only start writing when you have outlined the necessary points in a rough paper. The outline (be it a diagram or simple format) guides you through the entire writing process.
You can list all the necessary points that need to be mentioned in the essay. For example, start with the introductory sentences and then leave some lines for the evidence. You can outline the main points together with the evidence for each paragraph. Once you have outlined the essay, you will find it quite easier to write it in the submission paper.
6. Focus on the Format
Unless you are already familiar with the academic essay format, you must schedule a time to learn the format. Academic writing is completely different from the personal essay or article writing. There is more to academic write-up than personal stories. Basically, you have to write three sections i.e. the introduction, body of the essay, and conclusion.
Start your intro with a story or shocking news. Introduce the thesis statement and let your users get a brief idea of what they can expect in the five-page essay. The introduction should not reveal more than 10% of your essay. One paragraph intro is sufficient for a 5-page essay. For the body, you have to write 2-3 lines to support your thesis. Throw the evidence you have collected to prove the points. Once done, you can summarize the essay by writing 3-4 lines conclusion.
7. Proofread and Edit
As you are writing the essay at the last minute, there is a high chance you could commit mistakes. No matter how much time is left until the submission date, proofreading is a must. It won’t take more than half an hour to proofread the essay and even check it on the online proofreading tools.
Make sure that your essay is free of grammar, punctuation, spelling, and other such errors. Furthermore
, the vocabulary you use should not be too casual or extremely professional. Your goal is to engage the readers with a perfect academic essay. The readers should be able to understand what your essay is about and how you prove the argument. Never use complicated words to sound expert. Don’t risk your content by using the unknown and complex words. Stick to the basic vocabulary.
Author: Frank Taylor