Five habits every student should have to be a great essay writer

Essay writing is an essential part of the study process on any academic level. Whether one is a high school student, or already working on getting a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, they will need to write lots of academic papers every term.

Of course, if a student is assigned a writing task to do at home there’s always the option to pay for essay to get the job done. In certain situations, it can even be the best decision that will save you time and health. But how is one going to pass an exam if they need to write an essay immediately? 

The answer is pretty obvious: one will need to learn how to write their papers well. This cannot be done fast, so students have to hone their writing skills daily until they become great essay writers. An essential part of the process is adopting some useful habits. In this article, we’ve put together a list of such habits to help any student accomplish their goal

Take notes during a lecture 

Taking notes is one of the most useful habits for any student and a crucial part of a thoughtful study process. One should not only listen to their lecturer attentively but also pays attention to what he or she writes on the blackboard. Write down the most important ideas in a notebook to make studying for an exam a breeze. 

There are several effective ways to take notes. One can:

• write down the main ideas in a notebook

• take photos of what’s written on the blackboard/whiteboard

• use a mobile app like Evernote

• use a dictaphone to record the most important parts of the lecture

A student can also combine these methods for a greater effect. Whatever one chooses, they should remember to keep their notes structured and well-organised. Messy notes will be difficult to read later on and offer little help. 

Read a lot 

Good writing starts with good reading – every professional writer will give that advice. However, a student should pay attention to what they read because not all books are equally helpful. First of all, make use of the reading lists provided by professors, and of textbooks, too. After that one can read something more entertaining. 

Be careful to only pick books written by authors famous for their great writing style. For example, Fifty Shades of Gray, which is notorious for being badly written, is obviously not a good choice. 

Read books on writing 

Reading fiction is a good habit, but some students need some more explanations and helpful advice. A sure way to get both is to read books on writing. Contrary to the popular belief, they are not boring, and some of the best-known ones are even entertaining. 

Here are some of the best examples:

• Stephen King – On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

• Marie Arana – The Writing Life: Writers on How They Think and Work

• Annie Dillard – The Writing Life

• Anne Lamott – Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

The books listed above are more inspirational than instructional. If one is looking for something that’s more to the point, here are some more ideas:

• William Strunk Jr and E B White – The Elements of Style

• William Zinsser – On Writing Well: An Informal Guide to Nonfiction

• Gary Provost – 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing

Write everyday 

To learn how to do something well, one needs to practice doing it as often as possible – preferably, on a daily basis. So, don’t forget to put theory to practice and make a habit of writing something every day. It doesn’t really matter much what exactly one writes as long as they practice various styles and genres. As most should know, there are many types of essays, and each of them requires some specific techniques and writing styles. So, an aspiring writer shouldn’t stick to only one if their nearest goal is a high mark and not a best-selling novel. 

Of course, the best way to practice is by writing essays using prompts and topics provided by one’s professor. But if one is not motivated enough yet, they can start from a journal or a blog instead. It can also be beneficial in many ways, and it’s certainly much better than nothing.

Work on research skills and logical thinking 

It may not be obvious for students as most of them tend to concentrate on concrete strategies and techniques, but writing skills and logical thinking are the key qualities of any great essay writer – and practically any great writer in general. When one needs to make an outline, they know they should make it logically structured. When one has to support their arguments with evidence, they need to conduct research to gather that evidence. So, there’s no getting away from the fact that one needs to hone these essential skills. 

There’s a lot of information on the internet and in the books on how to do it. A good way for any student to start is to acknowledge the fact that they really need to train them to improve their essay writing and better their grades. 

Wrapping up 

Essays are often dreaded by students because they are difficult to write or dismissed as being boring and unnecessary tasks. But, this attitude is usually seen in those who don’t really know how to do such tasks properly. 

Still, essay writing is a craft, and, like any craft, it can be learned. An essential part of becoming a better writer for any student is to acknowledge this fact and to adopt some useful habits to improve their academic performance. Growing these outlined habits will make crafting essays less stressful for any student and can help anyone achieve better grades.

The editorial unit