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Writing an essay has never been an easy task. Unleashing creativity by following the rules and choosing the right information on the chosen topic seems promising. And for the most part, it does. Yet writing an essay is one of the first things students learn as they begin their school careers. And there’s a good reason for that. Why are there so many essays and why is essay writing so important?
Why do students write essays?
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Students develop their analytical and persuasive skills and learn to conduct research, determine what is important and what is not, express their opinions professionally or academically, improve their critical thinking skills and, ultimately, find their dream job.
In a chaotic and highly competitive environment, it is important to have strong oral and written skills, as well as other prerequisites for success. What could be better than being able to express yourself well and then being able to turn those words into an article, a blog or an essay written in a fantastic way? Whether on a job application, in the classroom or in any other way, being able to express yourself well and speak clearly will bring you many benefits in your personal and professional life.
The famous “What if
But what if the result of our hard work ultimately disappoints us? Everyone has had to deal with a bad grade at least once in their life, and they don’t know exactly why. Tests that seemed more than fantastic to us may be judged afterwards as “not good enough,” and in an instant we discover many small or even big mistakes.” What can be done about it? No wonder the old Latin saying “Repetition is the mother of learning” is so popular and widely used. This is because writing is also a form of learning.
The only way to improve your writing skills is to write. Even if the journey comes with difficulties.
However, there are some tips and tricks that can help you get a good idea of what to focus on, what to avoid, and how to make the most of what you have. Unfortunately, rules and tips are often less useful because they are boring to read, even more boring to use, and finally – difficult to apply if you only read in theory. Fortunately, there is another way to learn everything you need to know. It has been proven that people learn best when they learn from their mistakes!
To avoid the most common mistakes, first address them and explain what they consist of. Here is our list of the 4 most common mistakes students make when writing their assignments:
Without checking grammar and spelling.
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It is more than obvious. The worst mistake is a poorly written essay that sends a general message about someone who has not spent enough time mastering grammar or checking what they have written. Not only are there many spell-checking programs available, whether you integrate them into Word or Google Docs or install a program like Grammarly, but it’s important that you at least put enough effort into making your essay look professional, but more importantly, to make sure it’s grammatically correct. It’s not just about the tenses, but also about punctuation, quotation marks, spelling, homophones and names, and finally the layout.
Even as a grammar expert, it is easy to make one or two mistakes when you type fast. Therefore, you should double or even triple check everything. This will make you more confident and eventually you will be able to write a better essay.
Stay in your comfort zone
Choosing a topic and a title is a very delicate process. Yet, especially in the beginning of writing an essay, it is important not to be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. In this case, the comfort zone consists of existing essays or articles on the topic. Paraphrasing or rewriting can lead you into the world of plagiarism. Instead, focus on researching and reading the topic, but then sit down and brainstorm to try to find something new, original or even unusual. By connecting the dots and looking at certain topics from a different angle, you will have an interesting essay that will grab attention and ultimately be of high quality. Also, avoid colloquialisms, expressions and non-academic phrases. Instead, use your imagination and creativity combined with careful analysis and research.
The comfort of not worrying about your documentation and its historical versions, if you are going digital you can utilize programs such as adobe acrobat reader for offline and for online/web app use sodapdf.com/compress-pdf/ for editing and compressing the pdf documents on the go and yet have the comfort of not worrying about misplacing the file or deleting the file accidentally.
Not having a thesis charter
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The thesis is the driving force behind the entire article. It is the thought that serves as the anchor, main point or compass for what you wanted to say in the first place. It is the heart and soul of your essay. Imagine missing it! This attempt will be doomed to failure. The right place for this sentence is at the very beginning of your article, somewhere at the end of the introduction, so that people understand the main idea and keep reading your elaboration of that idea. It is also important not to confuse the thesis statement with the topic, because the thesis statement is a specific opinion that can be discussed in more detail, while the topic is simply a general subject that you have chosen to write about.
Lack of clarity
If you want to write a good essay, you need to express your opinions and ideas. However, you must be careful about how you do this. This means that the language you use should never be “sentimental,” which means that you should go straight to the point and do what is expected of you. For example, if you need to analyze something, you should be prepared to do as much research as possible so that you can analyze it from an academic perspective.
This means that you should not give a description, evaluation or critique without a solid argument in the background. Clarity also includes a correct conclusion and one that is consistent with the introduction – so make sure you stay focused and never use information from unreliable and authoritative sources.
