Writing an excellent essay, especially in academics from undergraduate studies to post graduation can be very hard for some people. It takes a lot of practice to get the hang of it, and different universities usually have different reference styles and regulations for essays. Learning how to write academically will improve your writing skills drastically and help you articulate yourself better in many different ways. Academic writing can be tricky and is different from creative writing, so you will need to have a lot of knowledge on how to write it.
Here are a few tips to write academically:
1) Learn your vocabulary: To write an excellent essay, you should be good at English and learn most of the vocabulary in the language or topic you are writing about. When you write articles, your language skill comes through, and your efficiency in writing concisely will also be evident. It is straightforward to detect a lousy essay compared to a good one, an excellent piece has few grammatical mistakes, and the knowledge about the topic is essential. For example, when I first started writing essays, I usually conduct a lot of prior research on the subject to understand most of the knowledge surrounding the topic. This skill has helped me progress so much so that I write academic journal articles now!
2) Practice writing: It is important to start writing your essays and not be too conscious about failing or getting a bad mark. Everybody fails at first attempts, and it only gets more comfortable with the practice such as most skills in this world. You will only gain more confidence in writing essays when you keep writing. If you can, ask people who are good at writing essays or your seniors in college who can guide you through the piece and sometimes proofread your articles for you. Try correcting your essays several times before you submit it and learn the ropes from people who have already done it.
Also Read: How to Write in an Academic Style?
3) Learn how to research: For an excellent composition, research is essential. You will not know all the answers, and you have to see what other people have written about the topic before you can start to write about it. Reading other people’s work might also give you good ideas and enhance your writing skills about the topic. Start by reading online articles such as those in Planning Tank for tips on writing a good essay and then you can gradually go to research articles, academic books and journal articles such as those published in Google Scholar. The more you read, the more you will understand how people have written academically before you.
4) Learn how to reference: One of the first things I did when I entered university, understood the particular reference list for my course. Then I could read how others before me in my course have applied it and do the same. You will have to have a good list of books and journals to reference to write academically. The better references you have and the high calibre of scholars on your reference list, will reflect your own academic style and strengthen your essay or academic writing.
5) Try blogging to practice your writing: If you keep your own blog where you can write essays on a topic you are passionate about, then you can gain the skill faster and learn how to write better. Although blogs are different to academic essay writing, some scholarly blogs such as those in LSE in London can really advance your academic skills. Another option which students opt for includes paying for best essay to get their assignment done with outside help.
The above are just a few tips on academic writing. As always, there are no set rules to start writing academically and having a strong foundation at school or UG will really prepare you for further academic writing. Don’t be scared to try academic writing, because you will have to do it if you want to study and essay writing is a very essential skill, whether you study art or science at college. I personally feel that my UG essay writing has benefited me enormously in improving my writing skills and gaining the flow of academic writing. So, what are you waiting for?
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