College and university students often find themselves with piles of write-ups they need to submit within short deadlines. And when there’s a bulk of work to do, they can often get exhausted and run out of essay ideas. As a result, they may unconsciously keep repeating what they’re already written—ultimately lowering their project quality.

If you’re trapped in a loop of endless writing assignments and really need to learn some new techniques to write an essay, you’re in the right place. This guide will teach you everything you need to know.

But first…

Why Should You Learn How to Write an Essay?

You should learn how to write an essay because this skill will help you get the overall grades you want. The grades for each of your submissions count towards your academic performance, so don’t take these tasks lightly.

And now…

The 5 Best Techniques to Write an Essay

There are many techniques to write an essay. You can improve your skills using any of the methods you feel comfortable with. However, today we’re going to discuss the ones we have tried and tested and received positive reviews on their results.

•  Choose the Right Topic

You can skip this section if your professor has already assigned a topic.

The right topic will do wonders for your essay. No matter your subject, you should work on something that excites you and makes you want to learn more about it. If you pick such a topic, it will make your task easier. Otherwise, you will have to deal with both your creativity block and hesitation in attempting a boring subject.

Now, you may wonder—how do you choose one that’s right for you?

Well, our writing experts have a great tip for students—research the unseen. Let’s explain this.

For example, you’re studying Shakespeare. Now, you can either choose your topic based on the plays you are assigned in your study or dig further. Think about why Shakespeare was, and still is, so famous today. Do you remain unimpressed when you read any of his work? That’s because you’re doing it without context. You may find yourself feeling entertained, yes, but maybe not as wowed as literary fans are.

Now, compare the playwright’s material with others in his time. Focus on the techniques the Bard used and the words he invented. Are you starting to understand his appeal? Why not use your journey of discovery as your topic? Make your essay topics personal when you can, and you’ll never go without one!

If you want more details on topic selection, we have a complete guide on why choosing good essay topics is important.

• Experiment with Brainstorming

Brainstorming can be one of the best ways to compile a list of top essay ideas. Following are three approaches you can use:

• Think Arguments

If your professor has not yet specified the type of essay you should work on, you can make a list of topics and create arguments. Then choose a side you want to work on, and viola! You have your topic ready.

• List without Thinking

For this technique to work, skim through your books, and list down all possible topics that come to mind—without thinking about them. The last part is crucial because if you spend time mulling over a certain title, you may start worrying about how good or bad it is. The trick is to identify all possibilities–you can always modify the topic later. And who knows, you might even come up with something unconventional yet amazing.

• Quick Googling

This is similar to the point above. In this case, you will search for your subject on Google and YouTube specifically. Then scroll through the titles and jot down whatever seems remotely connected to your subject. Also, check if you can turn the results into an essay (e.g., skip the videos and articles with captions like “quick recap of X”). Again, this will help you with options you can work on later.

• Create an Outline

One of the best techniques to write an essay is to create an outline for it. If you’re wondering why, let’s paint a picture for you:

You have an essay due. You’ve finalised a topic. You’re ready to work your magic, but hey, guess what? Instead of typing away as you thought you would, you’re left staring blankly at an open document file.

The problem is you don’t know where to start, how to continue, and where to end. To avoid this, always create an outline for your essay. This will help you keep on track and create a perfect flow for your readers.

When creating your outline, work on the body sections first. This is so you can list the points you’re going to expand on. Add a simple thesis statement to your introduction outline and link it to the conclusion section.

If helpful, add all relevant sources in the outline, so you’ll know where to reference and what. Another option is to create a document where you dump all your sources and colour code them to identify which sections they belong to, i.e., introduction, body paragraph 1, body paragraph 5, etc.

• Just Write

If you wish to learn how to write an essay well, you must accept the fact you will write badly in the first draft. Students often have trouble with this concept. They take too much time to create a perfect paper on the first try. It leads to them forgetting that they will have to come back to edit and make changes anyway.

Working on your manuscript without worrying about its flaws will help you get into the flow of writing. You will also be more open to adding new ideas wherever you want (you can always rearrange things later!). Besides that, this will make you more comfortable writing for long periods.

The wordsmiths at UK Writing Experts use this technique to compile high-scoring essays for our clients. So, you can also use it for your benefit. Remember, there’s a reason we call them “rough” drafts, so let your drafts be flawed.

• Edit, Edit, and Edit Again

Editing and proofreading differentiate an “okay” essay from an exemplary one. You may craft the best essay ever, but you will fall short if you miss out on this major task. Editing is what helps solidify the structure of your essay. It also makes reading easier for your target audience.

For instance, let’s say you’ve submitted a manuscript on the dangers of technology for children. You might have made great points in your write-up. But grammatical or structural issues hinder the reading experience. As a result, you will not get the grades you expected your essay to receive.

So, how should you go about it? The best practice is to edit every draft. A helpful tip is always to give yourself some time away from your essay after writing it. This will help you get into an objective mindset. And then, when you sit down for editing, you will be able to view your draft with fresh eyes. You’ll even catch mistakes you might’ve missed otherwise.

Another tip to ensure your essay packs a punch is to read through every paragraph. Then ask yourself if it would make any difference to your paper if you scrap it. If it doesn’t, then delete it and add new, more relevant information instead.

We hope you learned from this guide. That said, you can hire the best essay writing service in Britain if you still need assistance! UK Writing Experts will be happy to support your academic needs. Call us now!