Tips for Writing a Good University Essay

Essay Writing

30th May 2024

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student writing an essay for university

Academic writing holds great significance, and you might face numerous challenges while crafting an excellent piece of writing. One such type of academic writing is an essay. While applying for admission to universities or while completing your degree, you will need to write a lot of essays. However, writing an essay for university can be challenging.

If you are stuck with your essays and have no clue about where to start, continue reading this article. It is a complete guide on how to write an essay for university in just a few steps.

Understand the Topic/Question

The first advice on how to start an essay for university is to thoroughly understand your topic/question. Now, you may find this advice quite basic. But, you must not take it lightly, as your entire writing will depend on how well you understand the topic. Justifying your topic is the first thing your professor expects from your writing. So, look if the question wants you to evaluate, compare or contrast something. It might also be asking you to analyse a particular situation or evaluate the usefulness of a concept. Each of these questions will have a different writing style and tonality. So, the wording of your essay question is important as it tells you how the essay is expected to be written. It will help you understand what you should focus on while writing and researching.

Plan and Schedule

The next step in this guide on writing university essays is to efficiently use your available time. Time management is important in everything you do. You must never underestimate the amount of work and effort that is needed to complete writing a good essay. Underestimating its importance will only lead to a disappointing grade and late nights at libraries. So, to achieve a good grade and stay organised, you must start planning and scheduling things as soon as you are assigned an essay to write. Set deadlines for each step in the writing process. However, remember that setting deadlines is quite easy. The real task is to commit to these deadlines. This way, you will be able to organise your work and not overburden yourself just a few days before the submission deadline. Also, remember to schedule your essay writing in advance and leave a couple of days free before submission for proofreading.

Broaden Your Research

Before beginning with writing, conduct broad research from trusted sources. Relying on just one source for your information is not good. Check the authenticity of everything through different sources – sifting through a large amount of data is necessary to write an informative and authentic essay. Start by researching through databases, reading through abstracts and referring to the summaries of varying research. You can also refer to your course books for your research. Engaging in a wide range of literature will help you write a meaningful essay, but do not waste your time reading through an endless number of articles – remember reading is not your only task at hand as you have to write too!

Structure and Flow

Presentation of your argument is equally important as the argument itself. Therefore, you must follow a logical structure for your essay. Your essay should have a clear and logical structure. A well-structured essay ensures you stay focused and do not deviate from the question. Each section and paragraph of your essay must add value and relate to one another. For each sentence you write, ask yourself what value it will add to the piece. You must also ensure that all the parts of your essay fit together cohesively and that the transition from one section to the next is fluid. Remember that essays are not lists of arguments. Every sentence should fit well with others.

Citations and Paraphrasing

Citations are an essential element of good essays. Using no citations in your essay gives the impression that you have not made yourself familiar with the already published literature. So, you must use citations wherever necessary. However, you must also not fill your essay with unnecessary citations. There are certain places where you can paraphrase the sentences instead of citing them. The general thumb rule to follow for citations and paraphrasing is to cite only when necessary and paraphrase wherever possible. Another point to remember is that paraphrasing and plagiarism are two different things. You must not plagiarise your essay from references. Also, appropriately citing your essay will ensure you are not accused of plagiarism, as it is a serious offence in the academic world.

Find a Reliable Proofreader

Proofreading your writing can be difficult. Proofreading on your own can lead to missing small grammatical errors and other minor mistakes. So, you need another person to proofread it for you and highlight the mistakes. Although you can ask your peer or parent to do it for you, they might lack the skills and expertise. This is why you must get the help of a professional proofreader. When looking for an expert proofreader, you can rely on us. The My Private Essay team has the most talented proofreaders who polish your essays to enhance their authenticity and impact. These experts ensure a good flow of your essay and argument logic.

Use Academic Language

Academic writing is quite different from the blogs and articles you read on the internet. You cannot use casual language while writing an essay. So, how to write a good essay for a university? You need to write the essay in academic language. This means your essay should be clear, concise and unbiased.

Bottom Line

Learning how to write an introduction for an essay university or the entire essay can be challenging, particularly if you have just started uni or if English is not your first language. If you are stuck with the essay writing process, use this comprehensive guide to write an impactful essay. However, after completing your essay writing, trust us to proofread it. Our experts at My Private Essay pay attention to even the most intricate details to ensure your academic writing will help you gain the grades you expect. Get in touch today and let us support you throughout your academic journey.