Last Minute College Essay: If Stuck, How to Write Within a Day

Discovering that you have not done your essay with only a day left for submission is a feeling that can give a student chills. Even if you plan enough to start early, you will be caught racing against time for some reason.

Essay writing is an important part of your course. It needs thorough research on a particular subject hence it will be difficult to collect comprehensive information at the last minute.

Why Last Minute College Essays

The busty college or campus schedule coupled with other responsibilities can take a big part of your time. This means you may end up not having adequate time to do your essay, especially if you lack time management or planning skills.

Others will have to write their essays at the last minute because of procrastination. Regardless of your reasons, doing an essay at the last minute is not an excuse to compromise on the quality of your work.

You can compose yourself, gather the research materials you need, and still be able to come up with a good essay that will entice your reader.

People Also Read: Check My Essay Free From Grammar, Plagiarism, To Quality

How to Write Your Essay in Last Minutes

Students usually have plenty of time to write their essays before it is due. But in some instances, you can find yourself in a last-minute situation.

The first step is to compose yourself and stay positive. Let your mind know that it is still workable even if time is not on your side. Even in the shortest time left, it is still possible to write an attractive and quality essay.

Follow below helpful tips and you will write a good last-minute essay:

1. Create a Writing-Friendly Atmosphere

Without a doubt, you cannot write an essay fast in the middle of distractions. Be in an environment that does not have music, television noise, phones, people’s noise, and the internet.

You can temporarily block all websites which you think will get your attention. This should apply to all social media sites and applications. Inform the people around you that you need privacy and no disturbance because of the work at hand.

You can also postpone any plans you have so that no people are pulling you away from your focus. The use of earplugs can be a good alternative if you are not able to do away with some of the noise distractions.

2. Gather all the Necessary Materials Needed

The workspace you have should be prepared by clearing all the clutter so that it is conducive for faster essay writing. It is important to have all the materials you will need for writing. This includes notes, textbooks, articles, and research on the internet.

The computer and all the writing items should also be ready. Including snacks and coffee is good to keep you energized as you write. This will ensure you do not have to distract yourself by going to look for these things.

3. Relax

When you have gathered everything and prepared your writing environment, it’s time to start. However, due to the panic situation, it is good to take a moment, breathe in, and let your mind now focus on the writing.

Instead of stressing yourself, motivate your mind to know that you can complete the task within the remaining short period.

4. Prewriting

Read the assignment at hand first so that you understand all the guidelines correctly. This will eliminate any room for mistakes. In reality, fully comprehending the assignment and all instructions involved is considered as half battle won.

Prewriting will be better if there is an essay outline. Settle for the writing style you prefer such as brief sentences, bullet points, or diagrams. This should be done in very few minutes by simply jotting down the main points.

Sparing a few minutes to write your outline will ensure you write clearly and efficiently. If your paper needs extensive research and outside reading, ensure you do not spend a lot of time on this.

5. Establishing a Strong Thesis

Take out the main points of your essay so that you can achieve a strong thesis because you will have focused on the essay’s objective.

The thesis you formulate should be easy to debate since you do not have time. This makes it easy to convince your readers and provide the necessary evidence to back up your arguments. 

6. Actual Writing

The writing of an essay starts with the introduction which is a very crucial part. It will not only orient the audience about the essay but also make a brief explanation of the argument. The outline you wrote can now guide you to write the other parts of the essay bit by bit.

7. Timing Yourself      

Even though you have to write your essay quickly, you should pace yourself by taking short breaks whenever you get stuck. Don’t view taking a short break as wasting time but rather relieving stress to clear your head.

After writing, review your work by editing, proofreading, and ensuring everything is in line with the essay guidelines.

People Also Read: Check My Essay Grade: How To Rate Your Essay

Tips To Prevent Last-Minute Essays

With proper planning and time management, you can avoid last-minute essay writing. Research assignments, coursework, and essays need time if you are to come up with quality writing.

Here are tips to avoid last-minute essays:

a) Ensure your deadline is visible in your classroom or at home so that you do to forget as the deadline advances. Deadlines can be written on a whiteboard, wall planners, calendars, or your phone.

Phones are the best options because you can install a countdown app to remind you how much time you have left. All these steps will help you to plan effectively.

b) If you start early, you will not have to write at the last minute. You can make partial progress every day by researching or making an outline. If you begin early, you will have ample time to polish your essay in the last few days.

c) Avoid postponing your essay writing because it is difficult or you are simply not in the right mood. If you wait until you feel motivated, it might be the last day of submission when you will be in the right mood.

By making a small start, you will eventually motivate yourself to write the assignment bit by bit.

d) Try and divide your essay assignment into manageable chunks. Small sizes of the assignment will not seem overwhelming and can be done in multiple days. This becomes easy as opposed to tackling your assignment in one day.

One piece can be about gathering material, another one on research or simply forming a plan of the essay. Correspondingly, you can engage a professional writer who will offer last-minute writing services.

People Also Read: Persuasive Essays: Introduction, Structure, & Topic Examples

How to Plan Your Time Well to Write Timely Essays

An essay involves deep research on a given subject. Therefore, it can be difficult to collect all the materials and information needed at the last minute.

Planning time is one of the fundamental aspects that can help you to write a good essay.

For starters, it is good to assess the kind of essay work you have in hand. Check the date of submission, pages or word count needed, and the expectations in terms of research.

If you consider all the stages of writing involved in an essay such as research, enlisting, writing, and revising, you can plan your time appropriately.

Know how much time will be adequate for you to complete all the steps comfortably.

Prepare how you are going to execute the steps of writing. It is easy to make this plan with proper consideration of the assignment length, your speed of writing, and the duration you have until the deadline day of submission.

If you plan by taking one step at a time, writing an essay will not overwhelm you. Planning helps a writer to take control of the essay and feel confident.