How to Write a Last-Minute Essay on your Own: In a Few Hours
As a student, you may have found yourself struggling to come up with a last-minute essay because you had either forgotten about the essay’s deadline or you had urgent issues to attend to.
Additionally, there are times when you may be overwhelmed with multiple assignments, and you find yourself completing some of the essays when it is too late.
Writing a last-minute essay on your own can be stressful. However, when you utilize the right strategy and focused effort, it is possible to come up with a well-written essay.
Tips for Writing a Last-Minute Essay on your Own
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1. Setting Realistic Goals and Expectations
When you find yourself writing a last-minute essay on your own, try setting realistic goals and expectations.
You have to consider the length of the essay and the content you are supposed to present.
Allocate a precise amount of time for every step you will take during the writing process.
Take note of the time you have left to complete the essay and set realistic goals and expectations. You may have a day left or just a few hours to complete and submit your essay.
Use that time efficiently to maximize your efforts to produce quality work.
2. Creating a Detailed Outline
Once you are done with research on your topic and have gathered the relevant information, it is important to create a brief outline.
Outlines are very important, especially when writing a last-minute essay on your own, because they help organize your thoughts and structure your essay.
Include an introduction, multiple body paragraphs depending on the essay’s length and content depth, and a conclusion. Every paragraph should focus on a particular point and supporting evidence.
3. Conducting Efficient Research
Researching is key when you are writing a last-minute essay on your own. You cannot write an essay concerning a specific topic if you do not have an idea or content to write about.
Before beginning the writing process, make sure that you conduct efficient research from multiple credible sources to gather relevant information.
If you allocate adequate time to conduct research, you will realize that you have a lot of content to support your points within the body paragraphs.
It will also be possible to write faster since you will already have understood and conceptualized the topic and the content that has to be included to produce a quality paper.
4. Writing a Compelling Introduction and Thesis Statement
Writing a compelling introduction and thesis statement is also an effective way of writing a last-minute essay on your own.
Once you have conducted adequate research and outlined your essay, start by writing a compelling introduction containing an engaging hook or opening sentence to grab your readers’ attention.
An engaging opening statement or hook ensures that your readers become interested in what you have to say about the topic. It arouses their curiosity about the contents of your essay.
Give the background information concerning the topic. Ensure you provide adequate but not too much information about what you will discuss in the body paragraphs.
You should end your paragraph will an equally compelling thesis statement that provides the purpose or intention of your essay.
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5. Utilizing Effective Writing Techniques
It is also important to utilize effective writing techniques when crafting a last-minute essay on your own.
One of the most important writing techniques that can make the writing process faster and more efficient is planning and outlining.
This ensures that you establish a logical structure for your essay, plan your thoughts, and maintain a consistent flow throughout your essay.
To avoid unnecessary explanations that will consume more time while writing, you should use clear, concise language that conveys your message straightforwardly.
Avoid unnecessary phrases or words to hasten your writing process. It also makes your content more impactful to the readers.
Additionally, avoid passive voice because it uses more words to explain concepts. Instead, use an active voice that uses fewer words and is more clear and concise.
Finally, understand who your target audience is. Consider their interests, preferences, and level of knowledge.
When you understand your reader, you will tailor-make the essay to suit their needs. You will end up writing what the reader wants and end up getting better grades in your essay.
6 Editing and Proofreading for Errors
You may have made a few errors since you will have probably written your last-minute essay hurriedly. Therefore, ensure that you edit and revise your essay for coherence, clarity, and grammatical errors.
Also, proofread your essay to identify any mistakes or typos you might have missed during the editing process. Pay close attention to spelling, grammar, and formatting errors.
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How to Overcome Procrastination and Last-Minute Panic
Recognizing the Causes of Procrastination
To overcome procrastination and last-minute panic, it is important to recognize the causes of procrastination. Why were you late in the first place?
At times, you can be late because of genuine reasons such as having too many assignments to complete at the same time or having unavoidable and urgent commitments.
However, if you find yourself writing a last-minute essay due to avoidable reasons, you should reconsider engaging in them when you have academic assignments like essays.
Effective Time Management Strategies
Another strategy to overcome procrastination and last-minute panic is to have effective time management strategies.
When you are assigned an essay that is to be submitted at a specified deadline, start planning from then.
Determine the amount of time required to research and write the essay. You may also allocate specific time to write the different sections of your essay.
To make the research and writing process less demanding and stressful, you should begin the process as soon as you have been assigned the essay.
Breaking Down the Writing Process into Manageable Tasks
It is also helpful to break down the writing process into manageable tasks to overcome procrastination and last-minute panic.
You should plan and understand the requirements of your essay. You should have time to research, create an outline, draft the essay, and edit/proofread the essay before submitting it.
Attempting to complete the entire writing process as a singular task can overwhelm you to the extent of producing substandard work.
Seeking Support from Peers and Mentors
If you do not understand the topic of your essay, the instructions, or the writing process, you may seek support from peers such as classmates or mentors like your instructor.
They can give you valuable feedback on what you must do to complete the essay and get better grades.
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Utilizing Writing Resources and Tools
Various writing resources and tools can make the essay writing process faster and less stressful.
Some online tools, such as Grammarly, can help you during the editing and proofreading task. Such tools automate tasks.
Some resources and tools can make the research and writing process faster and less stressful.
In conclusion, when writing a last-minute essay on your own, you should set realistic goals and expectations, create a detailed outline, conduct efficient research, write a compelling introduction and thesis statement, use effective writing techniques, and edit and proofread for errors.
To overcome procrastination and last-minute panic, you should recognize and address the causes of procrastination, have effective time management strategies, break down the writing process into manageable tasks, and finally seek support from peers and mentors.
When you do this, you can effectively write a last-minute essay on your own and even avoid getting yourself in such a position again.
Josh Jasen or JJ as we fondly call him, is a senior academic editor at Grade Bees in charge of the writing department. When not managing complex essays and academic writing tasks, Josh is busy advising students on how to pass assignments. In his spare time, he loves playing football or walking with his dog around the park.
