Writing A Long Essay: Instructions For Struggling Students

This is the most important advice to take home with you. Do not panic. Just because you are new to long essay writing, and not even used to writing, in general, does not mean that you will be unable to complete your assignment on time.

Easy to follow instructions; 5 basic steps

The good news is that you will be able to. Take my word for it. But be warned; you still need to work on it. Once you’ve begun, with patience and resilience you will find that it is a lot easier than you thought.

• - Follow the assignment instructions

Your first task is to follow closely the laid down instructions. Begin by making a note of the word count required. It will not be longer than 2,000 words, and even if it is longer, remain calm and focus on the thesis topic.

• - Reading and research

Instructions will end with a suggested and accessible reading list. Your lecturer or teacher will tell you where to look. You will begin at your school library. Do not delay this because you may have to wait until books have been returned by others who started looking earlier.

• - From rough notes to drafting exercises

Do not rush your reading. Read slowly and look out for chapters closely linked to your topic. Your writing begins here by consistently taking notes while reading. After you have collected enough material, you can begin rewriting your notes in hand-written drafts not longer than two or three hundred words at a time.

• - Crafting the perfect essay

The drafting process allows you to break up your work into manageable chunks. After that, you will collect all your notes and begin with the outline of your final essay. Begin with the introduction, then proceed to the main body and end with a short conclusion.

• - How to guides

Still at a loss for words? Do not worry. Both libraries and the internet are well-stocked with creative writing guides that even provide you with helpful templates that you can use as guides but without merely copying and pasting.

A final instruction

This is beginning to look easier than you originally thought. It is also the most pleasurable part of your work. You will have found that you’ve actually exceeded the required word count. Congratulations! But you still need to work on your essay and shorten it. This is best achieved by reading through your work slowly and cutting out unnecessary words, phrases and illogical explanations.

In such a short space, you will have found that you can at least approach the writing of a long essay with confidence, knowing that you can do this.