write an essay in a day

How to Write an Essay in 1 Day

H ave you ever written an essay in 25 minutes? You have if you have ever sat for the SAT. While the stakes may be higher for a last-minute academic essay, the point is this: do not panic! Instead, read this six-step guide to writing an essay in a day:

1. Understand your goals

Whether you are writing a personal statement for a college or graduate school application, or an essay for a high school or college class, your assignment will have specific goals. Before you begin to write, review these goals. Clearly understanding your objective is essential when working with a shortened timeline.

2. Choose a topic

Under normal circumstances, you might devote several days to brainstorming a promising topic, and then you might write a detailed outline before writing and revising your essay over a week or two. When you are on a tight schedule, this is not possible.

So—write down the first three or four ideas that occur to you. If you cannot think of an appropriate topic, ask a parent or a friend to review the assignment with you. Do not spend more than 10 or 15 minutes on this part of your essay, as the execution ultimately matters more than the idea itself.

In addition, do not stress yourself about selecting the “perfect” topic. Without a topic, you will have no essay to turn in, and any essay is better than no essay. (It naturally follows that any topic is also better than no topic at all.)

3. Set deadlines

Establishing deadlines for a one-day essay is key. Budget 5-10 minutes for brainstorming, 15-20 minutes for creating an outline, and several hours for writing. You can also set aside an hour for feedback and review, and another hour for any necessary revisions. You should also allow for an hour-long break to recharge your mind. Finally, plan to submit your essay several hours before the deadline. A schedule with some flexibility will allow you to adapt to any unforeseen complications.

4. Arrange for reviewers in advance

Whenever possible, arrange for reviewers (such as your parents or friends) first thing in the morning, and let them know when they can expect a draft. When your deadline is in several days or weeks, you have the luxury of finding reviewers after you have finished your draft. With a shorter deadline, you will not have this ability. Be clear on the short turnaround time to ensure as smooth a review period as possible.

5. Outline your essay

There are many resources that can advise you on how to write a wonderful essay, but the purpose of this article is to shape that advice to the demands of a very short timeline. This includes resisting the urge to abandon the outline. Having an outline is even more important for a one-day essay than for a week-long project with a similar word count. A strong outline will keep your essay focused and organized from the start—which is critical when time constraints will limit your rewrites.

Your outline should not be detailed, and it should take no more than 15 or 20 minutes to complete. Determine your hook (see below for more information), and then jot down the threads that connect this moment to your central argument or idea.

6. Stay organized

When you are under pressure, your tendency may be to start writing and to see where your essay goes. Try instead to use a brief anecdote or emotional impact statement (i.e. the “hook” in your opening paragraph) to set the stakes for your essay. This is essentially your opportunity to state why your argument or idea is worth your reader’s attention.

Finally, remember that “perfect is the enemy of good.” Manage your expectations. Your goal should be to write a good essay, not a perfect one. If you have a compelling hook and a well-organized flow of ideas, check your writing for errors, and then send it in.

Brian Witte is a professional SAT tutor with Varsity Tutors , a live learning platform that connects students with personalized instruction to accelerate academic achievement. He earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Washington and holds a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University

More from Varsity Tutors:

• 7 Last-Minute Exam Tips for Students
• 6 Tips for Surviving Finals Week
• 3 Reasons to Register for SAT Writing Test

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How to Write an Essay in One Day: An Ultimate Guide

Writing a one-day essay might sound like a hard task to do, but with the right strategy, one can achieve this. Be it a procrastinator or someone with insufficient time, this article will teach you how to beat it with maximum efficiency. It covers everything from brainstorming ideas, constituting a solid thesis statement, and organizing your thoughts for a well-written essay. Through a little bit of focus and determined effort, you will be amazed at your abilities.

Understanding the assignment requirements

Understanding the assignment’s requirements is crucial to writing a successful essay as fast as possible. 

• Read the essay prompt carefully . It might seem a bit corny, but to get all the details right to the point, you need to comprehend what the essay is asking you to do. Seek keywords intended to provide you with the approach to use, such as “analyze,” “compare,” or “discuss.” If you have difficulty understanding the prompts for essays, you can turn to the quick essay writing service FastEssay. This company processes students’ “ write an essay for me ” requests and provides fast online help for all types of papers. Do not worry, the experts working there are always happy to help and can write an essay even today.
• Identify the main topic. Know the primary subject of your paper, which can be the theme of the essay. This will prevent you from being distracted and save you from runts.
• Note down any specific instructions. Make sure there are any particular directions given by your teacher or professor, such as format guidelines, word count limit, and/or recommended sources.
• Pay attention to deadlines . Note down promptly when the essay is submitted in order for you to arrange the time properly. Look into breaking up the writing process into separate pieces to avert panic at the end.
• Clarify any uncertainties. If you are unsure about one of the steps of the task, do not be shy of asking your teacher or professor for clarification. Prevention is better than cure. Seeking help early is better than trying to manage an issue later on.

Then, by doing so, you will be ready to overcome the assignment and build a paper that is logical and precise.

Conducting research and gathering information

It is highly recommended that, prior to the writing of your essay, you collect some information that will enable you to strengthen your opinions and ideas. Here’s some advice on how you can conduct research effectively.

First, find out the essential components or subject areas to be discussed in your essay from the prompt. It will save you time and greatly increase your ability to focus, allowing you to find all the essential information for your work. As an introductory stage, refer to your textbook, class notes, and any necessary readings provided by your instructors.

Second, the aim is to use credible materials that can be found in books, academic journals, and reliable websites. Make sure to test the trustworthiness of each resource on which you are working by confirming that its author is reputable, and its publication date is recent. Start searching for reliable sources that are neutral, recent, and applicable to your argument.

Third, write down the main ideas contained in what you learn while citing all the sources from which you get each piece of information. Doing so will ensure the efficiency of bibliography generation, which will help you understand the sources later on when writing a paper.

Finally, to present a balanced perspective, you will have to incorporate various viewpoints and debates related to your topic. It will assist you to go beyond a single perspective and reinforce your own side.

Creating a solid thesis statement

Creating a strong thesis statement lays the foundation for your essay and tells your readers what to expect.

• Understand the purpose. Your thesis statement will be the main point in your paper. The introductory part of the persuasive essay should precisely give the main argument or position you will address.
• Analyze the prompt. Go through the prompt again and determine what the crucial issues or queries are that are lying behind it. Those aspects determine the focus of your thesis, which should be put in line with them.
• Take a clear stance. Choose whether you take the position against or the position supporting the issue. Do you oppose or undermine a concept? The thesis sentence of your article should correspond to the position.
• Make it specific. Avoid general or nondescript statements. You should make your thesis statement specific and purposeful, stating what the essay will be about covering in your paper.
• Provide a roadmap. The thesis statement can also be used to introduce the topic of discussion and the areas you will be covering in the subsequent paragraphs.

Make sure you get a good, balanced statement that covers key points, and in that way, it is easy to follow the storyline in general.

Developing supporting arguments

Once you have your thesis statement, it’s time to build your essay around it with strong supporting arguments.

Identify key points. Split your thesis up into minor points or paragraphs that serve as evidence of your main idea.

Provide evidence. Utilize the numbers, instances, quotations, or some statistics to defeat each of your supporting positions. As a result, the argumentation makes the essay more convincing and solid as well.

Organize logically. Paragraphs should be arranged in a logical sequence to make your support arguments easily understandable. Sentence connections provide ease of reading for your reader and ensure that the plot of your composition flows smoothly.

Stay focused. Make certain that all the supporting pieces of your argument are directly and logically related to the thesis statement and serve to expound your beliefs.

Introduce incontrovertible points to defend your thesis. They can be foundations so that your readers are inclined to agree with you.

Refining and polishing your essay

Once you’ve written your essay, it’s important to refine and polish it to ensure it’s clear, coherent, and well-organized. 

• Edit for clarity. During the final step, go through your essay and check to make sure the ideas that you want to express are clear and presentable. For any verbiage or sentences that add more than what is indicated.
• Check for coherence. Make sure that every paragraph logically comes in as a continuation of the rest, having a connection with one another and arguments that are coherent and compatible with each other. Make use of transitional clauses to advance coherence between various elements of the writing.
• Proofread for errors. Check proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation and target an improvement in sentence structure and vocabulary, especially the use of active voice. 
• Seek feedback. Incorporate your friend’s, family member’s, or teacher’s commentary for feedback into your essay. Such tests could help you to find things that you haven’t thought about before and are definitely worth trying.

Through skillful editing of your essay , it is possible to raise the level of writing and, therefore, make it more exciting and convincing to the reader.

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How to Write a Good Essay in a Short Amount of Time

Last Updated: March 7, 2024 Approved

This article was co-authored by Megan Morgan, PhD . Megan Morgan is a Graduate Program Academic Advisor in the School of Public & International Affairs at the University of Georgia. She earned her PhD in English from the University of Georgia in 2015. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 16 testimonials and 80% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 899,723 times.

Sometimes, you need to be able to write a good essay in a short amount of time for a timed exam, such as the Advanced Placement exams in high school. At other times, you might find yourself in the uncomfortable situation of having to write an essay fast because you procrastinated or let it sneak up on you. Although an essay written at the last minute will almost never be as good as an essay you spent more time on, putting together a decent essay quickly is still feasible. With a little planning and a lot of hard work, you can write an essay that’s good (or good enough!) in just a short time.

Doing the Prep Work for Your Essay

• Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses when devising your plan. [1] X Research source For example, if you are a good researcher but not great at editing, spend less time on the research section in favor of spending more time on the revising section.
• Make sure to schedule breaks for yourself to refresh your brain and recharge yourself.
• An example of a plan for a one-day essay writing project might look like this:
• 8:00 – 9:30 – Consider an essay question and argument for the topic.
• 9:30 – 9:45 – Take a short break.
• 10:00 – 12:00 – Conduct research.
• 12:00 – 13:00 – Outline the essay.
• 13:00 – 14:00 – Take a lunch break.
• 14:00 – 19:00 – Write your essay.
• 19:00 – 20:00 – Take a dinner break.
• 20:00 – 22:30 – Revise and copy edit your essay.
• 22:30 – 23:00 – Print and prepare your essay submission. [2] X Research source

• Make sure you understand what the question is asking for! If you provide a summary when the essay prompt asked you to “analyze,” you’re unlikely to do very well.
• If you don’t have an essay topic, choose a subject that interests you and consider the essay question afterward. You are more likely to write a good essay on a topic that you’re interested in.

• If you don’t have much experience with your topic, it might be difficult to develop an argument. You can still consider your argument and then use your research to support or refute the claims you want to make.
• A good exercise to help you quickly figure out your essay question and argument is to write “I am studying (choose a topic) because I want to know (what do you want to know) in order to show (this is where your argument goes).”
• For example, “I am studying the medieval witch trials because I want to know how lawyers employed evidence in their cases in order to show that the trial process influenced modern medical techniques and legal practices.”
• Consider counter-arguments in order to strengthen your essay.

• Since you don’t have a lot of time to write, focus on one or two places where you can do research. For example, the library and internet offer many different options for sources. [5] X Research source
• Just make sure that you use reliable sources, such as peer-reviewed journals, government and university websites, and newspapers and magazines written by professionals. Don’t use personal blogs, obviously biased sources, or sources that don’t have professional credentials.
• You can draw upon information you know to speed up the research process. Simply find a (reliable!) source to support it and include it in your sources. [6] X Research source
• Doing preliminary research online can point you to sources in a library such as books and journal articles. It can also point you in the direction of web sources including newspaper article archives or other research on your topic.
• If you're reading books, "gut" the book to get through it quickly and move on to other sources. To "gut" a book, skim the introduction and conclusion to find the main arguments, and then pick a few details from the body of the book to use as evidence. [7] X Research source
• Take notes on your research sources. These will show that you’ve legitimately researched the topic while giving credit to the person who forwarded the idea. [8] X Research source This is especially important if you plan to use direct quotes and will also help you add footnotes and bibliographic information to your essay without having to look them up in the sources.

• Structure your outline as you will your essay, with an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
• The more detail you put into your outline, the easier and more quickly you can write the essay. For example, instead of just writing a basic paragraph about the body, flesh it out into bullet points or sentences that presents argument and supporting evidence. [10] X Research source

Writing an Untimed Essay

• Nothing will keep you from finishing an essay on time like goofing off online or ending up watching eight straight hours of Cartoon Network. Turn the TV off, switch your phone to silent, and exit out of Facebook and other social media/chat sites.
• Make sure you have all your material nearby when you start to write. Getting up to fetch a book or a piece of paper or a snack will eat into your precious time.

• The most important part of your introduction is your argument or thesis statement. This tells the reader the point your trying to make in the essay. [13] X Research source
• Write a “hook” that will grab the reader’s attention to start, then introduce the argument with a few relevant facts woven into the narrative. End by stating how you will demonstrate your points. [14] X Research source
• An example of a hook could be, “People say Napoleon had a complex because of his size, but he was actually an average height for the time in which he lived.”
• It's sometimes helpful to write the introduction after you have written the body so you know how to introduce the topic and your arguments best. [15] X Research source
• A good rule of thumb is to not have the introduction be more the 10% of your essay. Thus, for a five page essay, you shouldn’t write more than one paragraph. [16] X Research source

• Pick two to three main points to help make your argument or thesis statement. Any fewer and you won’t have enough evidence for your argument and any more may make you not explore each point thoroughly enough. [18] X Research source
• Keep your evidence to support the main points concise. Going off on explanatory tangents will cost you precious time.
• Support your main points with the evidence compiled during your research. Make sure to explain how the evidence supports your claims! [19] X Research source
• If haven’t reached your word limit, pick a main point and conduct more research on it to expand on your point. [20] X Research source

• Avoid "fat" language when you write. Text that includes long prepositional phrases, passive verbs, and paragraphs that don't further your argument waste time that you could spend writing or revising your essay.

• Free-writing can also help you overcome writer’s block that results from not knowing how to say something. If you’re struggling with getting the wording of an idea just right, write it as well as you can and come back to it later.

• The essay conclusion should also be relatively short. Aim for the conclusion to be 5-10% of your essay’s total length.
• Aim to do more in your conclusion than just restate your thesis and the evidence you used. You could acknowledge the limitations of your argument, suggest a direction for future research, or expand the relevance of your topic to a wider field.
• Just as you drew in reader with good introduction, end your conclusion with a sentence that make a lasting impression on your reader. [24] X Research source

• Re-read the entire essay. Make sure that you are still arguing the same thing at the end of the essay that you are at the beginning. If not, go back and adjust your thesis.
• Make sure that your paragraphs build on one another and don’t feel haphazard. You can use transitions and strong topic sentences to help you draw connections between your paragraphs.
• Spelling and grammar are the easiest mistakes to revise, but they cost you a lot of reader goodwill if you don’t fix them. [25] X Research source

Writing a Timed Essay

• Read the prompt carefully! If the question asks you to take a position, take one. If it asks you to evaluate the events that led to the downfall of Rome, don’t just give a summary of Roman history. [26] X Research source
• Jot down an idea map. You probably won’t have time to make a formal outline. However, having an idea of the main points that you want to touch on and how they relate will help you structure the essay. If you can’t figure out how to connect your main points, that’s a sign you need to think a little bit more before you start writing.
• Figure out your argument. Once you’ve noted down some main points, figure out what you want to say about them. Even timed essays need a unified argument or thesis.

• For example, you wouldn’t want to spend the same amount of time and effort on a 3-paragraph essay question worth 20% as you would a 2-page essay question worth 60%.
• If you see a question that you feel will be more difficult for you, it could be a good idea to tackle it first. This will get the hard stuff out of the way while you’re still fresh.

• If you notice that your introductory paragraph starts with something broad or hugely general, such as “Throughout the history of time, humans have been fascinated by science,” cut it.
• Don’t put anything in a timed essay that doesn’t support your point. If you are talking about the importance of religious belief in modern society, don’t dilute your point by also referencing socialism, Hollywood, and banana farming.

• Claim. This is the main argument of the paragraph. It is probably located in your topic sentence.
• Evidence. This is the supporting detail that proves your claim.
• Explanation. This connects the evidence back to your claim and explains why the evidence proves what you say it does.
• If anything in your paragraph doesn’t fit one of these three elements, it’s a good sign you don’t need it in the paragraph.

• Does the essay actually demonstrate and support what your thesis says is the main argument? It’s not uncommon for ideas to evolve as you write. If this has happened, tweak your thesis accordingly.
• Do the paragraphs flow smoothly from one to the next? Timed essays don’t have the same standards that regular essays do, but your reader should still be able to follow your argument in a logical progression without feeling yanked around or lost.
• Do you offer a conclusion that sums up your argument? Don’t leave the essay hanging without a conclusion. Even if it’s very brief, a conclusion will help your essay feel complete.

Community Q&A

• Transition words such as "furthermore", "indeed", and "in fact" can make your flow better. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Don't fluff up your essay too much. A reader will want you to get to the point as quickly as possible. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• When starting a new paragraph, don't forget to indent. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ https://www.savethestudent.org/extra-guides/how-to-write-a-3000-word-essay-in-a-day.html
• ↑ https://www.writingsimplified.com/2011/06/how-to-write-essay-fast.html
• ↑ https://www.slate.com/articles/technology/the_browser/2011/08/slowpoke.2.html
• ↑ https://amst522.wordpress.com/2010/09/13/how-to-gut-a-book-or-the-best-advise-my-grad-school-advisor-ever-gave-me/
• ↑ https://classroom.synonym.com/write-effective-essay-fast-4252.html
• ↑ https://www.slate.com/articles/technology/the_browser/2011/08/slowpoke.html
• ↑ https://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic1/timed-essays-top-5-tips-for-writing-academic-essays-under-pressure/

About This Article

If you need to write a good essay in a short amount of time, try to plan your argument and avoid distractions while you're writing. Before you start your essay, decide your thesis statement or the main argument you want to make. This will help you narrow down your research and write the essay quicker. Find a quiet place to work, turn your phone off, and avoid any other distractions. Make sure you schedule short breaks to avoid burn out. If you get stuck, write whatever you can, even if you think it’s really bad or doesn’t make sense. It will be much easier to edit once you’ve gotten the words on the page. Make sure you leave a few hours to revise and spellcheck your essay. For more tips from our Teaching co-author, including how to write a timed essay, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Write a Last Minute Essay

←What If I Don’t Have Anything Interesting to Write About in My College Essay?

8 Tips for Overcoming Writer’s Block→

Ooops! You waited until the very last minute to begin the college application process, and it’s probably stressing you out. But never fear – CollegeVine is here to make sure that your procrastination impacts your essay as minimally as possible.

We’ve included a guide for the 30-day essay, the 15-day essay, and the 3-day essay. If you have multiple essays to write in a short time, you can follow the appropriate guide for multiple prompts simultaneously, or offset it by a few days.

The 30-Day Essay

At this point, you want to focus on ideas. You have the freedom to spend a few days figuring out which direction your essay is going to take, so take your time to think about what you want to convey in your essay. Find four to five topics to begin with—you can ask your parents, friends, and teachers about what they find interesting about you in order to speed this process up. Try to choose anecdotes from your life that, in retrospect, you learned from, and these stories will inform your topic. Even the shortest, most insignificant moment can make a great essay if it shaped you in some way. If you are writing a “why this school” essay, make a list of reasons why you are applying. Do appropriate research to find strong reasons that show your genuine interest in the school. 

Now that you have a few potential topics, think about how each one would respond to the prompt. Spend 15 minutes outlining each one, using your prompt to guide the outline. In essays that ask you to tell a story, a good topic should write itself and finding a strong essay idea will nearly always be more productive than forcing a story to respond to the prompt. For “why this school” essays, focus on the structure and connection between your reasons. Giving this step the necessary hours now will pay off later. Narrow your list of potential topics to your top one to three choices.

Now it’s time to put pen to paper. If you’re having a hard time, try writing in different environments—coffee shops, your room, or a library, for example—and alternate between topics, and remember that at least at this stage, more words is better than fewer; there will be a step to polish your writing later. 

By day 14, you should have written one rough essay for every “top choice” topic you decided on during day 5. This means that you should now have anywhere between one to three potential essays for a single prompt.

If you do have more than one essay written, it is now time to choose a single essay. Out of the two or three essays you have written in the past couple days, there is probably one that speaks to you more than the rest. If you’re having a hard time, think about which of the topics you’d like to spend another two weeks with, and try to figure out which one says the most about you. Essays with twice the number of words allowed or more should be ruled out; the anecdote is probably too long, or the topic requires too much detail to be effective.

Break days! Distance is important when writing. Take a break from your essays so that you can continue to edit with a fresh mind. These are great days to give your essay to other people to edit—school faculty members who know you well, a coach/music teacher, your parents, and one or two friends. If you are over the word limit, ask specifically for these editors to help you cut down the essay.

Reading your essay with a fresh mind should help you catch big, structural edits. Your first round of edits should involve content edits; you’re looking for what the essay really says about you as a person, and whether that was what you were trying to get across. How does the sentence flow? Does the essay move itself?

Break day! Get some more distance from your writing.

At this point, you might have received some edits back from the people you handed your essay to. Go through each of the edits and decide which suggestions you plan to take, and which seem to alter your personal voice or which don’t match the essay stylistically. Try to stay objective as you review these edits—some of them will be detrimental. If you can’t see why the change was made, it’s probably best to ignore it. If multiple people give you the same feedback, however, you may want to give it some thought.

Implement the edits that you liked. Then read through the essay again and make sure that there are no structural edits or content edits that still need to happen.

These days are the middle stage of your editing process. You’re looking for words that don’t fit the style of the essay, or which could be improved, as well as sentence flow problems. Are all your sentences the same length? Is one paragraph not as well written as the rest of the essay? This should also be the time that you cut words. If you are still more than 70 words over, try to cut full sentences. Otherwise, start by cutting unnecessary phrases and words.

Start doing smaller grammatical edits. A great way to catch edits is to record yourself reading your essay aloud and then listening to the recording. As you go through this process, highlight, mark, and comment on your essay. Afterwards, go through and use your notes to fix word flow, word choice, and grammatical mistakes.

Break day! It’s close to the deadline, we know. Take a break anyway – you need and deserve it.

Last minute edits! Spend some quality time with your essay by just reading it every few hours. Try to catch any small mistakes or random sentence flow problems. (If you suddenly realize that you hate your essay, reference the 3-Day Essay below. Be sure that you aren’t being hyper-critical, though—you may just hate the essay because you’ve spent so much time on it).

Congratulations! Your essay is done! It’s time for you to catch a break. 

The 15-Day Essay

Spend a few hours working on a list of ideas that could become potential essays. Choose one and make an outline.

Write your essay!

Ask a few people who you think would give constructive comments to read your essay— teachers, parents, and  friends. Spend some time doing content and structure edits. Figure out what you want the essay to convey about your personality, and determine whether your essay actually gets this across.

Do some structural editing. Pay attention to sentence flow, the length of paragraphs, overall organization. If your essay is too long, try to cut down on unnecessary information. Pay close attention to the way that you have structured paragraphs and make sure each one makes sense.

Take a break!

Synthesize the comments you received on your essay. Decide which suggestions you want to use and which ones you don’t. If you can’t figure out why a particular suggestion was made, ask the person who gave it. After you’ve gone through all the feedback, edit your essay accordingly.

Cut your essay down to the word limit – ask yourself which anecdotes, details, and adjectives are truly necessary. If you’re having trouble, reference the editors that you spoke to previously.

Work on grammatical and other small edits. Look for minor things that need to be corrected, such as punctuation and word choice. This process requires a few dedicated hours. Aim to really spend some time polishing your language. Reading your essay aloud can be a productive way to accomplish this.

Take a break from your essay!

Spend the whole day with your essay. Every few hours, do a reread and see if you can catch any small last minute edits. Don’t try to change anything major—you don’t have time!

Submit the essay and take a good nap. You’ve finished! 

The 3-Day Essay

Don’t panic. This is doable, but it’ll be a busy few days. Spend the morning coming up with ideas for your essay. Choose one, and use the afternoon to write it. Email this draft to teachers, and show it to your parents. Then, take a few hours off, and later at night, read it through to edit for content. Does the essay say what you intended it to?

Check your email throughout the day. When you get edits back, start incorporating those into the essay. Be picky about which ones you choose to include because you don’t want to take your own voice out of the essay. Spend the day doing structural edits. Every hour, take a thirty minute break from editing. By the end of the day, you should have an essay that fits within the word limit and also has a strong flow. The organization should be good, and you should be able to see how the essay builds upon itself.

DO NOT OPEN EDITS. If any of your readers have replied to your email, don’t open them at all. At this point, the extra edits will just freak you out, and you don’t have time to do major fixes. The name of the game today is small edits; look for grammar, word changes, and minor sentence structure changes. When you’re finally done, take a breath; you can finally relax. 

The 1-Day Essay 

Of course, writing a college essay the day before it’s due is far from ideal, but we know there are probably some of you out there who will find yourself in this situation. Don’t worry, it is not hopeless. Instead of trying to fit a step-by-step plan into a tight timespan, we’ve compiled some general tips to help you churn out that essay in one day. 

Choose your prompts strategically.

If you already know what you’re going to write about, great! Move on to the next tip. If not, see if you might have already written an essay to any of the available prompts. Especially if the prompts are open-ended, you may have already addressed a potential topic in previous school papers. Look through your files to see if you have any essays that you might be able to recycle. The key here is recycle : it goes without saying that you shouldn’t use a previously-written essay word for word for your college submission. You should still take time to tailor it to the prompt and make sure that it conveys your message clearly, whether it’s illustrating your strengths or expressing why you wish to attend that particular college. 

Make an outline. 

Yes, you may feel that you don’t have time for extensive planning, and that you should just jump in and get everything on paper. Try to rein in this urge and take one hour to make a brief outline, spelling out your “thesis” and all the points you want to address. This will help keep your thoughts in order as you write, especially in such a time-constricted context. 

Get that distance, re-read, and edit. 

It’s always tempting to just click submit once you’re done with a project you worked long and hard on, to feel that relief when you know it’s done. However, especially given the rushed nature of a last-minute essay like this, the revision and editing process is crucial, even if it’ll be minimal. Blatant errors will reflect poorly in your application! 

So when you’re done writing, set it aside for a few hours. Then, reread it, and make any necessary corrections—grammar mistakes, typos, sentence flow. When you’re sure it sounds they way you want it to, then you can submit. 

Wrapping it Up

Procrastinating on your college essays isn’t the best way to go, but it can be saved. If you haven’t started applying yet, start your college essays as early as possible! Longer breaks between editing sessions will allow you to get the distance necessary to be objective, and to produce the best quality essay you can.

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

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Tips To Write A Good Quality Essay In A Day

28 Nov 2022

Have you left your university essay until the last minute? Don’t worry, it is possible to write a good quality piece of work within a day.

It might not be an enjoyable experience but with the right tips and tricks, it can be done.

With our help you’ll have your essay submitted on time!

Although, we wouldn’t recommend getting into the habit of doing this too often.

Carry on reading to find out our top tips to writing an essay within a day…

1. Maintain A Positive Outlook

Possibly the most important thing to do before trying to complete an essay to a tight deadline is to get yourself in the right mindset.

It’s hard to keep the positive vibes flowing when you’re stressed out about completing your university essay.

However, if you can, try your best to remain calm and have a can-do approach.

Telling yourself it’s not possible or you haven’t got enough time isn’t going to help.

Instead, hype yourself up and take some deep breaths.

Whilst is isn’t an ideal situation to be in, it’s possible for you to complete your essay in a day – believe in yourself, you can do it!

After all, you will have completed exams within a set time frame, so this is something you have experience in doing.

You should also remember that stress can be a great motivator when it comes to completing uni work.

Although, a little stress is great, a lot of stress can be a recipe for disaster.

2. Choose Your Working Environment

Our next tip for getting an essay done in a day is to think about your working environment.

Such as, are you going to work on your essay at home or the library?

It’s best to think about where you work best, and which space will have the least distractions.

The last thing you want to do is get distracted by your flatmates partying so find a quiet place you can focus in!

Plus, if you’ve only got a few hours until the submission time, you don’t want to waste time getting to the campus library, or vice versa, heading to your student accommodation from uni.

You should also think about which place has the strongest Wi-Fi connection.

There’s nothing worse than trying to complete uni work and your internet keeps cutting out – it will just stress you out even more!

Once you’ve chosen your study session base, get everything you need ready whether it’s your laptop, books, pen, paper or bottle of water.

If you work well with music on, get your study playlist ready too.

This way you’ll be nice and organised so you can focus on the task at hand with minimal distractions.

If you’re short on time, don’t waste time procrastinating getting everything ready!

3. Fuel Your Body & Mind

You may be running on short time to write your essay in a day but you still need to ensure you fuel your body and mind.

So, make sure that you’ve eaten a healthy breakfast and you’ve drank enough, this way you’ll have the energy you need to get your essay done.

We’re not saying you should spend an hour in the kitchen cheffing up a full English if your essay deadline is fast approaching, just make sure you eat at least something and keep yourself hydrated.

Try to be careful with caffeinated drinks too, you may think the only way you’ll get your essay done is by chugging back tons of energy drinks or cups of coffee.

However, you’ll end up crashing after a few hours and feel super fatigued if you knock back too many red bulls.

Instead, just go for the one or two energy drinks or cuppas and you’ll have enough energy to get your work done!

4. Create An Essay Plan

Next within our guide to tips to write an essay in a day is to create a plan to follow and refer back to throughout the process.

As you know, for any piece of academic writing, you should always spend time beforehand planning.

Whilst you may be short on time in this instance, it’s still important to research and understand what your essay topic is about.

Even if you just spend half an hour researching and planning what you’re going to discuss within your essay, this is better than no planning at all.

If you dive straight into writing, you won’t have gathered enough material and information to write your essay to a high standard – we don’t want that!

One tip we have for you is to create your plan within the document you’ve created for your essay.

This way you’ll have bullet points and notes to follow for your key ideas so you won’t suffer from writer’s block.

Plus, it will save you a little more time and that’s exactly what you need, ay?

5. Set A Schedule

When it comes to writing an essay quickly, you should try to set a schedule to follow for the day.

You may struggle with time management, but try your best to plan your time for the day and set a schedule to follow.

If you give yourself a certain amount of time to get different sections of your essay written up you’ll ensure that you hit the word limit and get each section complete in the time required.

You don’t want to submit a half finished essay because you spent too long on the introduction and didn’t have time for a conclusion which contains all the information you need for a good mark!

For example, if you’ve got a essay which has a word count of 2000 words, spread it out throughout the day so that the task is more manageable and more like mini-tasks per hour, rather than one massive essay.

We would recommend being realistic about your essay writing though, as it may not be possible for you to hit the word count within a certain time frame – quality over quantity!

Remember to also also ensure you fit in breaks within your daily schedule, you’re not a robot, everyone needs some time to re-charge even if your deadline is just hours away.

This way, you’ll stop yourself from feeling completely drained and you’ll boost your productivity levels!

6. Switch Off From Technology

This next one might seem obvious, but if you’re working against the clock you need to limit as many distractions as possible.

Switch off your phone, your TV or anything else which may distract you before starting to write your essay.

The last thing you want to do is spend an hour scrolling through TikTok rather than writing your essay.

If you feel like you’ll be tempted to keep checking your messages or checking your socials, give your phone to your flatmate or keep it out of sight.

If you like having your phone nearby to you, put it on do not disturb or airplane mode to limit any notifications coming through.

Your time is precious, so try your best not to check social media and procrastinate!

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with taking a break from your work and then checking your phone, just don’t do it too much otherwise your essay won’t get done.

7. Reach Out For Help If You Need It

If you’re reading this guide, chances are you’ve left your essay to the last minute as you don’t have a clue what to write about, or you’ve been too busy to get it done.

Whatever the reason is, don’t be afraid to reach out for help from your lecturers if you are struggling.

Whilst you may think they’re going to judge you for your lack of time management, we’re sure they’d rather you ask for support if you need it.

Your tutors are there to help you, drop them an email or arrange a video call to ask any questions you have if they’re available.

Bear in mind if it is the day of the deadline, they may not be free and could have tons of other people asking them things too, but it’s worth asking!

You could also speak to your course mates and see if they can help you with anything you’re unsure about.

8. Save Time Referencing

No matter what type of essay you’re writing or the subject, you’ll need to include at least some academic sources.

We know, it’s the most dreaded part of any essay even if you have all the time in the world.

It’s something we all hate doing but it’s an important aspect of all good quality articles.

Our first tip is to not leave your referencing until the last minute.

Try to cite your sources as you go through your essay to ensure you don’t leave yourself too much work to do.

Otherwise you’ll have to go back and find the quotes and sources which can be a NIGHTMARE.

If you’re writing your essay using Microsoft Word, make use of their referencing tool to save yourself time spent creating your bibliography.

You can also use helpful referencing building tools like Cite This For Me .

9. Make Sure To Proofread

Our last tip to write an essay in a day is to make sure you proofread.

As you know, writing an essay is a process with many different stages, with the final stage being proof reading and editing.

Chances are, you probably won’t have much time at all to proofread your essay once you’ve finished writing.

However, if you can, spend the last few hours before the deadline to just go through your essay and check for mistakes.

Take a re-read of your essay and check for grammar or spelling errors, as well as sections you may need to re write.

The editing stage is essential and is just as important as the writing part itself.

So, spend at least some time checking over and making amendments before you hit that submit button!

If you’re able to, ask someone else to quickly go over your essay to check for any errors you may have missed.

Don’t spend too long checking your essay if your deadline is quickly approaching as you don’t want to lose marks for submitting it late.

Remember, uploading your essay online can sometimes take a while, so bare this in mind!

Hopefully our tips to write an essay in a day have been helpful for you – we believe in you.

The power is now in your hands to get your essay done, stop procrastinating and go and get it done!

One final thing to takeaway is to remember that you can ask for a deadline extension if there are genuine reasons why you couldn’t submit your essay or any piece of work on time!

Wondering how to change your skincare routine for the winter? Take a read of our helpful guide.

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How to Write a Paper in 1 Day

Without any doubt, the best way you can follow when you are given an academic assignment is to plan ahead and gradually write it over the entire period of time you’re given to perform the task. It is especially true for large research papers that take a while to collect all the information needed when working on them. However, it isn’t always possible to do within the short deadlines, especially when you have not the slightest idea of how to write a paper in a day.

Sometimes, you have too much other work to pay attention to in your research paper. Sometimes, you may lose an almost complete assignment because of a computer crash. That’s why don’t forget to create a backup version to avoid such cases. Sometimes, you simply procrastinate until the very last minute. Reasons don’t matter – what matters is that you have a single day to complete your college assignment and not a single idea on how to do it; if this is the kind of predicament you find yourself in, this article is for you.

How to Write a Research Paper in a Day: Environment

Writing an essay in one day is by no means easy or enjoyable, especially if your school has strict requirements; yet it can be done. However, the situation you are in requires special methods, and it is not enough to just know how to write an essay in general. You have to properly prepare and organize your work strategically. Here are some things you should take care of:

• Don’t panic. Yes, you’ve got yourself into an unpleasant situation and will have to mobilize all your resources to successfully deal with it. However, you are neither the first nor the last student who has to write an essay in 1 day. Most of those who actually try to do the job instead of running around in panic manage to pull it off. You can do it – if you adopt the right mindset.
• Take stock of your time resources. Ask yourself, “How much time can you realistically dedicate to writing an essay?”, “When exactly is a submission date?”, “What other assignments will you have to complete today?”, “How long do you intend to sleep?’, and so on. All these questions will help you realize exactly how much time you have. Maybe, you’ll find an extra hour just to rest.
• Divide the time you have into segments dedicated to specific tasks. There are a lot of stages you need to pass through while writing an academic paper – information collection, reading the sources and making notes, organizing your notes, planning your essay, determining your thesis statement, writing per se, formatting, proofreading, etc. This way, you will know if you are lagging behind and have to work faster.
• Eliminate all possible distractions during the writing process . Turn off your phone and all the notifications you receive. If you live not alone, tell those around you that you are not to be bothered for the entire day today. Ask them to talk as little as possible to you even if you address them (you may be tempted to take a break and go chat with someone halfway through, so take measures beforehand). Use a tool like Leechblock to block all the websites that may ruin your concentration, or you will find yourself wandering off to check social networks when you get tired and bored. Besides, take into consideration tips on how to avoid study distractions . Alternatively, try 5 practical tips on how to avoid distractions and stay focused while studying from the video below.

• Take regular breaks. The prolonged work brings diminishing returns as you get more and more tired. Research-tested benefits of breaks prove this fact. You can alleviate this effect by resting a little bit every now and then: take a break of at least 5 minutes every 45 minutes or so. Don’t go chatting with someone as you risk to spend too much time doing it. Instead, do some quick physical exercises, drink a cup of water, and get back to work.
• Try a change of scenes. If you find yourself incapable of concentrating in your usual workspace, try going somewhere else. Some students write better in libraries or in coffee shops – if you see such an environment more helpful, try it out. Additionally, you can find someone who could give you some ideas for writing.
• Don’t neglect food and water. Good hydration is instrumental for clear thinking, and food will maintain your energy levels that will certainly be drained before you are done with your paper. This means that you should stock up on water (water, not soda) and some healthy snacks to keep you going while you are working.

When you need to avoid so many mistakes and time is running short, it’s only logical to ask someone for help. It’s also important to address a real expert when you say, “ Do my essay for me , I need top-level assistance!” Your wish to search for professional assistance online is perfectly normal, as long as you use materials ethically and choose the companies that only hire top-level writers. That way, you can be sure that you’ll get quality assistance as quickly as possible.

How to Deal with an Urgent Paper: Preparation

Once you’ve got into the right state of mind, it is time… not to write, but to carefully prepare the groundwork. Otherwise, you risk going in a wrong direction and wasting what you shouldn’t waste right now – your time.

✏  Don’t try to trick your teacher or instructor and try to make your essay longer than it really is. There are many ways to do it: using slightly wider margins or a larger font, for example. Don’t be tempted to do this – any English teacher has seen it done dozens of times and will immediately recognize such tricks. The only thing you achieve is that a look of deep annoyance crossed their faces. You surely don’t want this to reflect in your grade. Right?

✏  Make sure you understand the essay question(s). When you are under the time pressure, it is likely easy to skim over the question to get to writing faster. Don’t do this – it is all too easy to miss some crucial details and realize it only when you reread the question after the essay is finished. It may be too late to introduce any changes. It is especially dangerous when you are nervous (and you are understandably nervous if you have an essay to be done in a few hours) – your brain can’t think straight, and you may be inclined to see what you want or expect to see instead of what is written in the question. That’s why you should always take your time and read the question carefully.

✏  Find reliable information sources in advance. If you already know which books you are going to use, it’s excellent. If not, use the academic search and indexing services like Google Scholar or EBSCO to find sources dealing with your topic. Make notes if necessary or simply place bookmarks in places you are going to use in your writing to avoid losing time hunting for the necessary fragments while you work. Plunge into evaluating the information you find in your sources.

✏  Prepare your thesis statement. A thesis statement is a short (no more than a couple of sentences at most) expression of the main gist of your argument. Summing up your argument makes it easier to organize your information and keep to a single train of thought throughout your essay. If you find it difficult to boil your argument down to a single sentence, there are chances that you don’t quite realize what you are writing about. Your idea for the essay is either too vague or you don’t quite understand the question. Don’t start writing until you get it out of the way – otherwise, you risk wasting valuable time.

Working on an Urgent Paper: Writing Itself

As for the writing per se, working on a paper that has to be done today is quite similar to the way you usually work – the only difference is that you have to save time whenever possible and work fast. It may be quite difficult to keep the necessary pace, so you should take care to maintain the discipline and avoid distractions. Here are some other things that you may want to consider:

• Speed things up by typing your notes in the same document you use for writing an essay. For example, plan out what exactly you are going to write in each paragraph: write a single sentence describing the main point it covers and a couple of lines that support the evidence for each paragraph. After you’ve mentioned all the points you want, reread the results. If necessary, reorganize them in the order that you consider as the most logical one. What results from it is going to be both a detailed outline of your essay and a framework around which you are going to build it.
• Arrange an outline that is basically the gist of your essay without all the usual filler, padding, and quotations. Your job now is to provide exactly this. Spread out your arguments, add citations from your sources, make sure paragraphs flow into one another logically, fill in the blanks, and you will see how the essay grows around the frame.
• Don’t bother with introduction and conclusion until you’ve written everything else. The introduction comes first for the reader but not for you. It should be written from the perspective of someone who already knows everything there. Know about the subject matter, research the essay question thoroughly and make all the necessary conclusions. If you try to write the introduction first, you will most likely have to rewrite it from scratch later on, so don’t bother. The most logical order of writing is a thesis statement – body paragraphs – introduction – conclusion. This order has been established by specialists long before you, so don’t try to reinvent the wheel.
• Complete the reference list. If you are told to provide references for your essay, do it as you go along. Don’t either put it off until the end (this way you may miss something) or try to organize your bibliography beforehand (you never know which sources exactly you are going to quote). Depending on the formatting style you use (APA, MLA, Harvard, etc.), organize quotations either as footnotes or directly in the text (as it is accepted in the APA style). When you quote somebody, add the necessary note to your bibliography and in the paper itself.
• Concentrate on one task at a time. Right now, it is writing. Don’t get distracted by correcting typos or mistakes until you’ve finished typing the whole essay unless you get really bothered by red underline in Microsoft Word. If you constantly go back to correct something, you risk losing your train of thought and, therefore, your momentum.
• Don’t plagiarize. As you write, you may be tempted to simply copy and paste a sentence or two here and there to speed up the process. Don’t do this. If you take something from another book or article, always quote it. Plagiarism is a serious academic offense that will cause you to lose your instructor’s trust at the very least. In many colleges, it may lead to other, even more unpleasant, consequences, up to expulsion. Taking into account how easy it is to check if the text is original these days, the risk is simply not worth it.
• Avoid relying on quotes too much. Students pressed for time often introduce long and numerous quotes into their writing, trying to bloat their word count as quickly as possible. Don’t do this – it is an obvious trick and immediately demonstrates that you didn’t do the work you were expected to. Most of the content should be your own. If you use quotes, make sure they are short and to the point.

How to Write a Research Paper in One Day: TOP Mistakes to Avoid

When thinking, “I need to write my paper in the same day, what do I do?” the main thing is to stay away from the range of mistakes your fellow students tend to make: 

• Lack of planning. If you fail to plan, outline, or draft the paper, chances are you’ll fail to complete the work on time. 
• Ignoring instructions. One of the main reasons students fail to get the paper done in one day is that they don’t stick to the given requirements. 
• Neglecting editing or proofreading. No matter how fast you write your paper, editing it is a must. How to write a paper in a day? By thoroughly editing and proofreading it. 
• Insufficient research. The problem is that many undergrads are so focused on how to write an essay in a day that they neglect the research stage. 

Overemphasis on quantity . If you choose the word count as your priority, lack of focus and relevant content will 100% become the problem.

Writing a paper in a single day may seem like an impossible task, but you can do it if you organize yourself and decide here and now that you are going to emerge victorious from this predicament. Use these tips, and we are sure that you will be able to pull this off!

Can I Write an Essay in a Day?

Yes. You can accomplish an essay in a day. With focused work, careful planning, in-depth research, proper time management, and zero distractions, you can get the job done within the specified deadline. 

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Author: Patricia Jenkins

Patricia Jenkins is the senior writing advisor at FastEssay blog for international students that seek quick paper assistance. In her blog, Patricia shares useful tips on productivity, writing, research, references. Sometimes Patricia goes off topic by sharing her personal experience peppered with lively humor and healthy irony. View all posts by Patricia Jenkins

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How to write an essay in a week (or less)

Katie October 17, 2022 goal setting , time management , writing tips

By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed.

Let me be clear: Although this blog post teaches you how to write an essay in a week, I am not suggesting that you ever rush your writing. Good writing takes time, planning, deep thinking, and revision. While one week is enough time to write most high school and college essays, some advanced research papers require more time. Knowing the difference is important.

How to write an essay in a week or less

Below, I list the general steps for writing an essay in one week, from start to finish. Depending on your grade level, essay topic, and teacher’s requirements, you might need to adjust things here and there – but following the sequence below will get you to the finish line. 

If you’re in a pickle (I see you, procrastinators), then you can adjust the framework timeline to complete an essay in four days.

Day one: Plan and Outline

For this step, it’s important to gather all the materials you think you’ll need for the writing process. Get your articles, textbook, novel, or whatever you’ll need for researching and referencing as you write. 

1. Write and clarify your thesis.

Every essay has a thesis. A thesis is what you’re arguing. Here are three possible thesis scenarios:

• Your teacher gives you a thesis
• Your teacher gives you a prompt that can be turned (reworded) into a thesis 
• You have to create your own thesis

Scenario 3 (you have to write your own thesis) requires more work because you have to come up with your own argument. Here are my best tips for writing a thesis statement .

Remember, a good thesis will have two parts. What you’re arguing, and then how or why.

2. Outline the essay.

I suggest you outline the essay on day one, right after coming up with your thesis. In some cases, you will create the second half of your thesis statement (the how or why) as you work through your outline and think more about the topic.

How to outline an essay:

• In a Google Document, write your thesis at the top of the page. Leave this thesis statement here for the entire time you’re writing the essay. It’s your North Star. When you lose focus, come back to the thesis statement.
• Determine the structure of your essay. (You may need to follow your teacher’s requirements.) Do you need to write five paragraphs? Four pages? Is it a compare and contrast essay? See the graphic below for various suggestions for structuring different types of essays.)
• Outline each paragraph of your essay according to the structure you chose in step 2 above. The main bullet headings should be the topic sentence, and supporting details with evidence should be bullet points below that.

Day Two: Write

You’ll spend Day 2 writing your essay. Do not edit at this point! Editing is done on a separate day. You may start with your introduction paragraph, or you could start with one of your body paragraphs. I suggest you build momentum by starting at the point you feel most confident writing about. Again, that could be the middle of your essay. If you’re including quotations in your essay, you will need to thoroughly analyze them. Here’s my step-by-step on how to analyze quotes in an essay .

It’s important to take breaks when you write. A good work-to-rest ratio is 45 minutes to work, and 15 mins to take a break. If you build momentum and don’t want to break after 45 minutes, then keep going, but cap it off at 90 minutes. 

After 90 minutes, take a longer break. It’s also okay to split your writing sessions over the course of the day: plan one writing session in the morning or afternoon, and another one in the evening.

Day Three: Write

Day 3 looks similar to Day 2. Continue writing. As before, avoid editing your work while you are writing it. The more well-built your outline is (Day 1), the quicker the writing process will be.

Writing tip: If you’re incorporating quotations into your essay, be sure to integrate and analyze them well.

• Properly integrated quotations don’t stand alone as sentences; rather, they are part of a larger sentence. 
• Your analysis of quotations should be around three to seven sentences long. Dig deep and explain a) what the quote means, and b) why it matters to the point you’re making.

Days Four – Five: Write or Edit

How you spend Days 4 and 5 depends on how complex your essay is, and how tight your deadline is.

If you’re planning to write your essay in a week, then you can use Day 4 to continue writing, and Day 5 to edit (more on that below). If you’re planning to write your essay in less than a week, then you should spend most of Day 4 editing. 

Day Five-Six: Finish Writing; Edit

Depending on your deadline and essay complexity, you will begin the editing process on Day 4, 5 or 6. 

• Here is my full tutorial with step-by-step instructions for editing your essays .
• Here is my free Essay Editing Checklist (free pdf download) to help you know what to edit for.

Remember, editing your essay should be done on a different day than writing your essay. You need to break the two processes apart with time in between so that your brain has time to “flush the cache” and come back to your writing with fresh eyes. 

Day Six: Edit and Submit

Your essay is due on Day 7. It should be completed the day before, on Day 6. At this point, you’re simply ensuring you’ve used the proper format ( MLA, APA, etc .), your works cited page is adequate, and you’ve checked your rubric thoroughly. 

If your teacher allows, you can submit your essay on Day 6, before it’s due. 

Day Seven: Done

Submit the essay. Make sure your submission is complete (pdf uploaded, essay printed and handed, etc) before you consider yourself “done.”

Final notes about planning and writing essays

The tips in this article teach you how to write an essay in a week or less. But, it’s important to create your timeline by working backward from the day you’re assigned the essay. If your teacher assigns an essay on Monday, and it’s due on Friday, reverse engineer your days so that you complete the essay on Thursday night. Reverse engineering your time allows you to see exactly which days you need to complete which steps. In some cases, you might need to create your thesis, write your outline, and begin the writing process all on Day 1.

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Tips for Online Students , Tips for Students

How To Write An Essay: Beginner Tips And Tricks

Updated: July 11, 2022

Published: June 22, 2021

Many students dread writing essays, but essay writing is an important skill to develop in high school, university, and even into your future career. By learning how to write an essay properly, the process can become more enjoyable and you’ll find you’re better able to organize and articulate your thoughts.

When writing an essay, it’s common to follow a specific pattern, no matter what the topic is. Once you’ve used the pattern a few times and you know how to structure an essay, it will become a lot more simple to apply your knowledge to every essay. 

No matter which major you choose, you should know how to craft a good essay. Here, we’ll cover the basics of essay writing, along with some helpful tips to make the writing process go smoothly.

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Types of Essays

Think of an essay as a discussion. There are many types of discussions you can have with someone else. You can be describing a story that happened to you, you might explain to them how to do something, or you might even argue about a certain topic. 

When it comes to different types of essays, it follows a similar pattern. Like a friendly discussion, each type of essay will come with its own set of expectations or goals. 

For example, when arguing with a friend, your goal is to convince them that you’re right. The same goes for an argumentative essay. 

Here are a few of the main essay types you can expect to come across during your time in school:

Narrative Essay

This type of essay is almost like telling a story, not in the traditional sense with dialogue and characters, but as if you’re writing out an event or series of events to relay information to the reader.

Persuasive Essay

Here, your goal is to persuade the reader about your views on a specific topic.

Descriptive Essay

This is the kind of essay where you go into a lot more specific details describing a topic such as a place or an event. 

Argumentative Essay

In this essay, you’re choosing a stance on a topic, usually controversial, and your goal is to present evidence that proves your point is correct.

Expository Essay

Your purpose with this type of essay is to tell the reader how to complete a specific process, often including a step-by-step guide or something similar.

Compare and Contrast Essay

You might have done this in school with two different books or characters, but the ultimate goal is to draw similarities and differences between any two given subjects.

The Main Stages of Essay Writing

When it comes to writing an essay, many students think the only stage is getting all your ideas down on paper and submitting your work. However, that’s not quite the case. 

There are three main stages of writing an essay, each one with its own purpose. Of course, writing the essay itself is the most substantial part, but the other two stages are equally as important.

So, what are these three stages of essay writing? They are:

Preparation

Before you even write one word, it’s important to prepare the content and structure of your essay. If a topic wasn’t assigned to you, then the first thing you should do is settle on a topic. Next, you want to conduct your research on that topic and create a detailed outline based on your research. The preparation stage will make writing your essay that much easier since, with your outline and research, you should already have the skeleton of your essay.

Writing is the most time-consuming stage. In this stage, you will write out all your thoughts and ideas and craft your essay based on your outline. You’ll work on developing your ideas and fleshing them out throughout the introduction, body, and conclusion (more on these soon).

In the final stage, you’ll go over your essay and check for a few things. First, you’ll check if your essay is cohesive, if all the points make sense and are related to your topic, and that your facts are cited and backed up. You can also check for typos, grammar and punctuation mistakes, and formatting errors.  

The Five-Paragraph Essay

We mentioned earlier that essay writing follows a specific structure, and for the most part in academic or college essays , the five-paragraph essay is the generally accepted structure you’ll be expected to use. 

The five-paragraph essay is broken down into one introduction paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a closing paragraph. However, that doesn’t always mean that an essay is written strictly in five paragraphs, but rather that this structure can be used loosely and the three body paragraphs might become three sections instead.

Let’s take a closer look at each section and what it entails.

Introduction

As the name implies, the purpose of your introduction paragraph is to introduce your idea. A good introduction begins with a “hook,” something that grabs your reader’s attention and makes them excited to read more. 

Another key tenant of an introduction is a thesis statement, which usually comes towards the end of the introduction itself. Your thesis statement should be a phrase that explains your argument, position, or central idea that you plan on developing throughout the essay. 

You can also include a short outline of what to expect in your introduction, including bringing up brief points that you plan on explaining more later on in the body paragraphs.

Here is where most of your essay happens. The body paragraphs are where you develop your ideas and bring up all the points related to your main topic. 

In general, you’re meant to have three body paragraphs, or sections, and each one should bring up a different point. Think of it as bringing up evidence. Each paragraph is a different piece of evidence, and when the three pieces are taken together, it backs up your main point — your thesis statement — really well.

That being said, you still want each body paragraph to be tied together in some way so that the essay flows. The points should be distinct enough, but they should relate to each other, and definitely to your thesis statement. Each body paragraph works to advance your point, so when crafting your essay, it’s important to keep this in mind so that you avoid going off-track or writing things that are off-topic.

Many students aren’t sure how to write a conclusion for an essay and tend to see their conclusion as an afterthought, but this section is just as important as the rest of your work. 

You shouldn’t be presenting any new ideas in your conclusion, but you should summarize your main points and show how they back up your thesis statement. 

Essentially, the conclusion is similar in structure and content to the introduction, but instead of introducing your essay, it should be wrapping up the main thoughts and presenting them to the reader as a singular closed argument. 

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Steps to Writing an Essay

Now that you have a better idea of an essay’s structure and all the elements that go into it, you might be wondering what the different steps are to actually write your essay. 

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Instead of going in blind, follow these steps on how to write your essay from start to finish.

Understand Your Assignment

When writing an essay for an assignment, the first critical step is to make sure you’ve read through your assignment carefully and understand it thoroughly. You want to check what type of essay is required, that you understand the topic, and that you pay attention to any formatting or structural requirements. You don’t want to lose marks just because you didn’t read the assignment carefully.

Research Your Topic

Once you understand your assignment, it’s time to do some research. In this step, you should start looking at different sources to get ideas for what points you want to bring up throughout your essay. 

Search online or head to the library and get as many resources as possible. You don’t need to use them all, but it’s good to start with a lot and then narrow down your sources as you become more certain of your essay’s direction.

Start Brainstorming

After research comes the brainstorming. There are a lot of different ways to start the brainstorming process . Here are a few you might find helpful:

• Think about what you found during your research that interested you the most
• Jot down all your ideas, even if they’re not yet fully formed
• Create word clouds or maps for similar terms or ideas that come up so you can group them together based on their similarities
• Try freewriting to get all your ideas out before arranging them

Create a Thesis

This is often the most tricky part of the whole process since you want to create a thesis that’s strong and that you’re about to develop throughout the entire essay. Therefore, you want to choose a thesis statement that’s broad enough that you’ll have enough to say about it, but not so broad that you can’t be precise. 

Write Your Outline

Armed with your research, brainstorming sessions, and your thesis statement, the next step is to write an outline. 

In the outline, you’ll want to put your thesis statement at the beginning and start creating the basic skeleton of how you want your essay to look. 

A good way to tackle an essay is to use topic sentences . A topic sentence is like a mini-thesis statement that is usually the first sentence of a new paragraph. This sentence introduces the main idea that will be detailed throughout the paragraph. 

If you create an outline with the topic sentences for your body paragraphs and then a few points of what you want to discuss, you’ll already have a strong starting point when it comes time to sit down and write. This brings us to our next step… 

Write a First Draft

The first time you write your entire essay doesn’t need to be perfect, but you do need to get everything on the page so that you’re able to then write a second draft or review it afterward. 

Everyone’s writing process is different. Some students like to write their essay in the standard order of intro, body, and conclusion, while others prefer to start with the “meat” of the essay and tackle the body, and then fill in the other sections afterward. 

Make sure your essay follows your outline and that everything relates to your thesis statement and your points are backed up by the research you did. 

Revise, Edit, and Proofread

The revision process is one of the three main stages of writing an essay, yet many people skip this step thinking their work is done after the first draft is complete. 

However, proofreading, reviewing, and making edits on your essay can spell the difference between a B paper and an A.

After writing the first draft, try and set your essay aside for a few hours or even a day or two, and then come back to it with fresh eyes to review it. You might find mistakes or inconsistencies you missed or better ways to formulate your arguments.

Add the Finishing Touches

Finally, you’ll want to make sure everything that’s required is in your essay. Review your assignment again and see if all the requirements are there, such as formatting rules, citations, quotes, etc. 

Go over the order of your paragraphs and make sure everything makes sense, flows well, and uses the same writing style . 

Once everything is checked and all the last touches are added, give your essay a final read through just to ensure it’s as you want it before handing it in. 

A good way to do this is to read your essay out loud since you’ll be able to hear if there are any mistakes or inaccuracies.

Essay Writing Tips

With the steps outlined above, you should be able to craft a great essay. Still, there are some other handy tips we’d recommend just to ensure that the essay writing process goes as smoothly as possible.

• Start your essay early. This is the first tip for a reason. It’s one of the most important things you can do to write a good essay. If you start it the night before, then you won’t have enough time to research, brainstorm, and outline — and you surely won’t have enough time to review.
• Don’t try and write it in one sitting. It’s ok if you need to take breaks or write it over a few days. It’s better to write it in multiple sittings so that you have a fresh mind each time and you’re able to focus.
• Always keep the essay question in mind. If you’re given an assigned question, then you should always keep it handy when writing your essay to make sure you’re always working to answer the question.
• Use transitions between paragraphs. In order to improve the readability of your essay, try and make clear transitions between paragraphs. This means trying to relate the end of one paragraph to the beginning of the next one so the shift doesn’t seem random.
• Integrate your research thoughtfully. Add in citations or quotes from your research materials to back up your thesis and main points. This will show that you did the research and that your thesis is backed up by it.

Wrapping Up

Writing an essay doesn’t need to be daunting if you know how to approach it. Using our essay writing steps and tips, you’ll have better knowledge on how to write an essay and you’ll be able to apply it to your next assignment. Once you do this a few times, it will become more natural to you and the essay writing process will become quicker and easier.

If you still need assistance with your essay, check with a student advisor to see if they offer help with writing. At University of the People(UoPeople), we always want our students to succeed, so our student advisors are ready to help with writing skills when necessary. 

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• How to write an essay introduction | 4 steps & examples

How to Write an Essay Introduction | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on February 4, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 23, 2023.

A good introduction paragraph is an essential part of any academic essay . It sets up your argument and tells the reader what to expect.

The main goals of an introduction are to:

• Catch your reader’s attention.
• Give background on your topic.
• Present your thesis statement —the central point of your essay.

This introduction example is taken from our interactive essay example on the history of Braille.

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

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Table of contents

Step 1: hook your reader, step 2: give background information, step 3: present your thesis statement, step 4: map your essay’s structure, step 5: check and revise, more examples of essay introductions, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.

Your first sentence sets the tone for the whole essay, so spend some time on writing an effective hook.

Avoid long, dense sentences—start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

The hook should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of the topic you’re writing about and why it’s interesting. Avoid overly broad claims or plain statements of fact.

Examples: Writing a good hook

Take a look at these examples of weak hooks and learn how to improve them.

• Braille was an extremely important invention.
• The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

The first sentence is a dry fact; the second sentence is more interesting, making a bold claim about exactly  why the topic is important.

• The internet is defined as “a global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities.”
• The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education.

Avoid using a dictionary definition as your hook, especially if it’s an obvious term that everyone knows. The improved example here is still broad, but it gives us a much clearer sense of what the essay will be about.

• Mary Shelley’s  Frankenstein is a famous book from the nineteenth century.
• Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement.

Instead of just stating a fact that the reader already knows, the improved hook here tells us about the mainstream interpretation of the book, implying that this essay will offer a different interpretation.

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Next, give your reader the context they need to understand your topic and argument. Depending on the subject of your essay, this might include:

• Historical, geographical, or social context
• An outline of the debate you’re addressing
• A summary of relevant theories or research about the topic
• Definitions of key terms

The information here should be broad but clearly focused and relevant to your argument. Don’t give too much detail—you can mention points that you will return to later, but save your evidence and interpretation for the main body of the essay.

How much space you need for background depends on your topic and the scope of your essay. In our Braille example, we take a few sentences to introduce the topic and sketch the social context that the essay will address:

Now it’s time to narrow your focus and show exactly what you want to say about the topic. This is your thesis statement —a sentence or two that sums up your overall argument.

This is the most important part of your introduction. A  good thesis isn’t just a statement of fact, but a claim that requires evidence and explanation.

The goal is to clearly convey your own position in a debate or your central point about a topic.

Particularly in longer essays, it’s helpful to end the introduction by signposting what will be covered in each part. Keep it concise and give your reader a clear sense of the direction your argument will take.

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As you research and write, your argument might change focus or direction as you learn more.

For this reason, it’s often a good idea to wait until later in the writing process before you write the introduction paragraph—it can even be the very last thing you write.

When you’ve finished writing the essay body and conclusion , you should return to the introduction and check that it matches the content of the essay.

It’s especially important to make sure your thesis statement accurately represents what you do in the essay. If your argument has gone in a different direction than planned, tweak your thesis statement to match what you actually say.

To polish your writing, you can use something like a paraphrasing tool .

You can use the checklist below to make sure your introduction does everything it’s supposed to.

Checklist: Essay introduction

My first sentence is engaging and relevant.

I have introduced the topic with necessary background information.

I have defined any important terms.

My thesis statement clearly presents my main point or argument.

Everything in the introduction is relevant to the main body of the essay.

You have a strong introduction - now make sure the rest of your essay is just as good.

• Argumentative
• Literary analysis

This introduction to an argumentative essay sets up the debate about the internet and education, and then clearly states the position the essay will argue for.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

This introduction to a short expository essay leads into the topic (the invention of the printing press) and states the main point the essay will explain (the effect of this invention on European society).

In many ways, the invention of the printing press marked the end of the Middle Ages. The medieval period in Europe is often remembered as a time of intellectual and political stagnation. Prior to the Renaissance, the average person had very limited access to books and was unlikely to be literate. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century allowed for much less restricted circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation.

This introduction to a literary analysis essay , about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein , starts by describing a simplistic popular view of the story, and then states how the author will give a more complex analysis of the text’s literary devices.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale. Arguably the first science fiction novel, its plot can be read as a warning about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, and in popular culture representations of the character as a “mad scientist”, Victor Frankenstein represents the callous, arrogant ambition of modern science. However, far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to gradually transform our impression of Frankenstein, portraying him in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

• An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
• Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
• A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

The “hook” is the first sentence of your essay introduction . It should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of why it’s interesting.

To write a good hook, avoid overly broad statements or long, dense sentences. Try to start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

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Ultimate Guide to Writing Your College Essay

Tips for writing an effective college essay.

College admissions essays are an important part of your college application and gives you the chance to show colleges and universities your character and experiences. This guide will give you tips to write an effective college essay.

Want free help with your college essay?

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Brainstorming tips for your college essay

Stuck on what to write your college essay about? Here are some exercises to help you get started.

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Learn how formal your college essay should be and get tips on how to bring out your natural voice.

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This content is licensed by Khan Academy and is available for free at www.khanacademy.org.

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Is it possible to write a 1500 word essay in a day: tips from a straight-a student.

As a straight-A student, I’ve had to do many essays in little time with few resources since I’ve had so much other work to attend to. This means I have had to tackle 1500 word essays in a single day. It is perfectly possible to do this, although it is tough, and you’ll need to follow these vital tips. Learn from my mistakes!

• Make sure you use your day properly

Making sure you make the most of your 24 hours means that the first thing you need to do is make a plan. It can seem like a waste of time, but this really is the most efficient way to make the most of the hours you have. Make sure that you mark into your schedule the times you need for breakfast, lunch and dinner, of course, and ensure also that you take regular breaks (although these should be no more than 15 minutes in length each time). Then make sure you know what you need to do from hour to hour. For instance, use the morning to tackle the research part of the essay. Work out the best way for you to work.

• Research efficiently

The most time-costly part of writing anything is doing your research and reading around your subject. This can take hours and hours and, obviously, you have no time to waste. This means that you need to be reading and researching efficiently as well as effectively. Only read the materials that you know will be useful to you (selecting these comes under the ‘planning’ part of your day - see above) and don’t get distracted by non-relevant articles or books. Try to read quickly and make efficient notes.

• Do not get distracted!

One of the real reasons why most people cannot complete a 1500 word essay in a day is because they get easily distracted. You need to avoid this! That means you need to turn off things like the television, your phone (to avoid being tempted to send and read texts) and your computer. If you need your computer to write your essay, disconnect the internet or disable the Wi-Fi so that you are not tempted to browse social media sites or send or check an email (which is very time-consuming). If you cannot work with music, remember also to turn off your MP3 player. Remember all these tips, and you will be able to complete your essay in a single day!

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Very good essay writing tips for college students.

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If A.I. Takes All Our Jobs, Will It Also Take Our Purpose?

By Peter Coy

Opinion Writer

What would life be like if artificial intelligence solved all your problems? You wouldn’t have to work anymore. You could get any luxury you wanted by raising an eyebrow. Feelings of pleasure would wash over you constantly. Death would become almost optional because you could take on digital form and keep going for a billion years.

It sounds awful to me.

We human beings dislike our problems, naturally, but if we had no problems to solve, what meaning would life have? How long would we be happy sitting on top of our big rock candy mountains? For me, one long weekend would about do it. A billion years of perfect happiness would be perfect misery.

Nick Bostrom, a philosophy professor at Oxford, wrestles with this question in a fascinating book that was published on March 27, “Deep Utopia: Life and Meaning in a Solved World.” Solved here means solved the way the game of tic-tac-toe has been solved: If you move first, there is no reason you should ever lose.

A lot has changed in A.I. in the 10 years since Bostrom’s last book on the topic, “Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies.” A.I. is folding proteins, generating art and blowing minds. The idea that it will change the world has gone from a nerdy obsession to conventional wisdom.

What we still don’t know is how A.I. will change the world. It could enslave or kill us all. But for “Deep Utopia,” Bostrom smartly chose to imagine the opposite: That A.I. does exactly what we ask it to do.

It’s not a pretty picture. “Basically,” he writes, “we’re unfit to inhabit a perfect world.”

People could still “work” at “jobs” in “offices” even if A.I. becomes able to do everything better than people can — a scenario examined by the economist Pascual Restrepo of Boston University in one of my newsletters last month. But the jobs will really be more like harmless hobbies, Bostrom writes.

Fine, you might say, people can fulfill themselves in other ways, such as shopping or gardening or child care. Bostrom punctures that balloon as well. One reason people find satisfaction in such activities is that they pride themselves on being good at them — knowing how to find the right throw pillow or grow gardenias or dry a child’s tears.

But A.I. will be able to do all of those things better than you can, Bostrom says. “It is quite conceivable that, at technological maturity, you would in fact be slightly harming your child whenever you indulged in some D.I.Y. parenting,” he writes.

I predict that prediction will infuriate a lot of people. I’m appalled by it myself. Bostrom, though, is not aiming to please. He clearly prides himself on following trends in A.I. to their logical conclusions, even when that’s discomfiting. He’s a jokey, quirky polymath who has a doctorate in philosophy but has also studied computational neuroscience, mathematical logic, astrophysics and general relativity.

Although he says we’re not cut out for perfection, Bostrom does explore ways that life in utopia could be made bearable after all. For instance, we could ask the computers to give us absorbing challenges. He cites a science fiction novel, “Permutation City” by Greg Egan, about a man who has achieved immortality. To avoid boredom, he programs himself to be seized, at random intervals, by fresh passions. At the moment of the novel it’s making table legs, of which he has manufactured 162,329.

That feels more like hell than heaven. Another vision of the future, even more repulsing, is that we become aimless blobs, perhaps hooked up to electrodes for jolts of pleasure.

Bostrom asks us to suspend judgment, though. Maybe we’d like it. “The question before us here is a very different one: not how interesting a future is to look at , but how good it is to live in .”

Bostrom told me on Friday that he sees the book as an exploration of the A.I. future, not a conclusion about it. “It’s going to be ultimately a very deep question what we choose,” he said. There is, he said, “a hunger for people to think about these questions.”

He likened the book to a particle accelerator that smashes atoms together to study their parts, such as quarks. In “Deep Utopia,” he said, he smashed values into one another to study their composition.

Toward the end of the book, a professor named Bostrom who very much resembles the author promises to reveal the secret of life. Just as he gets to that point in the lecture, the dean tells him to wrap up because the venue has been booked only until 6.

“Well,” the Bostrom character says, “I guess that’s that.”

The Readers Write

On China’s domination of green technology exports : I’m of the opinion that the planet does not care who is making what. What matters to the planet is total emissions and use of resources. If someone can make them most efficiently on the South Pole, that’s what’s better for our planet.

Mato Egredzija Zagreb, Croatia

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s trip to China comes across as typical U.S. arrogance of telling people what they should be doing. How would she feel if the Chinese finance minister visited Washington, D.C., and told her that Americans should be saving more money for retirement and children’s education?

Patrick Yuen Riverside, Conn.

Quote of the Day

“There ain’t any answer, there ain’t going to be any answer, there never has been any answer, that’s the answer.”

— Gertrude Stein, “Brewsie and Willie” (1946)

Peter Coy is a writer for the Opinion section of The Times, covering economics and business. Email him at [email protected] . @ petercoy