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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→

writing an essay last minute be like

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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How to Write an Essay in Under 30 Minutes

Last Updated: December 19, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Arash Fayz . Arash Fayz is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of LA Tutors 123, an academic consulting and private tutoring company based in Los Angeles, California. Arash has over 10 years of educational consulting experience, managing the tutoring of students of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to score higher on standardized tests and gain admission to their target schools. He has a BA in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 602,364 times.

If you’re taking your SATs this year, you may be preparing to write a solid essay within the 30 minute time limit. Or you might be trying to improve your writing speed to complete essay exams faster and more efficiently. Writing a five paragraph essay in under 30 minutes can seem daunting, but with the right planning and time management, it is certainly achievable.

Sample Essays

writing an essay last minute be like

Planning the Essay

Step 1 Spend 10 minutes planning the essay.

  • For example, you may get a prompt in the form of quotation: “Time has a doomsday book, on whose pages he is continually recording illustrious names. But as often as a new name is written there, an old one disappears. Only a few stand in illuminated characters never to be effaced.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow [3] X Research source
  • You may then receive a question attached to the prompt: “Are there some heroes who will be remembered forever? Or are all heroes doomed to be forgotten one day?" Plan your response, and then write an essay to explain your views on this issue. Be sure to support your position with specific points and examples. You may use personal examples or examples from your reading, observations, or, knowledge of subjects such as history, literature, science. [4] X Research source

Step 3 Brainstorm your thesis...

  • For example, you may brainstorm the Longfellow quote/question by thinking of personal examples of heroes who are remembered or forgotten, such as family members, friends, teachers, or peers who have acted as heroes to you or to others. Or you may focus on a historical figure who seems to be a forgotten hero or a decorated hero.
  • This essay question is asking for two sides of the discussion, the forgotten hero and the remembered hero. Your thesis should discuss both sides and choose one side to argue for or against.
  • You may choose to spotlight a historical figure who encountered opposition and challenges in her life, such as the suffragette Susan B. Anthony. Anthony worked tirelessly for decades to get the government to recognize women’s right to vote, and was often derided by the government and by individuals within her own organization. She is a good example of a hero who was not recognized as a trailblazer until late in her life, though she is now remembered as a heroine in history. Try to refer back to the quotation in the essay prompt in your thesis, if possible, to show you have read the entire question.
  • A possible thesis statement could be: “Though Longfellow argues that names, or heroes, may be forgotten over time, one historical figure, Susan B. Anthony, was derided in her lifetime for her beliefs but is now remembered as a heroine of her time.”

Step 4 Create an outline.

  • Introduction: Your beginning paragraph should contain an engaging first sentence and your thesis statement. Some writers find it easier to write create a temporary introduction and revise it once they are finished with the essay. This will ensure the introduction is cohesive with the rest of the essay.
  • Conclusion: This paragraph should summarize your main argument and restate your thesis. You may also want to include last thoughts around the essay question.

Writing the Essay

Step 1 Take 15 minutes to write the essay.

  • Try to spend two to three minutes on each body paragraph. Then, take three minutes on your conclusion paragraph and go back to your introduction. Spend the last three minutes revising your introduction so it matches the tone and perspective of the rest of your essay.

Step 2 Use a hook in your introduction.

  • An interesting or surprising example: This could be a personal experience or a key moment in the life of the historical figure you are discussing in your essay. For example, you may discuss Anthony’s childhood as a Quaker and her later adoption of more casual dress and growing interest in social reform at the age of 26. [9] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source
  • A provocative quotation: This could be from a source you used for your essay or one that feels relevant to your topic. For example, you may use a well known quote from Anthony, such as: “Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world's estimation, and publicly and privately, in season and out, avow their sympathy with despised and persecuted ideas and their advocates, and bear the consequences.” [10] X Research source
  • A vivid anecdote: An anecdote is a very short story that carries moral or symbolic weight. Think of an anecdote that might be a poetic or powerful way to start your essay.
  • A thought provoking question: create a question that will get your reader thinking and engaged in your topic. For example: “Did you ever wonder how women received the right to vote in the United States?”

Step 3 Write your three body paragraphs.

  • Body paragraph 1: You may start by discussing Anthony’s early successes. Look at the establishment of the Women’s Loyal National League in 1863 by Anthony and Stanton. As the first national women’s political organization in the United States, it had a membership of 5000 and provided a platform for women to speak out on issues like slavery and women’s right to vote. [11] X Research source
  • Body paragraph 2: You may discuss Anthony’s mid career struggles. Look at the split in the women’s movement in May 1869, with the establishment of the National Woman’s Suffrage Association (NWSA) by Anthony and Stanton, and the rival American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA). Note how after the Civil War, Anthony devoted her time and life to the suffrage movement, assuming leadership of the NWSA in 1890 and continuing to advocate for women’s rights. Anthony also remained unmarried, which gave her an advantage under the law, as married women at the time were not permitted to sign official documents and had to defer to their husbands. [12] X Research source
  • Body paragraph 3: You may discuss Anthony’s later life, including her many speaking engagements throughout the United States on the need for women’s suffrage and equal rights. Though Anthony died in 1906, and did not live to see the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment of the Constitution, affording women the right to vote in the United States in 1920, her forty years of tireless work paved the way for the legal precedent and gave women a strong sense of empowerment and equality. [13] X Research source

Step 4 Summarize your thoughts in your conclusion.

  • For example, you may restate your thesis: “Throughout her life, Susan B. Anthony’s sacrificed her time, energy, and personal livelihood to advocate for women’s rights, proving that though many heroes may be forgotten, their actions will live on in history.”

Editing the Essay

Step 1 Use the last five minutes to proofread your essay.

  • For example, an essay on Susan B. Anthony could have the title: “An Unsung Heroine” or “Susan B. Anthony: An Advocate for Change”.

Community Q&A

Community Answer

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Write an Essay

  • ↑ Arash Fayz. Test Prep Tutor. Expert Interview. 1 November 2019.
  • ↑ https://libguides.newcastle.edu.au/essay_planning/essay-planning
  • ↑ https://resources.warburg.sas.ac.uk/pdf/emh823b2778298.pdf
  • ↑ https://www.hunter.cuny.edu/rwc/handouts/the-writing-process-1/invention/Writing-a-Response-or-Reaction-Paper
  • ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/thesis-statements/
  • ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/test-terror.html
  • ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/introductions/
  • ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/should-i-use-i/
  • ↑ https://www.rochester.edu/sba/
  • ↑ https://repository.library.georgetown.edu/bitstream/handle/10822/553350/laCossJoanHarkin.pdf
  • ↑ https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/susan-b-anthony
  • ↑ https://www.britannica.com/biography/Susan-B-Anthony

About This Article

Arash Fayz

In order to successfully write an essay in under 30 minutes, you need to plan it out and work efficiently. Take a good 10 minutes to plan out the essay and come up with a thesis statement that will convey your argument and help guide your essay. It may seem like a large chunk of your time, but it will save you from having to rewrite or restructure your essay later on. Then, take 15 minutes to write your introductory paragraph, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Use the last 5 minutes to proofread your essay and look for spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors. Don’t worry about coming up with a title until you’re finished. It will be much easier then. For tips about how to edit an essay you write in under 30 minutes, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Your Ultimate Guide to Last Minute Essays

Essay due tomorrow? Just started? Let us help. 

Step 1. Self-Control App. Download it now.

If you don’t know what this is, google it and download it as fast as you possibly can. Trust me. Because no matter how many times you promise yourself you won’t get on Facebook, let’s be honest: that website is irresistible when you are trying to write an essay. Heck, have a field day. Block StumbleUpon, Twitter, and whatever other sites you might be into these days, and block them until your essay is submitted. Just get off the internet. You’d be amazed how productive you can be.

Step 2. Take a deep breath.

You can’t do anything if you can’t breathe, and I bet you won’t be writing much if all you can think about is how stressed you are. Just take five minutes (I promise five minutes won’t destroy your chance at finishing) and refocus. Eat a snack, play your favorite song, sing into a hairbrush, dance around, it doesn’t really matter. Let your brain, and your body, relax. You are no good to yourself paralyzed by anxiety.

Step 3. Ready, begin!

Start by outlining your argument. And if you don’t outline, that’s okay, because it doesn’t need to be a full or detailed list of what you’re going to say and when you’re going to say it. If that’s not normally a part of your process, don’t do it. Instead, spend as much time as you need to explore the topic so that you won’t get to the third page and realize you were wrong or didn’t prove your thesis. That’s the other thing; state your thesis. Underline it, circle it, and highlight it. Make sure you understand exactly what you are arguing, because forgetting your thesis is the best way to waste time. It doesn’t matter what your essay is: yes, you do need a thesis statement. Figure out exactly what you want it to be, and then make sure you can support it. Find a couple quotes now, and make a note of where they came from.

Step 4. Write like the wind.

You don’t have a lot of time, so make it count. Keep your outlined notes in front of you, and type out your ideas as they come. Do not, I repeat, do not get stuck on word choice or spelling mistakes. Get your ideas out, and, no matter how ugly they might look, wait and copy-edit at the end. Working through grammatical errors will only distract you from what’s really important, which is proving your thesis. Keep checking in at the beginning of each paragraph: how does this relate to my thesis? Moreover, don’t let yourself get bogged down with organization. If you are having trouble with structure, go back to the basics:

  • Topic sentence: How does this relate to my thesis?
  • Lead into the quote
  • Quote (and cite the source)
  • Analyze the quote
  • But don’t you dare just repeat your topic sentence!

Step 5. Edit.

Check your argument to make sure you stuck with the prompt and your thesis. Double-check your evidence to see that you supported your point. See if your organization makes sense, and that you included some transition sentences between paragraphs so it flows. Now, copy-edit. Check for repetitious word choice, tense shifts, grammar, and spell-check. If you can delete any words from a sentence, do it. Repeat, as many times as you can, until you submit your essay.

Step 6. Sleep.

Job well done, so take a well-deserved nap.

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How to Write a Last Minute Essay: 6 Tips That Guarantee Results

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by  Antony W

February 16, 2023

how to write a last minute essay explained

Are you stuck in a position where you have to write a last minute essay but you have no idea where to start? You've come to the right place.

Writing a great essay isn’t hard if you have enough time on your hands. If done ahead of when it’s due, you can have enough time to revise and proofread the paper for accuracy and readability.

However, life gets in the way sometimes, and you may find yourself not able to write the essay until when it’s almost due.

Fortunately, you can still write your essay and score good grades even in the last minutes. You just need to know what to do and how.

In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to write a last minute essay that your instructor will love.

We’ll give you effective writing tips you can use to make your essay focused, easy to read, and comprehensive enough for whatever topic your teacher has asked you to cover.

How to Write a Las Minute Essay

There are two easy ways to get the work done without panicking.

The option you choose depends on how much time you have and how much you think you can write within that period.

1. Write the Assignment in One Night

If you already know how to write an essay , and you’re the kind of student who doesn’t panic because of the last minute assignments, you can write the essay in one night.

This approach involves setting aside half or a full day to complete the essay, although it’s best to work on your paper when you’re most productive.

2. Get Professional Writing Help

Even if you know what your topic requires and how to handle the assignment on your own, you may not have enough time to do the work in the last minute.

Should that be the case, you can  order an essay from Help for Assessment to get your last minute paper completed in time.

It doesn’t matter if you’re on a budget or you just need the work written fast. Our team of writers and editors can help your work completed on time. 

Use These Tips to Write Your Last Minute Essay

Don’t worry if you can’t pay for an essay online .

You can follow our practical guide below to write a great last minute essay without panicking.

1. Don’t Panic

It’s easy to stress yourself up when you have only a few hours to submit an essay you haven’t even written yet. But being anxious and panicking can only delay the essay further.

Worse, stress can cause you to write mediocre essays that your instructor won’t be interested in reading.

So the first rule to getting that last minute essay written well is to calm down, and then tell yourself that you can get the work done even in such a short time.

Think to yourself that even if you have only 12 hours left to the deadline, you can still develop a positive mindset and write an essay that will not only be interesting to read but also one that earns you full marks.

2. Create a Conducive Writing Environment

Relaxing is a good way to give your mind the space to develop fresh ideas for your last minute essay. However, that’s not enough.

You also have to choose the right environment to write the assignment.

Choose a distraction-free space far away from people, music, television, your phone, and the internet.

If you must write your essay in a space full of people, be it in a library, at home, or in your dormitory, you can use earplugs to reduce or block out ambient noise.

Block sites and social media apps that may take your focus from writing your essay.

Reschedule your plans for the day and if friends try to pull you from your work, make it clear to them that you have to complete your essay first.

3. Make Sure You Have Relevant Materials to Write the Essay

Gather the materials that will help you write your last minute essay and make sure they’re all in one pace. These include research, textbooks, notes, articles, and your laptop.

Get some coffee to help you stay energized, but this isn’t necessary if you can write well in one sitting without drinking something.

If you’ll be pulling an all-nighter, make sure you set your mind early enough as staying up late can leave you exhausted and less focused.

The first rule to pulling an all-nighter well is never to write your last minute essay in bed.

Instead, use a desk in a study room to get the writing started and completed in good time. Save some caffeine for the moment, but don’t drink a lot too early because it can cause you to lose concentration.

If you decide to write your essay at night, try to get enough sleep the following day to recover from lack of sleep.

4. Prewriting

If done right, prewriting can give you a solid foundation to write your first draft.

Start by reading the guidelines in the prompt to understand what your instructor expects to see in the essay. Doing so will help you answer important questions like:

  • In what format should my essay be?
  • What’s the word limit for the essay?
  • Does the prompt allow me to make an essay longer ?
  • What type of essay does my instructor want me to work on?

If anything, the key to writing a last minute essay is to first read and understand the prompt.

Now create an outline and use it to write down the main points that you intend to use to make your essay.

5. Work on Your Thesis

Your thesis statement is the last sentence of the introduction to your essay and it communicates the main point in your essay.

Formulate a strong, arguable thesis that convinces your readers to read your essay to understand your argument(s).

6. Write Your First Draft

Use the outline you created in prewriting to write your first draft. Your essay should have an introduction, the body section, and the conclusion paragraphs.

The most important rule to remember is that each paragraph in your essay should address one main idea.

If it helps, recheck the prompt to be sure you didn’t skip anything important.

  • The Complete Guide to Write a Synthesis Essay
  • How to Write an Opinion Essay

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

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Clock against purple sky.

1. Get in the zone

I don’t know about you, but I have a dozen little rituals I have to perform before I sit down to do a big slog of work. In general, I make it a rule to work in the library or university, because I find working at home, with all its possibilities of making and drinking tea, drifting off to watch TV, or being drawn into long conversations with my housemates, too distracting.

You should also read…

  • How to Stop Procrastinating: Advice from a Champion Procrastinator
  • 15 Unexpected Things About Life at University

But when I’m really up against the clock, or even about to start what I know will be an all-nighter, I prefer to be in my room, with easy access to vital things like coffee, food and the shower. (N.B. There is nothing like a shower for waking yourself up in the middle of a miserable work-session. Just don’t do what I did one particularly inauspicious Wednesday at 4am: fall asleep sitting down in it with a foot covering the plug, and wake half an hour later under a jet of now-freezing water to find that you have transformed your bathroom into a giant soapy sea).

tidy-desk

But back to the rituals. Before I do any serious, or seriously rushed, work, I’ve got to do a number of things to ‘get in the zone’. This might sound like elaborate procrastination  — which, in reality, it most definitely is — but if I don’t do these little things, I find my concentration is poor, and my mind constantly wanders. First, my room has to be absolutely, books-in-alphabetical-order, spotless — mess is incredibly distracting, and when I’m working I want to use all the space on my desk. Plus, while you’re tidying you get to watch videos of cats falling over on YouTube. Next, I have to have a strong coffee (which I never drink more than a few sips of before remembering that I hate coffee and it gives me a headache — but it smells nice and is somehow a very reassuring thing to sit next to). Third, classical music doesn’t work for me; while I’m working, and especially at night, I find it keeps the mind sharp to blare out tragic noughties techno music. In particular, the songs of the ultimately unsuccessful Australian band Pendulum played at approximately a million decibels are so unpleasant they keep one constantly skittish with adrenaline, hammering out a thousand questionable words an hour while simultaneously imagining you’re in a warehouse rave. Finally, and most embarrassingly, I have a pair of leggings called my essay leggings that I like to wear while I’m working. They’re very comfy (and holey) and haven’t been replaced since my first year of university, because they’re somehow magically conducive to getting lots done in very little time. Now, the line between preparing oneself for work and procrastination is always thin, and one I continually find myself on the wrong side of. Your rituals might look very different to mine, and perhaps take a little less time. But if you need to do certain things to change your mindset from play to work, I’d advise you do them.

2. Work out exactly what you’ve got to do

Now that you’re sitting comfortably at your desk in your spotless room, work out exactly what you’ve got to do — and how long you’ve got to do it. Make a list of your tasks in order of priority, what they involve, the date they’re due in and how long you realistically think they’ll take. Your list might look something like this:

  • Write out labels for Art coursework (2 hours, due tomorrow)
  • Write self-analysis for Art coursework (3 hours, due tomorrow)
  • Finish researching, plan and write History coursework essay (12 hours? 2 days? Due Friday)
  • Finish Physics lab report (2 hours, due Thursday)
  • Maths problems (3 hours, due tomorrow)

Red clock.

Now, for some of these tasks it will be absolutely essential that you hand the work in on or before the deadline . For any task that counts towards your coursework , or an exam, you’ll usually lose marks if they’re late — in my university, we would lose 5 marks out of 100 if an essay was handed in one minute after 12pm on the day of the deadline, and a further 10 if it was more than a day late. For these tasks, you absolutely can’t mess about — they should sit right at the top of your list of things to do, and be the first thing you get out of the way — and the ones you put most effort into getting right. But, even though it won’t make you very popular with your teachers, sometimes you’ve got to accept that you can’t do everything you’re expected to in a small amount of time. When I’ve got a big deadline coming up, I jettison everything else: I tell people I can’t make other commitments, even if that annoys them, and if I haven’t got time, I simply don’t do less important pieces of work. On the list above, for example, I might decide that only the pieces of coursework were really important, and that I wasn’t going to bother handing in the lab report or the Maths problems. Of course, all this is advice for an emergency situation: if you’ve got the time to do everything you need to, then deciding that you won’t is probably not the best strategic move and will mean you have to endure hours of unnecessary telling-off.

Timetable.

Make a timetable detailing exactly when you’re going to do each of the things on your list. Make sure you plan enough time for each task rather than being overly optimistic — you’re going to stick to this timetable no matter what . Think about the times of day when you work best, and how tired you’re going to be at various stages of the day/night/week you’re mapping out — the morning of your deadline, for example, when your eyes are itchy with tiredness and your brain about as much use as its equivalent weight in mincemeat, is probably not the best time to be proof-reading or tackling difficult Algebra problems. I study English and consequently write lots of essays, and I find that I can read and take notes at pretty much any time of day, but planning and writing are tasks I can only really do well first thing in the morning. Once you’ve made your plan, sit back and take a deep breath — it might be a rush, and you might not see sunlight for the next week, but it is possible to do everything you need to in the time you’ve got. All you need to do (and this is the important bit) is make sure you stick religiously to your timetable. Here’s how:

 4. Let things be less-than-perfect

Not every work of art can be perfect; sometimes you really must wrap it up and move on.

If you’re still not happy with something near the end of the time you’ve allotted for it — tough. Finish up and leave it in its imperfect state — if you’re lucky, you might have time at the end to come back to it, but it’s much more important to stick to a schedule which will allow you to get everything done than it is to perfect one part of the task. This means not reading that extra useful-looking article, not toying with the wording in an introduction any longer, and leaving a problem you just can’t solve. Remember — when you’re working on any task, it’s completely normal that that task will feel like the most important one — but it’s important to take a step back and gain some perspective over your whole project. I’m constantly messing up because I find it really hard to leave things alone – – for example, I wasn’t happy with my dissertation last year the day before I handed it in, and decided to stay up all night before the deadline restructuring and rewriting the last 3,000 words before I’d even begun my referencing or conclusion. This meant (as I’m sure you can guess) that the section I rewrote was garbled and full of spelling mistakes, my footnotes and bibliography were a total mess and my conclusion was 5 lines long- not exactly what I’d planned when I decided to begin my noble rewriting mission, and not exactly the formula for a winning dissertation. Polished and finished, if slightly flawed, work will always make a much better impression than something messy and incomplete, even if it’s more carefully thought out — it actively irritates examiners to find silly mistakes or signs of haste in things they’re marking. Take it from me, look at the bigger picture and simply move on .

5. Be selfish

Party balloons.

I’ve got a friend who actively refuses to make any plans other than a quick coffee for about four weeks before any deadline. Sometimes she doesn’t leave her house for days, and while she’s working she lets other people cook for her and tidy up her mess. Last year she didn’t go to her boyfriend’s birthday party because it was the week before a talk she was preparing. Now, this might all sound a bit mad, but my friend always does really, really well at everything she puts her mind to. Basically, in quite an extreme way she’s got her priorities straight — most of the time she’ll do anything for anyone, but when she’s got important work on her plate, she’ll say honestly that she needs to concentrate, and just can’t make other commitments. I, meanwhile, work in the absolute opposite way. I let friends come to visit me the week before a deadline because I don’t want to annoy them by cancelling, and am anxious about work and cranky for the whole time they’re there. I’ll go to the library with someone else but get annoyed when we distract each other. I end up getting so stressed out over all the commitments I’ve made that I can’t concentrate even when I’ve actually got time to work. I’ve come to conclude that my friend’s got it sorted. When you’ve got stuff to do, be selfish. This is one of very few chances you’ll have in your life (apart from, if you’re a girl, maybe your wedding) to be totally unreasonable, self-centred, and rude to everyone around you. Like a mad cross between Professor Snape and Kim Jong Un. Get your mum to make you dinner but refuse to sit and eat it at the table. Cancel plans, leave a mess. Refuse to read someone else’s work or do anyone a favour. Your friends might not like the new crazy you, but you’ll probably annoy them just as much by being irritable and stressed than you will by being selfish — and if you pick the latter course, you might actually get stuff done.

6. Do not entertain the thought that you might not finish

With the energy I’ve spent over the years asking for extensions, making up excuses or writing cringing apology emails to tutors and employers explaining that I just haven’t done things, I could have written novels. Stuff it, I could have written the Iliad . Extensions and the like might feel brilliant in the short term, but they’re not the solution to anything — you’ll still have to do the work one way or another, and you’ll annoy people and complicate your own life in the process of putting it off.

7. Just do the work

This is fairly self-explanatory. Though this article has tried to show that you can make things seem easier and more surmountable by organising, rationalising, and preparing, there are no magic solutions that can make you work miraculously quickly. There’s no substitute for sitting down, closing the door, turning off the internet and just doing your work . It might not be exactly fun, but it’ll feel worth it when you’re done, and then you can sleep and relax properly without feeling guilty or stressed. Got any top tips for getting things done quickly? Let us know in the ‘Comments’ section below!

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How to Finish an Essay Last Minute and Do it without Losing Quality

Adela B.

Table of contents

It’s the start of the week; you head to college and realize everybody is talking about the research paper submission. “Isn’t that due next week?” you ask, only to be told it was due the previous day. You hurriedly check your calendar and are in for a rude shock – you missed the deadline.

Just then, your alarm rings, and you wake up sweating. Thankfully, it was a dream!

However, the fact remains that you have a submission in four days, and you are nowhere close to starting it.

Given the busy college schedules, academic pressures, tight deadlines, and in many cases, even juggling a part-time job, it’s no surprise that college students are struggling with stress and anxiety.

According to a 2018 American College Health Association report , over 60% of college students said they had experienced “overwhelming anxiety” in the past year. Looming essay deadlines have a significant role in contributing to this stress.

Smart Last-Minute Essay Writing Tips You Can Use

Doing an essay last minute is enough to give you the chills. Regardless of how much you plan to start early, you constantly find yourself racing against time.

However, doing an essay last minute does not mean you compromise on the quality. Here are 14 smart ways to write your last-minute essay and still do a good job.

#1. Stop panicking

At this point, you are filled with anger, self-loathing, and guilt. You keep telling yourself that you should have started earlier and hate yourself for putting off the college essay till the very end. While you are bound to have such negative thoughts, you must do away with them because they are futile and will only obstruct your concentration.

The first step to approaching a last-minute essay is to stop panicking and actively start working toward your essay. It would be best if you created a positive mindset and workspace to do full justice to it.

#2. Stay away from distractions

When you begin work on your essay, you receive a notification on your phone, and the next thing you know, you have spent the next few hours doing everything else but working on your college essay.

It’s easy to get distracted and away with time, but you must remind yourself that you cannot afford to do so. Doing an essay last minute requires your undivided attention, considering you have limited time.

So, whether it’s Instagram, Netflix, or even your friends, stay away from distractions and focus on completing the essay.

Here’s an interesting TEDx Talk by Chris Bailey on focusing better.

#3. Commit to a topic

Writing a last-minute essay makes you more likely to doubt yourself and be in two minds. After reading the instructions carefully and researching, choose an essay topic and stick to it. By second-guessing yourself at every point, you will only be wasting time.

#4. Work on the outline

You may wonder if you can afford to work on an essay outline when you run out of time. The answer is yes; structuring your essay is always worth it.

Having an effective essay outline saves you time, ensures you have covered the key points, and maintains a logical flow throughout. For instance, if you are writing a research paper, the outline needs to include the following sections:

  • Title – the shortest page; this needs to mention what your paper is about succinctly;
  • Abstract – a summary of your paper in 150 – 200 words;
  • Introduction – include the essay hook, explanation of the topic, and the thesis statement;
  • Methodology – describe the methods used to conduct the research;
  • Results – state the outcome and substantiate it with statistical data, tables, and graphs;
  • Conclusion – reinstate the thesis statement while summarizing the findings of the research;
  • References and Citations – cite all the references in this section.

Once you have established these, note down the points you plan to include under each section before you begin writing.

#5. Set mini-deadlines

In an ideal world, one would finish the essay in a single sitting, but we all know that’s a little too difficult to achieve. There does come the point when we reach a stage of exhaustion, and pushing ourselves to work beyond that means doom.

To avoid burnout, break your writing into parts and give yourself mini-deadlines. For example, aim to finish writing three sections in four hours and then allow yourself to relax. Tackling the paper in parts keeps your mind fresh, and you can think more clearly in the process.

#6. Set a timer

Since you have already created an outline, set a timer for writing every essay section and try to finish it before the timer goes off.

For instance, you can set a time of 15 minutes for writing the introduction and try to complete it before the end of the 15 minutes. Once you finish the introduction section, take five minutes to review it and see if it makes sense without bothering to correct the grammar.

Set the timer again for the first body paragraph, then the second, until you have covered all the sections on your outline.

#7. Increase your typing speed

It won't be easy to finish your essay fast if you’re a slow writer. To finish writing within the shortest time possible, you need to increase your typing speed.

How do you increase your typing speed? Sit upright and maintain a good posture while typing (ensure you are not looking at your screen at an angle). Let your elbows rest on the table and slightly elevate your wrists.

As you type, focus on the screen instead of your hands. This will help you start typing faster.

#8. Use writing and editing tools to save time

Want to save time? Several writing and editing tools can automate some processes to save time and help you finish your work faster. Some of the best online tools you can use when writing last-minute college essays include:

a) Grammarly

Grammarly is one of the best editing tools for editing your essay. The software uses artificial intelligence to identify errors related to spelling, punctuation, sentence structures, and even plagiarism.

After you finish writing, pass your essay through Grammarly to help you identify and correct grammatical errors. It will save you the time you’d spend revising your essay to identify and correct such mistakes manually.

b) Evernote

To finish your essay faster, you’ll need to organize your notes to promote the flow of thought and help you write more quickly.

Evernote is an online writing tool that will help you organize your notes effectively, so you don’t need to keep everything in your head when doing research. You can take clips, and screenshots of relevant web pages, reference documents, images, and graphics for later use when writing.

This way, you won’t need to surf the internet all over again when you start writing. You can use the software anywhere, at any time, without any charges.

c) Hemingway Editor

Another editing tool to help you edit faster when writing last-minute college essays is the Hemingway Editor. You can decide to type your essay on the app or copy-paste it after you finish writing.

Instead of spending time reading your essay and trying to identify errors alone, Hemingway will help you highlight lengthy and complex sentences and suggest ways to improve them.

It will also identify adverbs and weakening phrases to eliminate from your essay to make it more meaningful. This online editor will improve readability and make your essay easy to read and understand.

d) Dynalist

Nothing makes writing easier and faster than outlining. They help you organize your ideas ahead of time so that when you start writing, you won’t get stuck in the middle. An essay outline will also help you stay on topic and answer all the essay prompts effectively.

The good news is that you can use online tools to write outlines fast to save time, and one of them is Dynalist. You can use the free version of this online tool to capture your points into flawless outlines and flesh them out later when you start writing.

These tools will help you finish writing fast since you won’t spend much time editing manually after writing.

#9. Turn off spelling and grammar checks

While writing tools help you edit your work, the best way to write faster is to turn off the spelling and grammar checkers until you finish writing your first draft.

Since you want to write fast to finish your last-minute essay, underlining errors as you write may be more of a distraction. The checkers sometimes underline correct words, and you may spend time thinking about how to replace the word or correct sentences instead of focusing on writing.

Therefore, consider turning them off until your first draft is ready; you can turn them on and start editing your essay.

#10. Write the introduction and conclusion at the end

Introductions and conclusions tend to require more time when writing an essay. This is because they are supposed to be compelling, thoughtful, and engaging. You, therefore, need a little brainstorming to write these parts.

To save yourself some time, skip the introduction and go straight to explaining your points in the body paragraph.

You’ll spend less time on this section since you have already researched and identified your sources. After completing the essay body, you’ll have a clearer picture of your essay, and the introduction will take you less time to write.

The conclusion will also take less time to write since it will summarize the points you already discussed in the essay.

#11. Cite references alongside

Citing references is an integral part of essay writing. Citing sources and providing evidence to support your claims shows you pay attention to detail and adds to the credibility of your essay.

However, given a situation where you are writing a last-minute essay, there is a chance of making more errors or skipping this step altogether. To avoid this mistake, citing references and writing the essay is a good idea.

What does this mean? Every time you include a quote, fact, or piece of information that needs referencing, ensure you make a note of it immediately so you don’t waste any time hunting for it later.

Alternatively, you can also use a citation generator.

Citing all your reference articles can be time-consuming and deter you from completing your essay fast.

You can use several citation generators to cite articles accurately to have your essay references right. You must copy and paste the generated citation to your list of references at the end of the essay.

Some of the best citation generators you can use include MyBib, CiteThisForMe, CiteFast, and Bibme. The tools help you format your references in APA, MLA, or Chicago style, depending on your essay instructions, all for free.

#12. Proofread

Proofreading the college essay must not be overlooked regardless of how much time you have in hand. This is even more crucial while writing an article in a hurry because you are more likely to make mistakes.

After all the effort put in, the last thing you would want is to submit an essay with grammatical mistakes and formatting errors.

So, put aside quality time to proofread your essay and edit it accordingly. It is also a good idea to share a copy with your parents or friends and get a second set of eyes on your work.

#13. Take short breaks

Even though it’s the last minute and you want to finish writing your college essay fast, short breaks can still come in handy.

Sitting on the table for too long can tire your mind and body, making you a less effective writer. When your mind is clogged up, it hinders the flow of ideas, and you may be unable to knit your ideas into meaningful paragraphs.

Therefore, consider taking short breaks of 5 to 10 minutes, after which you can return to your table and write with a fresh mind.

#14. Get professional help

Doing a last-minute essay can be overwhelming. Sometimes you don’t know where to begin, and your anxiety gets the better of you.

However, college essays affect your grades, and you should not submit substandard work. So, if you find yourself stuck, reach out to a last-minute essay writing service. Writers Per Hour is one such essay writing service that can save you from all the stress and anxiety that comes with last-minute essay writing.

Our instant essay writers are trained to meet deadlines and tackle all sorts of specialized essays ranging from math, law, and chemistry to nursing, biology, and accounting.

Be it 24 hours or 1 hour, when you turn to our urgent essay writing service for last-minute essay writing help, you are sure to receive nothing but high-quality, original essays right on time to meet your deadlines.

Are you stuck on writing an essay?

Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about writing last-minute college essays.

How long should it take to write a college essay?

The longer the essay and the more complex the topic, the longer it will take to write. A typical 5-page essay would take around 14 hours to write:

  • Brainstorming, researching, and outlining: 8 hours;
  • Writing: 4 hours;
  • Proofreading, editing, and formatting: 2 hours.

Is it possible to write an essay in one day?

Absolutely! It’s possible to write an essay in one day. All you need to do is prepare and do the research in advance. When you start writing, focus on your essay, and turn off distractions like social media notifications and chatting with friends.

Can I pay someone to write my last-minute college essay?

Yes, however, the person you hire needs to be a subject matter expert and a skilled writer who can deliver quality work quickly.

For instance, Writers Per Hour has urgent essay writers trained to deliver essays within the stipulated deadline. One page paper in 5 hours will cost you $33.99 if you are in high school. If you are a college student, the price will be $41.99 - $47.99, depending on your course.

We recommend you check our prices and discounts before making any decision, as we regularly conduct promotional campaigns for new and regular customers. So, check out our offers and essay promo codes which start from 15% to 25% off any order.

How do you write an essay 10 times faster?

To write an essay ten times faster, plan your writing and research. Create an outline and bookmark the relevant sources you’ll be using. Increase your typing speed, and use online writing tools to help you edit faster.

Irrespective of how much time you have, don’t make the mistake of plagiarizing someone else’s work, as it can lead to severe consequences such as expulsion or ruin your chances of getting selected. Hence, always ensure you submit original work and if you cannot do it yourself, seek help from last-minute essay writing services.

Last-minute essay writing is not ideal, but, in many instances, it cannot be helped either. So, the next time you find yourself in a similar situation, instead of hitting the panic button and haphazardly approaching the essay, follow these smart tips and don’t let the lack of time affect the quality of your essay.

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How To Write An Essay Fast: Ultimate Guide To Last Minute Essay Writing

How to write an essay fast

Change Your Mindset: The Basics of How to Write an Essay Quickly

Step 0: calm down. breathe, step 1: compress all your thoughts on paper. create a killer essay outline, step 2: research now, write later, step 3: write like you mean it, step 4: tweak your text, step 5: own your essay, over to you.

So, you just decided to sleep from time to time. Finally, you're doing something normal. You start a daily exercise routine, you cook yourself some healthy meals, and you devote reasonable hours of the day to studying. But, what about that essay? When the deadline is dangerously close, you have no other option: you freak out! You start looking for essay writing tips that tell you the same thing over and over again: always start ahead of time . Yeah, like that's an option now.

Let's see what options you have in this situation:

  • You can pull an all-nighter. But, you have to be ready for Murphy 's Law to hit you: just when you need to be really productive, you won't be able to write a single word because of all that stress you're going through.
  • You can order essay from the best master thesis writing service . Outsourcing the project to a writing company may be the solution you need, but you don't always have money for that. What happens if it's the end of the month and you're completely broke? OMG! That perfect solution slipped away and you feel more miserable than ever.
  • You can follow our guide with practical tips that help you write a great essay in a matter of hours. Now we're talking!

When want to figure out how to write a paper fast, these tips can take you to the final goal faster. Moreover, you can enjoy the process.

  • Envision a successful future

You don't see the point in writing this last minute essay? Try to think about your career goals . Where do you want to be five years from now? You'll achieve that future not overnight, but step by step. This is just a step in that direction.

  • Do what you want, not what you have to

This is a wonderful life philosophy that you can use for everything in your life, not only essay writing. Try to think of this task as something that you really want to do, find some advantages for you except the most obvious ones - good grades and a degree. For example, you will master your writing skills, you will learn a language better, you will learn something new while writing...

If you realize at least one thing that you like in writing essays, you may really want to do this and enjoy the working process.

Eventually, if you still don't want to drive a pen to complete your task, just say to us: “I need someone to write my essay fast ” and we will deliver your essay in 3 hours. As we express here, you should do only what you want to. Following this rule will make you happier.

Step By Step Guide to Last-Minute Essay Writing

When you're trying to figure out how to write a college essay really fast without sacrificing its quality, there is something preventing you to achieve that goal: stress. You're extremely anxious and you don't believe that the process will turn out well. So, you commit to writing a paper of mediocre quality because you think that's the best you can do with the time you have at hand. Wait; you're wrong!

Close your eyes for a moment and take few deep, deep breaths. Say to yourself: "I can do this. I CAN do this!" It sounds silly when someone tells you to do that, but it really works and you have to believe yourself when you say that. You need to approach this essay writing process with the right mindset, so don't even try to skip step 0.

Visualize the final result: it will be awesome. When you get relaxed, you create the space your mind needs for developing fresh ideas. The sense of control will enable you to get through each of the following steps easily, and it will make the entire process more actionable and less intimidating. Now that you're calm and confident, you can proceed further.

Are you aware of the most common step of the essay writing process that students love to skip? It's the outline. Do you know what their biggest mistake is? - Skipping the outline. It may seem like a waste of time, since you're writing down the essential frame of the paper, which you'll then expand into an actual college essay format. No one will see the outline and your professor won't grade it. Does that mean you don't need it? Absolutely not!

Every guide on how to write an essay will tell you the same: start with an outline. There is a reason for that! You need to be aware of the essay structure, which will organize the chaos in your mind. Plus, mind-mapping is fun!

  • Take a plain piece of paper and write down all ideas that come to your mind. Read some essay examples to get inspired.
  • Don't try to categorize the ideas as silly or awesome; just write them down.
  • Then, the process of selection will come on stage. Observe those fragments of ideas and connect them into a single outline. Don't be too attached to them; some of them will be silly so you'll need to get rid of them and focus on the productive ones.
  • Craft a clean mind map and follow its structure when you write the paper. For this purpose, you can use online mind-mapping software, such as MindMeister or MindMup .

mind map for essay outline

Here is a sample of a plain mind map, created with online software. It should represent the basic features of the essay, so it will guide your thoughts in an organized manner.

When you have a mind map in front of you, you'll know exactly what you're trying to achieve. The essay writing process will be much faster thanks to the 10-15 minutes you spent in outlining.

You thought you were ready to start writing? Not so fast! The best essays have a common feature: they are well-researched. The lack of time is not an excuse for lack of research. Your professor won't appreciate a repetitive paper based solely on your vague, unconvincing arguments.

Don't worry; the research process for a college essay doesn't take long. Here are a few tips that will help you conduct a research in less than 15 minutes:

  • The important thing to keep in mind is the goal of writing a paper under the specific outline you have in mind.
  • Try using Google Scholar instead of the good old Google. Let's take the example from the mind map above: imagine you're writing an essay on global warming. If you search Google, you'll have to dig deep to find authoritative sources you could use. You'll need to try searching with different phrases and keywords, and you don't have time for that, so you'll end up using the first random results you run into. They might help you get ideas for writing, but they won't convince the teacher you conducted a thorough research. If you search the web through Google Scholar, you'll find sources worthy of referencing solely by typing global warming.
  • Don't neglect Wikipedia. It's an underestimated online source because it can be updated by the users, but it offers great information that you can use in your paper. That doesn't mean you can reference Wikipedia in an academic paper, though. Use it to find the information you need, and then locate that same information in a more authoritative online source.

Wikipedia citations

How can you do that? By checking the citations on the Wikipedia page. They will quickly lead you to all the research you need. Choose few of those references, search the books, journals, research, and authors online, and voila - you just conducted a brilliant research in a matter of minutes.

The mere fact that you're being forced to write an essay makes you hate the topic, no matter how hard your professor tried to make it intriguing. That's the wrong mindset to have. With all preparations you did by following the previous three writing tips, you already know how to start an essay and you have confidence that you can handle the process within the timeframe you have.

Now, all you need to do is write the content itself.

  • Find a really interesting aspect that will intrigue you to write the best essay ever. Even the most boring topics have something interesting in them; you just need to discover it and add your own personality in the writing process. Let's take the same example again (we hope you're not getting bored by it): global warming.

Everyone will keep writing about the same things, but you're expected to offer something different. You can search for information and facts provided by scientists who don't believe in global warming. You can write a really fun essay making a case for them, but you can also use those claims just to shed light on the side of the issue that students and teachers rarely think of.

  • The introduction has to be amazing! Make it fun by using quotes or real-life experiences. Then, wrap it up with a powerful sentence and write it like you mean it!
  • The body of the essay should provide arguments and evidence that prove the thesis statement.
  • Finally, you need an outstanding conclusion. It needs to connect all loose ends of the paper's body, restate the thesis statement, and end with a bang. The conclusion is the part that leaves lasting impressions.

The reader should end up being satisfied, knowing that he learned something new from your essay and he just spent quality time with it. Leave some space for further research and intrigue the reader to dig deeper into the topic and find out more about the things you tackled.

  • Take care of the citations as you write! Whenever you use a certain resource as inspiration or support for your claims, make sure to reference it in accordance with the citation standard you follow.

You must be extremely happy about putting that last sentence of the conclusion in place, but you're not done yet! You'll need at least another half an hour to edit and proofread your essay. Every sentence has to make sense in terms of the thesis statement, and you cannot leave a single misspelling in the paper. You invested a lot of effort into this project; you can't ruin everything by submitting the first draft. A smart essay writer always edits!

Don't worry; the editing part is not that hard.

  • Read the essay you just wrote. Take side notes of the corrections you intend to make. Don't start with the proofreading yet; that part will come a bit later.
  • Are there any parts that don't fit in? Take them out. Are there gaps in the logical flow? Maybe you didn't support some of your claims with facts? Add the needed information wherever necessary.
  • Once you're sure that the structure of the paper is fine, you can go with the final proofreading.

Here are some tools you can use during the editing and proofreading processes:

  • Grammarly - a nifty tool that identifies more spelling and grammar mistakes than your usual word processor.
  • Hemingway Editor - it marks the complex sentences and it encourages you to make the essay as readable as possible
  • Proofreading Services by EduGeeksClub - if you're already close to the deadline and you're thinking about skipping the editing stage, there's a better solution: hire a professional editor. They will quickly go through your paper and return it in a perfect state.

Remember when you did all that research? Maybe you got too inspired by some of the sources so you copied the ideas without being aware of what you were doing? You really need to check the paper for plagiarism before submitting it. These are the right tools to use during this stage:

  • Plagiarism Checker by Grammarly - this is an additional feature of the tool mentioned above and it detects plagiarism and warns you about the suspicious parts of the content. It's also very convenient as you can combine checking grammar and duplicate content at the same time
  • Citation Machine - You really need to proofread and format the references as a final step of the process. Thanks to Citation Machine, you can automate the process.

how to write an essay

If you followed all these steps, you have an essay that's ready for submission. Whoa, that wasn't easy, but you did it! Now, take long, deep breaths. Congratulate yourself and go to sleep!

How to Write An Essay If Nothing Helps

We believe that after you read our guide on how to write a good essay fast, you will finish your essay quickly. At least, you will try. But, what if not?

Sometimes, even with all the brilliant tips and attempts, it just doesn't work out.

You hit the dreaded writer's block. You went through various essay titles and none of them motivates you to grasp a unique angle of your theme. You are bored by the mere thought of the paper and you have no idea how to finish an essay fast.

In that case, you can hire a fast essay writing service. This is not a solution that students use whenever they are stuck with the essay writing process. Their first attempt is to try to handle the challenge with their own effort. But in exceptional situations when you can't complete the paper no matter how hard you try, ordering a fast essay online is the best thing to do.

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

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

Tips on Writing Your Essay the last minute

Tips on Writing Your Essay the last minute

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

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

writing an essay last minute be like

Why Last Minute College Essays

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

writing your essay

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

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

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

How to Write Your Essay in Last Minutes

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

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

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

1. Create a Writing-Friendly Atmosphere

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

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

a learning environment

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

2. Gather all the Necessary Materials Needed

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

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

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

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

4. Prewriting

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

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

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

5. Establishing a Strong Thesis

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

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

6. Actual Writing

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

7. Timing Yourself      

time your writing

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

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

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

Tips To Prevent Last Minute Essays

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

Here are tips to avoid last minute essays:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to Plan Your Time Well to Write Timely Essays

a student planner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Josh Jasen

When not handling complex essays and academic writing tasks, Josh is busy advising students on how to pass assignments. In spare time, he loves playing football or walking with his dog around the park.

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3 Easy Steps for Writing a Last-Minute College Essay

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Right about now is when the panic starts to set in. Do you have enough time to craft a college essay that communicates your strengths and passions to admissions? Can you actually write a compelling personal statement? Yes you do and yes you can. But you’re probably going to need some help. And that’s why we made you a guide. Follow these three no-nonsense steps to craft a winning essay by making the most of the time you have left:

1. Cancel your plans.

You’re running low on time and there isn’t a single “hack” out there that will add more hours to your day. We know clearing your schedule doesn’t sound fun, but it’s one of the kindest decisions you can make for yourself. Create some space in your day that you can really devote to thinking about – and writing! – your essay(s) without distraction.

2. Start with a simple brainstorm

Give yourself 10-15 minutes and list the things you love. Paragraphs and complete sentences aren’t even necessary — just start to get your thoughts on the page and don’t stop writing. Feel free to list things that you hate, too. Once you have a robust compilation of things about which you feel passionately, take a step back. Which of your list items have the most writing potential? If you had to put pen to paper about one of those things right now, which would provide the most interesting and greatest number random pathways for you to explore?

3. Follow these simple video steps to pull together your first draft.

Spinning your best topic ideas into fully fleshed out essays is something we cover in detail in our video series, College Essay Academy . But what if you don’t have 20 minutes a day to devote to our in-depth lessons? Do you have three minutes? We made this YouTube crash course specifically for the time-challenged among you.

Now, it’s time to get to work. You’re not out of time just yet and we know you can do this!

About Thea Hogarth

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Written by Thea Hogarth

Category: Essay Tips

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What I’ve Learned From My Students’ College Essays

The genre is often maligned for being formulaic and melodramatic, but it’s more important than you think.

An illustration of a high school student with blue hair, dreaming of what to write in their college essay.

By Nell Freudenberger

Most high school seniors approach the college essay with dread. Either their upbringing hasn’t supplied them with several hundred words of adversity, or worse, they’re afraid that packaging the genuine trauma they’ve experienced is the only way to secure their future. The college counselor at the Brooklyn high school where I’m a writing tutor advises against trauma porn. “Keep it brief , ” she says, “and show how you rose above it.”

I started volunteering in New York City schools in my 20s, before I had kids of my own. At the time, I liked hanging out with teenagers, whom I sometimes had more interesting conversations with than I did my peers. Often I worked with students who spoke English as a second language or who used slang in their writing, and at first I was hung up on grammar. Should I correct any deviation from “standard English” to appeal to some Wizard of Oz behind the curtains of a college admissions office? Or should I encourage students to write the way they speak, in pursuit of an authentic voice, that most elusive of literary qualities?

In fact, I was missing the point. One of many lessons the students have taught me is to let the story dictate the voice of the essay. A few years ago, I worked with a boy who claimed to have nothing to write about. His life had been ordinary, he said; nothing had happened to him. I asked if he wanted to try writing about a family member, his favorite school subject, a summer job? He glanced at his phone, his posture and expression suggesting that he’d rather be anywhere but in front of a computer with me. “Hobbies?” I suggested, without much hope. He gave me a shy glance. “I like to box,” he said.

I’ve had this experience with reluctant writers again and again — when a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously. Of course the primary goal of a college essay is to help its author get an education that leads to a career. Changes in testing policies and financial aid have made applying to college more confusing than ever, but essays have remained basically the same. I would argue that they’re much more than an onerous task or rote exercise, and that unlike standardized tests they are infinitely variable and sometimes beautiful. College essays also provide an opportunity to learn precision, clarity and the process of working toward the truth through multiple revisions.

When a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously.

Even if writing doesn’t end up being fundamental to their future professions, students learn to choose language carefully and to be suspicious of the first words that come to mind. Especially now, as college students shoulder so much of the country’s ethical responsibility for war with their protest movement, essay writing teaches prospective students an increasingly urgent lesson: that choosing their own words over ready-made phrases is the only reliable way to ensure they’re thinking for themselves.

Teenagers are ideal writers for several reasons. They’re usually free of preconceptions about writing, and they tend not to use self-consciously ‘‘literary’’ language. They’re allergic to hypocrisy and are generally unfiltered: They overshare, ask personal questions and call you out for microaggressions as well as less egregious (but still mortifying) verbal errors, such as referring to weed as ‘‘pot.’’ Most important, they have yet to put down their best stories in a finished form.

I can imagine an essay taking a risk and distinguishing itself formally — a poem or a one-act play — but most kids use a more straightforward model: a hook followed by a narrative built around “small moments” that lead to a concluding lesson or aspiration for the future. I never get tired of working with students on these essays because each one is different, and the short, rigid form sometimes makes an emotional story even more powerful. Before I read Javier Zamora’s wrenching “Solito,” I worked with a student who had been transported by a coyote into the U.S. and was reunited with his mother in the parking lot of a big-box store. I don’t remember whether this essay focused on specific skills or coping mechanisms that he gained from his ordeal. I remember only the bliss of the parent-and-child reunion in that uninspiring setting. If I were making a case to an admissions officer, I would suggest that simply being able to convey that experience demonstrates the kind of resilience that any college should admire.

The essays that have stayed with me over the years don’t follow a pattern. There are some narratives on very predictable topics — living up to the expectations of immigrant parents, or suffering from depression in 2020 — that are moving because of the attention with which the student describes the experience. One girl determined to become an engineer while watching her father build furniture from scraps after work; a boy, grieving for his mother during lockdown, began taking pictures of the sky.

If, as Lorrie Moore said, “a short story is a love affair; a novel is a marriage,” what is a college essay? Every once in a while I sit down next to a student and start reading, and I have to suppress my excitement, because there on the Google Doc in front of me is a real writer’s voice. One of the first students I ever worked with wrote about falling in love with another girl in dance class, the absolute magic of watching her move and the terror in the conflict between her feelings and the instruction of her religious middle school. She made me think that college essays are less like love than limerence: one-sided, obsessive, idiosyncratic but profound, the first draft of the most personal story their writers will ever tell.

Nell Freudenberger’s novel “The Limits” was published by Knopf last month. She volunteers through the PEN America Writers in the Schools program.

7 Best Ways to Shorten an Essay

7 Best Ways to Shorten an Essay

  • Smodin Editorial Team
  • Published: May 14, 2024

Are you removing a lot of words and paragraphs from your essay but still not seeing the word count budge? Whether you’re meeting a strict word count or refining your message, reducing your essay’s length without sacrificing content quality can be challenging.

Luckily, besides just aiming for the minimum word count, there are some pretty simple solutions, like using artificial intelligence, conducting thorough research, and trimming unnecessary words. But there’s more.

In this guide, we’ll unpack some practical tips to help you make your essay concise and impactful. Time to make every word count!

7 Best Ways To Shorten an Essay

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the best ways you can shorten your essay:

1. Use Artificial intelligence

When we talk about academic writing, artificial intelligence (AI) can be a game changer, especially when it comes to reducing the length of your essays.

Tools like Smodin can help make your content more concise while enhancing overall quality. AI can help you shorten your essay through the following methods:

  • Automated rewriting : AI rewriting tools can reformulate existing content to make it more straightforward while maintaining the original meaning.
  • Sentence simplification : Algorithms can analyze your sentences and suggest simpler alternatives, helping eliminate redundant information and reduce word count.
  • Research assistance : Certain platforms have AI-powered research tools that allow you to quickly gather the most relevant information. This ensures that every word in your essay contributes to your argument without unnecessary fillers.
  • Plagiarism check : Ensuring your essay is plagiarism-free is crucial. For example, Smodin’s plagiarism detection tools help you identify and replace copied content with original, concise expressions.
  • Instant feedback : Receive real-time suggestions on how to streamline your text, focusing on the essentials to effectively communicate your message.
  • Reference generation : Automatically generate and insert citations in the correct format, which helps save you time while maintaining the academic integrity of your essay and keeping it short.

2. Identify Unnecessary Words and Remove Them

One of the simplest yet most effective ways to shorten your essay is by identifying and eliminating unnecessary words.

This approach helps decrease word count and sharpens your arguments, making your writing more compelling. You can identify and remove extra words by doing the following:

  • Spot wordy phrases : Often, phrases can be condensed without losing meaning. For example, the phrase “due to the fact that” can be replaced with “because.” Be on the lookout for wordy phrases that increase word count needlessly.
  • Remove unnecessary prepositional phrases : Prepositional phrases can be redundant or add unnecessary detail. Evaluate whether these phrases add value or just extra words. Cutting them can make sentences more direct.
  • Avoid redundancies : Redundant pairs like “absolutely essential” or “future plans” can be reduced to one word without losing informational value.
  • Trim excess adjectives and adverbs : Adjectives and adverbs can make writing better but can also lead to over-description. Use them sparingly, especially when they don’t contribute additional meaning to the nouns and verbs they modify.
  • Fewer words; more impact : Aim for brevity by using fewer words to express the same idea. This will help to reduce the word count while making your writing more impactful and clear.

3. Tighten Sentence Structure

Tightening your sentence structure is crucial for making your essay more concise and readable. Use active voice to make your writing clearer and more dynamic. This is especially important in academic writing, where you have to get to the point quickly.

In academic essays, shifting from passive voice to active voice can shorten and strengthen your sentences. For example, instead of writing, “The experiment was conducted by the students,” you can say, “The students conducted the experiment.” This reduces the number of words and places the action directly with the subject, making your sentences more direct.

Combining two separate sentences into one can streamline your ideas and reduce redundancies. Look for opportunities where sentences can be merged without losing their significance. For example, “He wrote the book. It became a bestseller.” can be rephrased as “He wrote the book, which became a bestseller.”

Also, avoid unnecessary qualifiers and modifiers that don’t add substantial information. Sentences often become bogged down with these extras, making them cluttered and long.

4. Conduct Thorough Research

When writing essays, extensive research can make the final output a lot shorter. Effective research helps you gather precise information that’s relevant to your topic. This means you’ll write more directly and avoid needless elaboration. Here’s how you can conduct research effectively:

  • Define the scope of your research : Determine what information is essential to the argument. This initial step will help you focus your research efforts and prevent irrelevant data.
  • Identify key sources : Begin with scholarly databases and academic journals that offer peer-reviewed articles. These sources provide credible, authoritative information that can be crucial for academic writing.
  • Use precise keywords : When searching for information, use specific keywords related to your essay topic. Precision here will help find the most relevant articles and studies, reducing time spent on unnecessary reading.
  • Evaluate sources : Assess the relevance and reliability of each source. Check the publication date to ensure the information is current and relevant to your topic.
  • Take notes efficiently : As you research, jot down important points, quotes, and references. Organize these notes according to the sections in your essay to make writing faster.
  • Synthesize information : Combine information from multiple sources to build a strong argument. This will allow you to write comprehensively and with fewer words, as each sentence carries more weight.

5. Improve Your Paragraph Structure

Streamlining paragraphs can make your essay shorter and more digestible for the reader. With a well-structured paragraph, you can focus on a single idea supported by concise statements.

Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence that clearly states the main idea. This sentence sets the direction and tone, letting the reader know what to expect. It also helps ensure that every following sentence relates directly to the main idea.

Condense supporting information by merging ideas that logically coexist within a single sentence or phrase. After that, evaluate each sentence for its contribution to the paragraph’s main idea. Remove any information that is repeated or goes into too much detail.

Focus on providing evidence and explanations that directly support the main point. You should also end each paragraph with a sentence that reinforces the main idea and potentially links to the next paragraph. This creates smooth transitions and keeps the essay focused and cohesive.

6. Refine the Introduction and Conclusion

These sections frame your essay and influence how your arguments are perceived. Here are some ways to keep them concise yet effective.

Introduction

The introduction should be engaging and concise, clearly stating the purpose and scope of your essay. Begin with a hook that grabs the reader’s attention, followed by background information that sets the context. Incorporate your thesis statement early on, ideally at the end of the intro.

The conclusion needs to reinforce the thesis. Summarize key points in the essay and show how they support the thesis. Provide a final thought that leaves the reader with something to ponder.

Also, remember to keep it tight – the conclusion isn’t a place for introducing new ideas. It should wrap up the ones you presented and prompt the reader to pose their own questions.

7. Edit and Proofread

Keep your essay concise and error-free by allocating ample time for editing and proofreading. These processes scrutinize your work at different levels, from the overall structure to word choices and punctuation. Here’s how you can go about it:

Start by reading through your entire paper to get a feel for its flow and coherence. Check if all paragraphs support your thesis statement and if section transitions are smooth. This will help you spot areas where the argument might be weak, or wording could be clearer.

Focus next on paragraph structure. Ensure each paragraph sticks to one main idea and that all sentences directly support the idea. Remove any repetitive or irrelevant sentences that don’t add value.

Then, look for clarity and style. Replace complex words with simpler alternatives to maintain readability. Keep your tone consistent throughout the paper. Adjust the sentence length and structure to enhance the flow and make it more engaging.

Proofreading

Proofreading comes after editing. The focus here is catching typing errors, grammatical mistakes, and inconsistent formatting. It’s always best to proofread with fresh eyes, so consider taking a break before this step.

Use tools like spell checkers, but don’t rely solely on them. Read your essay aloud or have someone else review it. Hearing the words can help you catch errors you may have missed.

Lastly, check for punctuation errors and ensure all citations and references are formatted according to the required academic style. This and all of the above are areas in which AI can help get the job done with speed and precision.

Why You Might Need to Shorten Your Essay

Ever heard the expression “less is more”? When it comes to academic writing, it normally is. Keeping your essays concise offers several benefits:

  • Enhances clarity : A shorter essay forces you to focus on the main points and critical arguments, reducing the risk of going off-topic. This clarity makes your writing more impactful and easier for the reader to follow.
  • Meets word limits : Many academic assignments have a maximum word count. Learning to express your thoughts concisely helps you stay within these limits without sacrificing essential content.
  • Saves time : For both the writer and the reader, shorter essays take less time to write, revise, and read. This efficiency is especially valuable in academic settings where time is usually limited.
  • Increases engagement : Readers are more likely to stay engaged with a document that gets to the point quickly. Lengthy texts can deter readers, especially if the content has unnecessary words or redundant points.
  • Improves writing skills : Shortening essays helps refine your writing skills. You become better at identifying and eliminating fluff, focusing instead on what really adds value to your paper.

Overall, adopting a more succinct writing style helps you meet academic requirements and polish your communication skills.

Why Use Smodin To Shorten an Essay

Using AI-powered platforms like Smodin to shorten your essay is both the simplest and the least time-consuming method available. Here’s why you should probably make Smodin your go-to essay shortener:

  • Efficiency : Smodin eases the editing process, using advanced algorithms to quickly identify areas where content can be condensed without losing meaning.
  • Accuracy : With its powerful AI, Smodin ensures that the essence of your essays stays intact while getting rid of unnecessary words, making your writing more precise.
  • Ease of use : Smodin is user-friendly, making it accessible even to those who aren’t the most tech-savvy. Its easy-to-grasp interface allows for seamless navigation and operation.

Smodin’s offerings

  • Rewriter : Available in over 50 languages, this tool helps rewrite text to be more concise.
  • Article Writer : Assists in drafting articles that are crisp and to the point.
  • Plagiarism and Auto Citation : Ensures your essay is original and correctly cited, which is crucial in academic writing.
  • Language Detection : Identifies the language of the text, ensuring the right adjustments are made for clarity.

All these tools and more are what make Smodin an excellent choice for academics looking to reduce the length of their essays.

Final Thoughts

Word counts can be a real headache, especially when you need to say a lot with a little. Thankfully, by identifying unnecessary words, tightening your sentences, and using tools like Smodin, you can make your essay concise without losing its meaning. Remember, a shorter essay doesn’t just meet word limits; and it’s clear, more compelling, and more likely to keep your reader engaged.

Keep it short, keep it sweet, and make every word count! Get started for free right now with Smodin.

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  1. How to Write a Last Minute Essay

    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.

  2. Exploring the Psychology Behind Last-Minute Essay Writing

    Break down your essay into chunks and set specific deadlines for each one. This will help you stay motivated and focused and avoid the temptation to put off the work until the last minute," advises Anne, our expert writer. 4. Perfectionism. Perfectionism is the enemy of progress in many cases.

  3. How to Write an Essay in Under 30 Minutes: 10 Steps

    Download Article. 1. Take 15 minutes to write the essay. Now that you have your thesis statement and your outline, focus on composing content for each part of the essay. [7] Try to spend two to three minutes on each body paragraph. Then, take three minutes on your conclusion paragraph and go back to your introduction.

  4. How to Write Any College Paper at the Last Minute

    How to Write a 6-to-12-Page Essay in a Matter of Hours. Schedule your time. Compose your thesis and intro paragraph. Do your research. Write your body paragraphs. Create a conclusion. Take a troubleshooting break. Add your finishing touches.

  5. Your Ultimate Guide to Last Minute Essays

    Check for repetitious word choice, tense shifts, grammar, and spell-check. If you can delete any words from a sentence, do it. Repeat, as many times as you can, until you submit your essay. Step 6. Sleep. Job well done, so take a well-deserved nap.

  6. How to Write a Last Minute Essay: 6 Tips That Guarantee Results

    Use These Tips to Write Your Last Minute Essay. Don't worry if you can't pay for an essay online. You can follow our practical guide below to write a great last minute essay without panicking. 1. Don't Panic. It's easy to stress yourself up when you have only a few hours to submit an essay you haven't even written yet.

  7. How to do a large amount of work in a small amount of time: advice from

    Extreme tidiness is conducive to successful last-minute work marathons. But back to the rituals. Before I do any serious, or seriously rushed, work, I've got to do a number of things to 'get in the zone'. ... Finally, and most embarrassingly, I have a pair of leggings called my essay leggings that I like to wear while I'm working. They ...

  8. Last-Minute College Essay Tips: Get It Done on Time

    Smart Last-Minute Essay Writing Tips You Can Use. Doing an essay last minute is enough to give you the chills. Regardless of how much you plan to start early, you constantly find yourself racing against time. However, doing an essay last minute does not mean you compromise on the quality. Here are 14 smart ways to write your last-minute essay ...

  9. How To Write An Essay Fast: Last Minute Essay Writing Guide

    Step By Step Guide to Last-Minute Essay Writing Step 0: Calm Down. Breathe! ... you just conducted a brilliant research in a matter of minutes. Step 3: Write Like You Mean It. The mere fact that you're being forced to write an essay makes you hate the topic, no matter how hard your professor tried to make it intriguing. That's the wrong mindset ...

  10. PDF Strategies for Essay Writing

    Harvard College Writing Center 5 Asking Analytical Questions When you write an essay for a course you are taking, you are being asked not only to create a product (the essay) but, more importantly, to go through a process of thinking more deeply about a question or problem related to the course. By writing about a

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

    The first step is to compose yourself and stay positive. Let your mind know that it is still workable even if time is not on your side. Even in the shortest time left, it is still possible to write an attractive and quality essay. Follow below helpful tips and you will write a good last minute essay: 1.

  12. Last Minute Assignment: 10 Quick Tips

    When you're on countdown, these 10 Quick tips will get you fired up to write that essay. 10. Keep calm. A positive mindset can improve your work rate - so keep calm, you've got this! A good breakfast and keeping yourself fuelled on some brain food whilst you work is key - healthy snacks will help to maintain your concentration.

  13. 3 Easy Steps for Writing a Last-Minute College Essay

    Create some space in your day that you can really devote to thinking about - and writing! - your essay (s) without distraction. 2. Start with a simple brainstorm. Give yourself 10-15 minutes and list the things you love. Paragraphs and complete sentences aren't even necessary — just start to get your thoughts on the page and don't ...

  14. How to Write an Essay Fast: Efficient Strategies for Last-Minute Writers

    Here's how to streamline your essay writing process effectively: 1. Basic Preparations. Choosing a Topic Quickly: Select a topic that you are familiar with and that can be debated or discussed ...

  15. How to Write an Essay at the Last Minute

    This video gives tips on how to write a paper at the last minute. It's specifically geared towards students at the University of Nevada, Reno.

  16. People who write their paper one day before it's due, how?

    So easy. I would procrastinate all my papers till it was one day before do or even that night. All you do is just get your topic and write a bunch of dumb stuff on that topic and and words into it that sound smart. Copy and paste stuff from online but go through and turn some of the sentences into your own words.

  17. What essays did you write at the absolute last minute and how ...

    Then I decided to write my Common App essay from scratch. I also decided to apply to a couple more top schools (5 I guess lol), including Columbia, Duke and Cornell, and all of them required essays. It was a hectic and fun week. I like to believe my Common App essay turned out a whole lot better than my initial one.

  18. 3 Last-Minute Essay Tips : r/ApplyingToCollege

    It sounds like your post is related to essays — please check the A2C Wiki Page on Essays for a list of resources related to essay topics, tips & tricks, and editing advice. Please be cautious of possible plagiarism if you do decide to share your essay with other users. tl;dr: A2C Essay Wiki. I am a bot, and this action was performed ...

  19. What I've Learned From My Students' College Essays

    May 14, 2024. Most high school seniors approach the college essay with dread. Either their upbringing hasn't supplied them with several hundred words of adversity, or worse, they're afraid ...

  20. Writing an essay in the last minute be like

    Idea from Dylan Zitkus: @DylanZitkus I hope you enjoyed the video make sure to SUBSCRIBE and LIKESubscribe Here - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdMsgGwtnK...

  21. Don't wait until the last minute to do your applications! But ...

    Type up and process your notes. 4. Block out time to work and stick to it- but also block out time for yourself. Set a timer for you to work uninterrupted. Turn your phone on do not disturb and have the only things open on your computer be college related tabs. Be in a quiet place if possible.

  22. Writing an essay last minute be like

    About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright ...

  23. The "I put my essay off to the very last minute" starter pack

    I have pretty severe ADHD, I found that writing down very specific goals for my essays allows me to start breaking it up. I mean, in the end if I only have to write a paragraph, it'll take like 15-30 minutes. But most of the time I'll end up just continuing on with the essay.

  24. 7 Best Ways to Shorten an Essay

    2. Identify Unnecessary Words and Remove Them. One of the simplest yet most effective ways to shorten your essay is by identifying and eliminating unnecessary words. This approach helps decrease word count and sharpens your arguments, making your writing more compelling. You can identify and remove extra words by doing the following: Spot wordy ...

  25. Writing an essay last minute be like

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