Unless you’re taking all STEM classes this semester, odds are that you have some papers coming up this week. While I have always preferred writing papers to taking exams, each person has their own difficulties and anxieties associated with both. Writing long papers when you’re on the verge of burning out can feel incredibly difficult. However, there are ways to lessen the anxieties associated with these papers and write efficiently while minimizing stress. Here are a few organization and planning tips to get you on your way to finishing those papers so you can go home stress free!
Pick your topic: Not every professor gives you the same flexibility when choosing your final paper topic, but even if you have a strict prompt, try to make it your own. The key to finding a topic is to find something you’re actually interested in. Even if it requires a little more initial research, choosing a subject you like makes the rest of this process much easier and enjoyable. Meet with your professor if you’re unsure, but make sure you’re not stuck writing ten pages on something you have absolutely no interest in, if you can help it.
Look through previous papers: Don’t repeat past mistakes. Look through feedback from your past papers and see if you can find any trends, whether it’s in style, clarity, or even technicalities (like errors in citations). Make sure you understand why your professor noted these things and avoid them in your final paper – show them you’ve taken their feedback and are actively using it!
Outline: If you can avoid it, don’t outline and write your paper on the same day. Take an hour and outline every paper. You don’t have to make it super thorough, but make sure to note your main points so you don’t forget them later. Write in any research you want to include. If you have any important research quotations or examples, add them here with a proper citation; then when you’re writing your paper you won’t have to go scrolling through the website or flipping through a book to find what you want to add.
Writing your paper: Everyone has a different style when writing papers, but I always suggest trying to write as much in one sitting as you can. This is a rough draft, and spilling out all your ideas at once lets you see all the different points you want to add, so you can then go back and make it more specific by pulling out the best ones. If your paper is too long, at least try to do every section in one sitting for your rough draft. Don’t worry about your intro or conclusion, as these will change as your paper does! Once you’ve completed your draft, leave it for a few hours, even a day if you can. Spending too much time at once on a paper can make you feel like your paper is worse than it is. Remember, your professor will not be reading your paper as many times as you!
Editing and revising: Go line by line, and get rid of anything that does not build your argument or contribute to your main point. Try to avoid elaborate language where you can substitute simpler phrases that convey your point just the same. Have someone read your paper at this stage, but remember you don’t have to take every suggestion! Your paper is your own, you’ve put a lot of work into it, so make sure it stays true to what you want to say!
Final papers can be a tough hurdle on the way to the end of the semester, but with some planning and thoughtfulness on what you want to get out of the class and your paper, they can be super rewarding and worth the stress!