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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Manhattan chapter.

The assignment of writing a paper is daunting and overwhelming because of the endless amounts of ideas and arguments you have, yet you have to put them all into a cohesive essay. Not knowing where to start writing is the hardest part, but here are some tips in order to improve your paper. All of these tips are to be done before even starting to write your essay!

Identity the question being asked of you 

When given the assignment of writing a paper, there is typically some background information with the overall question you need to address. This can be confusing as to what the paper is supposed to be about. Because of this, it is most beneficial to identify the exact question you are to answer and highlight it. Through this identification, you’re sure to address the main topic and boost your grade. 

Formulate your thesis statement

The formulation of a thesis statement prior to writing your paper is super helpful. In doing this, there is a clear idea or argument stated, which you can then plan your body paragraphs accordingly. This results in a cohesive paper that follows the sequential steps of your arguments and is clear in its organizational structure.

Decide how many body paragraphs you will have and what the main point of each will be

By deciding how many body paragraphs and what the topic sentence of each will be, writing the overall essay is simplified. Rather than writing as you go, you can plan out what to say in each body paragraph. This results in clearer and more organized ideas and supporting arguments. 

Write your conclusion statement for the end of your paper before you start

Through formulating your conclusion statement at the beginning of your writing process, you are again reminded of what your intention and purpose of writing the paper are. It is less likely that you will get lost in your own ideas and you have a clear way to end your essay.

Learning and shaping the skills of writing and organizing a basic paper can improve your overall grades, and college career. Papers are inescapable, but with the right tips and techniques, you are sure to conquer your next assignment. Good luck!

 

Kaitlyn Hennig

Manhattan '23

I am in my sophomore year as a psychology major at Manhattan College.
As an avid lover of all things writing related, Christine is a born story-teller. She is a junior at Manhattan College majoring Public Relations and minoring in Marketing. When she’s not writing, you can find her exploring NYC, binge watching The Office, or enjoying a good cup of tea. She joined Her Campus after transferring to MC and absolutely fell in love with it! She is currently the Campus Correspondent of her chapter, and hopes her articles can entertain and inspire women everywhere. After college, she plans to continue writing and hopes to publish a book one day. Be sure to check out her college lifestyle blog Christineeve.com!