It’s the end of the semester, which means Professors are just piling on the amount of essays and research papers they give their students. You would think that they would all get together and try to space it out, so you don’t have three papers due on one day. But of course, Professors aren’t that thoughtful and you still have three 5-7 page papers to write in the next couple weeks.
Sure some of you may have for seen this and started writing those papers already, but most of you have been waiting dreading the idea of sitting down to bang out the best paper of all time. Maybe you have already figured out what topic you’re writing on and all the points you’re going to touch upon. Or maybe you’re like me and staring at a blank screen wondering why you’re in college and what did you do in life to deserve such torture.
If you’re in the same boat as me, trying to find some ounce of creative juice in your body, but can’t quite scrounge enough up to start that paper, this is for you. Here are seven ways to fight writer’s block and get (what you hope is) an A+ paper started:
- Try freewriting.
Spend 15-20 minutes just writing whatever your heart desires. Maybe it relates to your topic, or maybe it’s about how that Starbuck’s employee spelled your name wrong for the third time in a row. Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or complete sentences. This is where you can just vent to get those creative juices flowing.
- Get your blood flowing.
Take a walk around campus. Go to the gym for a 30 minute run. You can even dance around your room for a couple minutes. Studies have shown that once your blood is flowing, your mind will also start to flow, helping you to be more creative and focused on writing those essays.
- Separate yourself from distractions.
It may be hard to distance yourself from your cellphone for an hour or two, but your paper and GPA will thank you for it. Try to get away from friends and family so you can focus solely on your paper. If they care about you and your grades they’ll understand you need some time to focus.
- Listen to Music.
So this may seem to counter the idea of eliminating distractions but sometimes music can help. It can boost your mood and productivity and gives you a chance to explore what type of music motivated you. It’s possible your ‘Get Lit’ playlist isn’t the right type of music to be listening to when writing a paper. Maybe try instrumental music, possibly even throw in some jazz. Find whatever works for you.
- Read out loud.
While this is a great way to edit your work, it’s also beneficial to helping you become unstuck. It can help you to figure out what you need to write next. If you’re unable to identify what to do, ask a friend to listen to your essay and get their opinion on what you could do.
- Rewards are crucial.
Maybe you need something to motivate you to actually get stuff done. Consider rewarding yourself after every two pages. Your reward could be chocolate, checking out Facebook for five minutes, or even replying to any texts you’ve missed while working on your essay. Just remember this is a mini reward not a celebration party. You still have more pages to go and you don’t want to completely distract yourself and not get back on track.
- Write and sleep at the same time.
This is crunch time and while it is important that you get your beauty rest, it’s also crucial these essays get written. Work on your essay 15-20 minutes before going to bed, and think about any problems you’re having with the paper before falling asleep. While you’re in dreamland, you could find a solution to your problem. Wake up and type it out before you forget.