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It’s that time of year again: finals season. Depending on your major, you might have final exams, final projects, or final papers. In any case, you’re bound to feel a little stressed out. However, I’m here to help make the final paper process a bit easier. If you’re trying to avoid sudden feelings of overwhelming stress, make sure to follow these steps as you begin to write your final papers.
1. Start early!
I know this can seem impossible sometimes, but trust me, you’ll thank yourself later. Procrastinating on a final paper probably isn’t a good idea.
2. Talk to your professor.
If you’re confused at all about the assignment, it’s best to talk to your professor as soon as possible. You want to have a good understanding of what’s being asked of you, before you begin the paper. You don’t want to have to go back and redo something because you did it wrong the first time.
3. Draft out your ideas.
This doesn’t have to be an outline necessarily, but figure out what you’re going to write about and put those ideas down on paper. Most importantly, just get them out.
4. Gather your sources.
If you can find all of your sources before you start to write, not only will you have a better idea of your argument, but also feel a little less stressed once you start writing because the process will move along much more smoothly.
5. Create a Works Cited/Reference page.
You just took the time to find all your sources, so why not get this part out of the way too? Then, you can get the menial task done before you even begin writing. Talk about accomplishment!
6. Find quotes you’re going to use.
This is a big one! Searching for quotes ahead of time will make your life that much simpler when you need to input evidence into your body paragraphs. Rather than having to stop writing to look through twenty pages for a quote, you’ll already have them ready.
7. Write your body paragraphs.
This may not work for everyone, but sometimes it can be easier to start off by writing your body paragraphs instead of your introduction. Doing this will help get the juices flowing and may make the introduction come more clearly to you later on.
8. Write your introduction.
Now that you have your body paragraphs underway, you probably have a better idea of your main argument, which will enable you to write a thesis statement.
9. Write your conclusion.
Because your conclusion should reflect back on your introduction and the main points of your body paragraphs, it helps to write this paragraph right after you write your introduction. You can focus in on the specifics, but then make a broader statement about your topic’s implications in society.
10. Edit!
While I know that a lot of people skip this step, it’s really important if you want to submit a strong paper. Give yourself enough time to reread through your paper to catch any silly mistakes or errors or to fix any other issues you come across. In short, double check everything.
Good luck!
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