Last week, I had to write an eight-page paper. It was the longest academic paper I’ve had to write to date, and I found myself wondering how I was going to do it. I asked myself how I normally write papers — what works for me, what doesn’t, how I space it out, etc. This reflection was particularly useful to me with finals week approaching, and I hope it helps you in some way, too.
This one is for the humanities girls. I see you, I feel you, I am you.
- Set a Daily Word Count Goal
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I set a word count goal for any kind of writing that I do, whether that’s academic, creative, journalistic, etc. I find that it keeps me motivated — it feels like an achievable goal, something bite–sized that I can do in one day, and feel good about. I get my word count goal by dividing the number of words I need to have written by the number of days I have to do it, which also serves to keep me on track. This is, arguably, my most important tip.
- Look Good, Feel Good
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Everyone knows this saying, and I find it to be true for myself! I know that on days when I have to write a lot, or do a lot of research for my writing, I want to look good. I might put in a little extra effort — maybe wear jeans, or something. Having a cute outfit on, or doing my hair, motivates me to leave my room and write my paper. Feeling put together helps a lot when my paper is decidedly not put together.
- Have an Outline
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It doesn’t need to be very detailed. It doesn’t even need to be detailed, at all. Mine usually aren’t. But even the 15 bullet points that comprise my outline keep me on track, so that I don’t waste time deleting and re-writing entire sections once I have moved onto the writing stage. Interestingly, I rarely stick to my outline. Still, I find that the outline is my training wheels. It propels me forward just enough until I can take over, only referencing it briefly as I continue writing.
- Find a New Spot & Set the Mood
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I say find a new spot because that’s when I can really focus. If I go to a place that I’ve already been to many times and that I associate with activities that aren’t writing papers, I’m more likely to get distracted and do other things. A new spot is like a fresh slate. It doesn’t exist in my mind as anything other than my paper-writing spot for the day. Alternatively, having a set paper-writing spot is also a possibility. Once settled, I like to listen to music (lo-fi playlists are my favorite for writing).
- Get a Drink
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This goes along with setting the mood. Writing a paper doesn’t have to be a tedious, grueling experience. It is what you make it. Having a drink by my side is such a small detail, yet it elevates my experience immensely. Sometimes, just knowing that I’ll be getting a good drink is enough to push me to go work on my paper. Personally, I associate writing papers with hot drinks.
The process of writing a paper is long, and oftentimes hard. But it’s also extremely rewarding, and it’s because of that that I secretly love it.
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