You receiving all of your paper topics (though you probably aren’t smiling).
As the end of the semester approaches so does the dreaded finals week. Maybe you’re like me and would rather write final papers, or maybe you dread them. Either way, they’re inevitable, and like Hogwarts acceptance letters, they cannot be kept away. Before you worry too much though, keep these tips in mind.
Catch Up on the Reading
I know it’s hard to keep up with all of the readings in all of our classes, but to write a good essay you should have more than a Sparknotes summary understanding of the text. So if that means dedicating a few hours of time to reading or maybe in-depth skimming (I totally just made that up) then it’s worth it. At the very least, you can locate the passages you want, then read a few pages before and after to get a better understanding of the context.
However Long You Usually Give Yourself to Write a Paper, Add a Day…or Two
We’ve all done an all-nighter paper or two, but final papers are the big leagues. Leaving yourself extra time is only going to benefit you in the end. Maybe you get overrun with work from another class or you decide to scrap your original thesis or you get distracted by your friends, but with the extra day or two you can easily turn the situation around. Plus, it means that you can afford to set it aside when you find your concentration draining.
Bonus: it also means you can go to your professor for help.
Reread Older Papers from the Class
While it might be painful to look through older papers you wanted to forget about, do yourself a favor and scan over your professor’s comments. It would be really annoying to lose precious points by repeating the same mistakes, so keep an eye out for areas you can improve on. A clearer thesis, using less quotes, more quotes, etc… are all things you can fix this time around. Even if you didn’t lose points for say, citing two different sources by the same author wrong, that doesn’t mean you can’t do it correctly this time.
Make an Outline
You don’t need a fancy paragraph-by-paragraph plan for your essay (though if this works for you, by all means do it). Instead, I suggest making a master list. Place the name of the novel, play, or whatever at the top and then go through the text and find any and every quote you think might be relevant to your essay and include the page number. I mean anything. Repeat with every other text you intend to use. If you have multiple questions to answer you can also sort the list by questions and include all relevant quotes.
You’re probably wondering, why go through all the hassle? It’s because this works. I am an English major who swears by it. It is my ultimate go-to for any essay in any subject and here’s why…
1. As you write your paper you will have all the evidence at your fingertips. There’s no need to flip through the book in frustration or try to remember page numbers. Plus, the list of quotes is chronological so as you’re writing you can immediately check the page number and figure out if Huck Finn said that before or after he lost the raft.
2. If you find yourself changing the direction of your essay you aren’t lost. Your original four, perfect, hand-picked quotes might not apply anymore, but you’ve got an entire page to choose from.
3. If you’re inspired as you’re quoting something, you can write more about the quote without having to worry about its larger context. If you do change directions, that small, brief, insightful analysis may help you later on. Analyzing each quote a little as you add it to your list may also help you develop a clearer thesis as you continue; it’s even easier to see connections this way.
Get in The Zone
But first, be realistic with yourself. Not all of us can concentrate in our dorms and not all of us enjoy the library (assuming you can grab a spot). Find whatever place works for you and commit. If that means bringing your laptop, charger, headphones, textbooks, notebooks, folder, and coffee; so be it. Make sure you have whatever you need to prevent yourself from wandering around as an excuse to procrastinate. So cue up your Pandora, log out of Facebook, and even shut off your phone. Okay, okay, that may be a bit extreme, but at least place it face down without the ringer on.
Take Breaks
Productive breaks will help you refocus. You can choose to set a timer or establish a set word or page count. Use your break to stretch, grab food, read a little Her Campus (be sure to set an article limit), and even Snapchat your best friend. Then put it all away. All of it.
Have Someone Edit Your Paper
Your friend from the class, your friend who once took the class, or that friend who is a grammar freak…use them. Sometimes you know what you’re trying to say, but after being caught up in your own writing for so long it can be hard to tell if your point is actually coming across. Having another set of eyes look at it will immediately alert you not only to grammatical errors, but also instances where you’re vague or your argument doesn’t hold up as well. And, not to harp on this point too much, but if you give yourself more days it means more time for someone to look over your work, get it back to you, and give you time to fix it.
If you’re really self-conscious about your work or you can’t find somebody, at least read it out loud. It sounds silly, but you’ll catch every instance of awkward wording, bad phrasing, and even sometimes misquoted quotes.
Try to keep these tips in mind as the paper topics pour in, and remember Collegiettes, you do not suffer alone. Best of luck!