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Writing an academic paper is a regular activity at school and it’s a way for students to showcase their abilities in gathering data, writing, and more. Writing an excellent paper is one of the goals of every student because they get to improve their knowledge, acquire better grades and develop certain skills that will be able to help them in their studies. However, it seems that only a few students are able to accomplish such a feat. Getting an “F” is the last thing a student wants to see on their paper, but if you don’t put the effort in, you can’t expect great results. As a student, it’s your responsibility to excel at your studies no matter what, and you have to find out what’s causing the problem. Here are a few examples of the problems that you should prevent before it’s too late.
- Getting easily distracted
- Experiencing “writer’s block”
- Taking the easy way out
- Getting information from a single source
- Writing at the last minute
There’s certainly no way you’ll be able to write a great paper if your mind isn’t in the right place. Being unable to focus is the result of boredom taking over and you won’t be able to finish if you allow it to continue. Distractions are pretty much everywhere and you’ll have to avoid them as much as possible. Work on your paper in an isolated place like the library or your own room provided you’ve cleared away anything that can cause distractions. Be sure to turn off your Internet connection, laptop and your phone while you’re at it.
If you can’t seem to write anything, then it’s a clear sign you have a writer’s block – the worst thing that could happen to you while writing. Forcing yourself to think will only make things worse, as your brain isn’t working with you. You’re pretty much doomed to fail, unless you do something about it. According to some studies, exhaustion can cause writer’s block, which is why you should take enough time to recover from your mental and physical fatigue so you’ll be able to write without any problems.
Most students aren’t fond of spending too much time on their papers, which is why they’re doing everything they can to shorten the amount of time needed to write. Copying articles word for word is one of their usual strategies, which is obviously a form of cheating, as is getting someone else to write it for you. Writing a brilliant paper will take some time because you’ll need to do proper research to write a compelling argument on your topic. Remember that your patience and effort in writing can eventually pay off in the form of an “A+”.
There are many reliable sources of information that can be used, but the problem is that most students are narrowing their search into a single medium. They have a great dependence on the Internet since information is easily accessible in seconds, but it might lack on some areas of their topic. Aside from the Internet, try reading books or asking knowledgeable people about the subject so that you’ll be able to cover more ground, and that would greatly reinforce your arguments.
Tardiness is very common among students nowadays and it could have a negative impact on your study habits. Working on essays or assignments at the very last minute is a good example of something that can result in a paper truly deserving of a failing grade. You need to set your priorities straight if you want to gain positive results from your efforts, and writing your assignments should take precedence once you get home. It won’t be easy, but it’s definitely for your own good.
There you have it! Hopefully, you’ve learned what to avoid when you’re writing academic papers. Good luck!
This article was contributed by guest author Sophia Jennings.