Alrighty. So this is a hugely subjective thing. I would actually be super interested in hearing how other students approach essays, so feel free to discuss in this thread!
Basically, this is how I construct an essay.
1. Organise myself.
I pick my topic. Good start. Then I work out what resources I might need: Google Scholar, the reader, the textbook, class notes, lecture slides, and whatever else. I have them all ready. I set up my essay document, with the aforementioned presentation details.
2. Collate information/data if necessary
Often, I will have a secondary ‘resource’ document, which I update and use concurrently. Here, I will type out possible quotes to use, links to other resources, facts, figures, and anything else I think might be relevant. If I end up using the information, I put it in bold and green. If there is particularly salient information that I don’t want to miss, I put it in bold and red. Bold and blue is for information I feel I need to explore further before using.
I like it as a system, but I’m used to it. The idea is not to necessarily use this system, but to
have a system in the first place. Trust me: essay writing is a lot easier when it becomes habitual and familiar.
3. Make a plan
Not always necessary, I find, but when I feel I will struggle through an essay, a plan really helps. It might look something like this:
Spoiler
[Introduction]
[Literature review]
[Advantages of X]
[Rebuttal]
[Disadvantages of X]
[Rebuttal]
[Summary]
Just something simple. Sometimes, I even work off the plan itself. That is, include the sub-headings until right at the very end, just to ensure that I’ve stuck to my original plan.
4. Write the essay
There’s not much I can say about this, and perhaps this is all you really came to this post for, so sorry about that. But really, what can one say? Nobody can write your essay but you. By this stage, you should have your resources and your plan. It should take nothing else but time.
5. Edit the bajeebus out of it
Your first draft will never be your best essay. Perhaps interestingly, the majority of time I spend on essay assessments is in the editing stage, and not the actual writing stage. Proof-read it a number of times. If you’ve followed the
n±2 rule, you will have time to sleep on it a few times before looking at it again for a new perspective. Get your family and friends to read it. Often, if somebody who’s never done the unit can’t understand what you’re saying, you haven’t been clear enough.
Labout over your choice of words, and delete all words that aren’t strictly necessary. Be very Orwellian in this way. (Follow what I’m saying rather than what I’m doing here, because as I’ve mentioned, I’m a notorious over-writer.)
Print out your draft, and edit it with a pen. Do this multiple times, and you will end up with a sick final product.
And then edit it some more.