This document provides essential tips for university students on writing essays, focusing on the importance of planning, critical thinking, and structuring the paper effectively. Key steps include creating a schedule, conducting thorough research, and ensuring the essay has a logical flow with an introduction, body, and conclusion. The document emphasizes the need to understand the topic and follow professor expectations to avoid common pitfalls that lead to failing grades.

1. ESSAY WRITING TIPS FOR
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

2. Essay writing is a major component of the
university academic curriculum for many
programs. It can also be pretty daunting for
anyone who has never written an essay for
university. Get off to the best possible start or
improve upon your existing writing skills with
these tips.

3. Plan Your Paper
If you’re going to write a successful essay, you
need to understand the topic and create a
good plan. Good planning includes effective
time-management, essay mapping, and goal
completion. First, create a schedule and stick
to it. Next, map out the steps for completing
your paper.

4. For example, the first step should be to
choose a topic. Additional, important steps
should be:
• Do some research
• Take notes from the research on your essay
topic
• Create an outline

5. • Write your first draft
• Submit the first draft to a writing centre,
professor, or your peers for feedback
• Use feedback to complete your final draft
• Proofread before turning in the paper

6. While mapping your essay is important, you
should also take note of and meet any
milestones/deadlines set by your professor.
These milestones will also help with essay
planning and time management.

7. However, setting your own milestones and/or
goals could boost your confidence and
performance. Mark these goals off as you
complete them. The final step in a successful
essay-writing plan is simply to turn in the paper
on time.

8. Show Your Critical Thinking Skills
Unbeknownst to most university students, the
true purpose of essay writing is to test and
enhance critical thinking skills. Of course, essays
can also be an expression of students’ general
knowledge, understanding in certain areas, and
learned skills.

9. However, blatant critical thought and analysis
may be the greatest testament to what a student
knows and has learned. Critical thinking can also
be the difference between an average essay and
an excellent one. If you want yours to stand out,
engage with the theories and arguments you
present, provide an academic and intelligent
analysis – don’t just repeat other authors’ points
and thoughts or information from your research.

10. Understand the Topic
Not understanding the essay topic is actually the
top reason why students receive failing grades on
essay assignments. Before starting your paper,
make sure you understand the topic or research
questions, as well as your professor’s
expectations for the paper. If you’re unsure, then
ask questions – even the simple ones.

11. It can be extremely helpful to simply ask what
you should do on the paper. This will help you
decide what and how much to research.
Remember that some essay assignments require
more in-depth research and analysis than others.
However, make sure you perform targeted,
concise research that thoroughly covers your
essay topic or questions.

12. Think of the process as similar to what you'd do
when looking for the best student housing
Ottawa has to offer. Your search should be as
narrow as possible and be based on your needs
and pre-determined criteria. And the more you
know about what you're looking for, the better
the results. This applies to writing a great essay
and finding great housing!

13. Build a Solid Structure
An essay that flows well is easier to read and
follow. It also aids in conveying your messages
throughout the paper. So, make sure your essays
always have a logical structure. The most basic
structure, includes:

14. • An introduction, stating your hypothesis or the
main ideas of your essay
• A body, presenting your main points or
arguments
• A conclusion, summarizing the main points
covered in the essay and presenting any
reflection on them

15. To ensure your paper follows this basic structure,
just create an outline to use as a guide. This will
also help you create a focused argument or story
arc. Furthermore, a strong structure can ensure
your paper stays on track and only covers points
relevant to the essay topic.

16. Additionally, the order of your paragraphs should
make the paper cohesive and comprehensive.
Just remember to use logical transitions between
the main points and paragraphs and reorder
them as needed. Good luck!