Anyone who has ever been on the other side of the screen staring at a blank page trying to figure out what to write understands how difficult it can be. Students often procrastinate in writing their essays more than any other activity. This is normal behaviour and can be excused to a certain extent.

However, you can find ways to take care of problems that stop you from doing your essay assignments on time. This article will discuss these difficulties and give you solutions to them. What are some of the difficulties students experience?

Photo, Clay Banks.

Some Difficulties that may be experienced

Writing a good essay paper takes more than a determined mind. It’s not easy to focus all the time. However, if you can find out what is stopping you from being productive, you can solve half your problems. Here are some of the problems students may experience when writing an essay;

– How do I even start writing this?
– I can’t find compelling arguments to make something out of my essay.
– My text has so many clichéd phrases and words
– What is the right tone for this kind of essay? Who needs to hear what I have to say?
– What is I fail?
– How do I format the quotes and references?
– I just can’t finish it on time!

These are just some of the problems that many students encounter when trying to write an essay. Now let us see how these can be solved.

How to overcome these difficulties

As you’ll find out, sometimes the solution to most of your difficulties are never too far away – you don’t have to overthink everything. Take time to go through every solution we suggest here and take your essay writing to the next level.

Photo, SaiKrishna Saketh Yellapragada.

1 – How do I even start?

The first sentence in any essay is the most difficult to write. It takes more time than the rest of the essay. But what can you do to ensure you don’t get stuck at the very beginning? Well, you could start by not ignoring the pre-writing state. Before you pen your first sentence, there are several things you must do. They include;

– Researching – it should be proper research based on the topic in question.
– Defining the purpose of the essay – find out what you want to do with your essay, educate, persuade, or do something else.
– What are you going to do to achieve the purpose of what you are proposing in your essay?
– Talk to your lecturer – Though it may seem obvious, many students forget they are supposed to consult their lecturer and ask what they want them to write in the essay. Remember, your lecturer is supposed to help you succeed.

Skipping or not paying much attention to the pre-writing stage may make writing the first sentence a hard task.

2 – I can’t find compelling arguments

Your essay will only be as compelling as you make it to be. However, there are several things that you can do to make sure you present hard facts to support your arguments. It starts with the kind of research you do. The initial stages before you actually start writing can determine whether your essay is worth its weight in gold or not. Because many students don’t know how to conduct robust research, they find writing a good essay a difficult task.

Find reliable sources to base your facts on. Don’t rely entirely on the internet. Go to the library and press the librarian to get you something related to the topic of your essay. If you are completely stuck, you can get essay writing help UK from writing services like EssayGeeks.co.uk or RushMyEssay.co.uk. These websites have a lot of information on how to search for research material for your essay. Think outside the box if you want to navigate this huddle.

Photo, Chase Chappell.

3 – What do I do about clichés?

Clichés are old and tired and shouldn’t have to be repeated in your text if you really hope to write a compelling essay. So get rid of them. Read through your text carefully and make every word and phrase simple. It’s often difficult to critique your own work. Give it to a friend and let them spot the unnecessary words in your text. Don’t entertain clichés in your essay.

4 – What is the tone? Who’s hearing this?

These are some of the questions you need to ask yourself when writing your essay. In many cases, though, your professor is the main audience of your essay, so think carefully about how you address them. Don’t personalise your essay by saying “I think” or “in my opinion.” Use official terminology and avoid slang at all costs. Even so, don’t make the paper boring to read. Engage your reader(s) and let them know how well you understand what you are talking about.

5 – What if I fail?

This is always in every writer’s mind – “my writing is not good enough,” “what if they don’t like it?” Don’t let this bog you down for too long. Nobody is perfect. It’s okay to doubt what you have written. However, find a way to get past this. Ask your professor for clarifications. You can even show them a rough draft of your writing and let them correct you.

6 – What about quotes and citations?

Don’t forget about citations. They are an important part of your essay and can never be neglected. Once you don’t properly quote your text, it automatically becomes plagiarism. Plagiarism is often punished by an “F.” If you don’t know how to cite, you can check out dissertation help services and see how they do it. You can ask a professional from these services how to quote your references.

7 – What about time?

Time management is important if you want to write a good paper. Avoid procrastination at all costs. Make sure you have a planner before you start working and stick to it. Don’t use the time you planned to edit the text to write.

Conclusion

Writing a good essay is no student’s cup of tea. However, if you are dedicated and willing to take steps to improve, you can write great authoritative essays. This article has only touched on a few difficulties. There are a few more, but these are the common ones.