As a New Orleans student, you may be required to write essays as part of your course, or even a dissertation. So, before you start writing, you need to make sure that you understand what you need to write so that you know the best way to tackle your essay. Once you have figured out what your topic will be, you’ll need to do some research to work out what your main argument will be. The next step that you’ll need to take is to create an outline of your essay, and this needs to include an introduction, the main body, and the conclusion. Below we will provide you with a step-to-step guide of exactly how a college student in New Orleans needs to write a paper as a professional service e.g. WriteMyPaperHub would write essays online for their customers.
Getting to grips with your essay
- First of all, you will need to read the requirements for your essay. Consider the style that you will need to adopt, the structure, and what your focus will be.
- You need to make sure you understand any style or format requirements. Make sure you know what citation style you need to use, how long your essay needs to be, and all information related to formatting such as the font type and size, line spacing, etc.
- You need to be clear about the topic of your essay, so you have a focused point. If there’s something that you are not clear of, then make sure you ask your university lecturers who will clarify anything that you are unsure of.
Organizing and planning your paper
- You need to do some research to find reputable sources that you can use to create your essay. Either head online or look for up-to-date sources or go to the library. Ensure that any information you find is accurate. Another option would be to use journals as they are a great source of information.
- Whilst you do your research, make sure you make notes of relevant information as you go along. If any of the information you find you plan to use in your essay, make sure you write this information down accurately so that you can cite it properly.
- You need to create a thesis statement that sums up your main point. Your thesis statement needs to be one or two sentences long.
- Create an outline that highlights your main points. You just need to note down a sentence or two which outlines each aspect that you will talk about. When you consider your outline, you also need to think about how you will structure your essay. For example, do you plan on starting your essay with your strongest arguments first?
- Think about how your outline will actually look. For instance, your essay will need to consist of an introduction, the main body, which may include two to three points with supporting evidence, a counterargument, as well as the support of your thesis and finally a conclusion.
Drafting your essay
- Once you have created your thesis and your outline, you can begin writing your introduction. Your introduction needs to include a general outline of your topic, as well as your thesis statement. In order for your introduction to be strong, you need to include a transitional sentence that links back to the argument that you are trying to put forward. Something else to consider is that you may actually find it easier to write your introduction once you have completed the whole of your essay. Sometimes it’s easier to write an introduction once your main points have been made, as you can then summarize what your essay is about in just a few sentences, which form your introduction. If this feels like an overwhelming task, you may consider getting some essay writing help.
- Now you will need to create a number of paragraphs that concentrate on the point that you are making. If your essay has an argumentative approach, then you need to make sure that you are aware of the arguments that go against your perspective. These need to be included in your essay, as well as evidence to back them up.
If you decide to use somebody else’s information or ideas which have been obtained from a source, you need to reference these. This needs to be done even if you are paraphrasing someone else’s words or if you are directly quoting a source. The approach that you take to citing your sources depends on the citation style you are required to use. Usually, you will need to include the name of the author, the publication date, and the title. Any sources that you cite in an essay will need to be included in a bibliography at the end of your essay. - To complete your essay, you’ll need to finish it off with a concluding paragraph, and this needs to reiterate what the main point of your essay was, to begin with. You need to include how your argument backed up your thesis statement and summarize any arguments you have put forward. You can also include any questions that have not been answered or anything that could do with further research. Your conclusion needs to be brief and shouldn’t normally be longer than a paragraph or two. So if you are writing a 1000-word essay, your conclusion needs to be around four sentences.
Final checks
- After completing your first draft, take some time away from your essay so that you can come back to it with fresh eyes.
- Begin by proofreading your essay so you can amend any issues that stick out instantly. Consider aspects such as: spelling, style, format, and grammar issues; wordy sentences; unnecessary information; inappropriate tone or language i.e., informal slang language; aspects that have not been clearly explained; poor organization.
- Once you have revised your essay, you will need to proofread it again and pay particular attention to minor errors that you may have missed the first time around. It is best to read each line of your essay out loud when proofing.
By following all of the above advice, any student in New Orleans will be able to ensure that they can complete their essay to the best standard possible.