8 Top Tips for Students to Improve Academic Writing

                     

Writing is one of the most essential skills every student has to use daily while still in college. Just like speaking and taking part in group discussions, writing is one of the ways for students to express their ideas and thoughts. And since teaching students how to think is one of the primary goals of every teacher, they ask them to craft good papers all the time.

However, excellent writing skills are not something we are born with. They require discipline and practice. And in this article, we will introduce our readers to different ways how one can improve their academic writing easily. So, read on and get ready to take notes, as these tips can completely change your approach to composing academic essays.

8 amazing tips on how to improve academic writing

1. Take a course.

This might be the most obvious suggestion but if you cannot improve your writing on your own, then it would be wise to take a course and have professionals assist you in this. When you take courses, especially the ones you have to pay for, you feel more responsible for learning the material and mastering the skills than when you try to do it on your own. Besides, there is a tutor who can revise your papers and give you feedback. Also, you can go to them after classes and ask questions that bother you.

Finally, you will have peers struggling with similar issues inspiring you by their example. So, instead of feeling desperate every time writing is mentioned, enroll in some good course and have your skills improved.

2. Reward yourself for hard work.

Hard work must be rewarded. So, whenever you deal with a difficult task, you should get a reward for it so that it does not feel like a tiring obligation. Think of what you like doing or eating, and have it every time you do some excellent work. From what we know, some students buy themselves sweets, while others watch their favourite TV shows, or go for a walk in the park. It should be a refreshing thing to do as well as something that brings you pleasure.

However, if you did not do your best, then you should get no reward. It is not cruel. On the contrary, it will help you strive to outdo yourself and do a great job next time!

3. Revise your paper.

One of the most important stages of writing is editing. We all make mistakes. Some of them get into our writing just because we are in a hurry and lose focus of important things. Revision is a perfect opportunity to fix these mistakes. Besides, if you fix them yourself, then over time you will be able to understand what mistakes are typical for you and how you can actually prevent them. So, save some time for this stage as well, for the sake of higher quality of your writing.

4. Use social media to practice writing.

As a young person, you are definitely registered on at least one social media. That is where the people are, so if you want to socialize, you go online. So, why not use these platforms to practice your written English? Just think about it: it is natural and not hard at all! You will only have to write properly instead of using short words and informal phrases. As a result, you will have room for practicing your writing in a natural environment. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

5. Use technological solutions.

There are many excellent grammar and punctuation checkers out there. They can be of much help to you. We recommend using them for analyzing your common errors, and we ask you to avoid simply correcting all the mistakes with their help as it won’t make you a better writer. Besides, some grammar checkers show the percentage of grammatically correct content in a text so that you can monitor your progress. We recommend checking Grammarly out " it can make all the difference in your writing.

6. Cut things out.

The rule is: if a sentence makes total sense without some words in it, then cut them out. The more words you add, the higher chances that you will make mistakes are. So, use simpler words, shorter phrases, and more comprehensible sentences instead. There is one great app which can help you with this. It is called Hemingway, and you will have no problem finding it online. After pasting your text into it, you will get a list of comments which will inform you which sentences are too long and wordy, which adverbs have simpler analogues, etc. It can point out a specific issue and navigate you on your way to better writing. Therefore, we recommend using this tool.

7. Ask for feedback.

Teachers know your style. They have checked so many of your essays that they can easily tell what exactly you need to fix or have a closer look at. So, instead of trying to figure it out on your own, consider asking your teachers what they think you should do to get better. Do not shy away from seeking their advice. After all, it is their job. Plus, they like it when students are eager to learn and improve.

8. Read more.

Good writing comes with reading proper literature. Grabbing a book and reading it whenever you have a couple of minutes of free time might be the best decision for you at this stage. You need to see how other people express their thoughts on paper, what words they use to demonstrate their inner world, and how they speak about important things. Use their wisdom and apply it to your own texts.

These tips can help you boost your writing in less than no time. All you need is discipline and patience to wait and see the results. So, why not try it all today?

Author's Note

Richard Nolan is a writer and a private tutor, sharing his experience in spheres of writing, blogging, entrepreneurship and psychology. Richard writes for numerous blogs and gives useful tips for bloggers and students. Currently, Richard works as a general blog editor for custom writing service ProWritersCenter. Follow him on Twitter