Of all the forms of writing conducted during a student’s education in college, essay writing is probably the most important. Essay writing tests a student’s ability to collate heaps of data into relevant and understandable content. But, unlike other forms, essay writing requires the knowledge of certain know-hows and technicalities.
Furthermore, essay writing forms a vital part of educational learning and growth in college students. But not everyone is naturally equipped with all the necessary skills required to write great essays. Some need to learn and understand the right approaches and methods. And, although much of it includes learning the process, one should not overlook the common mistakes found in essays.
In this article, we will take a closer look at how students can overcome their essay writing issues and write more effectively. In no particular order, here are the 11 most common essay writing problems students face.
1) Incorrect Formats & Structures
The best essays are those that offer great readability and clear retention of information. But sometimes, even with the best information at hand, essays may not be as good or worthy to read. This usually occurs because the essay wasn’t well-formatted and structured. Always remember, a good essay format provides a better and smoother structure to the whole writing piece.
2) Difficulty in Conducting Quality Research
Being able to write well is one thing, being able to source the best information is another. Conducting quality research is truly a skill in itself. It requires a lot of dedication, effort, and knowledge to skim through various educational resources. This is also a big reason why researching duties tend to have a dedicated department within organizations.
Additionally, students can also use professional online services to help them with some of their harder work. For example, one can use a top-rated platform made by John Ringo author and make use of homework help services and a lot more. With it, students can select relevant expert writers and get the best writing services in a timely fashion.
3) Limited Grammatical Skills & Vocabulary
The effectiveness and success of an essay are usually determined by the delivery and understanding of information in as few words as possible. But, such effectiveness in writing doesn’t come naturally to everybody. Then comes the need to know and use certain power words to boost the potency of one’s writing. Together, grammar and vocabulary are some of the strongest requirements to produce flawless writing.
4) Lack of Essay Writing Know-How & Skills
Essay writing, unlike other formats like letter writing, usually requires extra abilities and skills. For example, one needs to know how to use stronger words, write shorter sentences, follow formatting principles, and more. Because essay writing can be applied to fulfill various objectives and purposes, one should always know the right approach and process to use.
5) Lack of Energy & Time
During college, students are often overburdened with various tasks. And, between managing their academic and personal lives, they may often find themselves short on energy and time to do all of their work effectively. Although this can be improved by better time management, prolonged exposure to such situations can hamper a student’s overall work quality. They may also miss out on learning the new or updated requirements and techniques related to their (essay writing) tasks.
6) Too Many Negative Tones & Words
One of the biggest problems most students face while writing essays is not being able to write excitingly and positively. And, this is certainly true for all those who do not spend too much time reading and writing. Because, as with any skill, essay writing requires the dedication and effort to write in a more desirable and readable style. But, writing in positive tones and strong points comes naturally to those who write regularly.
7) Difficulty to Write in a Single Style & Voice
Not only is the active voice a more personalized style of writing but it is also the best form to keep a reader engaged. Active voice also enables writers to explain their matter in fewer words and sentences. As opposed to the passive voice, an active voice is also a lot more positive and future-oriented. But it may sometimes be difficult for students to consistently write in an active voice as this requires quite a bit of writing practice in general.
8) Too Many (Useful) Adjectives & Adverbs
Oftentimes, individuals seek to amplify the potency of their writing by using fancier words and styles. This is spurious and is also often looked at negatively when one attempts to masquerade their information with too much glitter. Students should thoroughly learn and understand the process of using the right set and volume of adjectives and adverbs. Doing so will help them concentrate on their subject matter and work in a more wholesome way to produce content.
9) Too Much Fluff
As discussed, the best essays are always those that are precise, informative, and easy to read and understand. Basically, to write good essays, one shouldn’t ever use too many words and sentences to describe their ideas and thoughts. This is because writing too much about superficial stuff gives the reader an impression that the writer doesn’t know their topic too well. To avoid writing too much fluff, students can focus on writing within the prescribed word limits.
10) Frequently Drifting Off the Subject Line & Topic
Another difficult aspect of writing good essays is the tendency to drift off one’s subject line and topic. Some students may find it difficult to fully understand certain topics. In such cases, students can write off-tangent and off-topic material to fill their papers and word counts.
11) Inaccurate Citations, Information, & Sources
A highly desirable and underrated aspect of a great essay is having just the right amount and kind of citations and statistical data. Essays that quote credible and well-known sources along with providing relevant data always tend to stand out. Sometimes, students may not know how to appropriately use the right kind of citations, facts, and sources. This can be more detrimental when one’s topics are more factual and technical in nature.
Here are some (bonus) tips to help you write your essays better –
- Pay close attention to the format and structure
- Always use attractive but clean handwriting and fonts
- Use well-researched data, facts, and statistics
- Add relevant quotes and expert opinions
- Avoid using negative tones and words
- Use simple words and clear sentences
- Don’t exceed the word limit by too much
- Focus on your punctuation and grammar
- Try writing in an active voice only
- Choose an interesting and catchy title
- Use better adjectives and adverbs
The Bottom Line
All students are unique individuals and have different approaches to writing their essays. But, learning the right ways from the start can help students from several mishaps and offer better opportunities to grow better. Because of its importance, essay writing is undoubtedly a skill that students should focus on and work harder on. With the above-mentioned points, one can easily learn what not to do and improve their overall essay writing processes.
