How to write smartly
Writing does not come so easy to most students. In fact, most students lack proficiency when it comes to writing. When given an assignment, the professors expect it to be coherent, concise and well-reasoned.
If you are struggling with writing, all hope is not lost. Here are 10 things that smart students do when writing which you can emulate:
1. They Research
Screenshot of some research resources
Before you begin to write, you must have your facts right. This is where most students go wrong. They don’t put as much time and effort in their research as is expected. Doing research is critical because of most of the assignments, if not all, demand fact-based supporting data. This is all possible by the many search engines that we have.
2. They Manage Their Time
The art of learning good time management is a complicated process. For you to be a smart student, you have to plan your time efficiently. Writing requires time and concentration. Avoid the habit of last-minute writing as it will lead to poor quality assignments.
3. They Make Their Point
Most student assignments requiring you to make a claim and then support that claim. Smart students tend to make their points concisely and clearly. You should be able to see how the body of your paper provides evidence for the points that you make.
4. They Write on Paper
What makes a student smart is the fact that they know they cannot be utterly dependent on their laptops. To improve your writing skills, start by actually writing on paper. An interesting fact is that when you write on paper, you are more likely to retain that information than when typed.
5. They do a lot of Reading
It is ironical to expect to have proper writing skills and not be a good reader. Writing is a vacuum without reading. Smart students read extensively. After doing your reading, you will be exposed to other forms and genres of writing.
6. They Make Time for Revision
Revision is imperative when it comes to writing. The components of compelling writing are revision and feedback. Very few people can turn out high-quality pieces on the first go. Revising your work allows you to refine it into a masterpiece. Multiple rounds of revisions make sure that you catch any errors or mistakes in your work that you had previously overlooked.
7. They Plan Their Paper
Yes, you have to plan how your paper will flow before beginning to write. Save everybody’s time by refraining from having with false starts. Before writing, learn to develop a thoughtful and logical outline that can guide you in your writing. Having a blueprint will aid you in avoiding writer’s block. You can as well use different formats of writing such as Harvard, Chicago or even apa style cover page .
8. They Test Themselves Regularly
The skill of testing yourself is vital since it helps in the long-term retention of new material. You need to examine yourself frequently to know whether you know something or not. If you’re not clear on something, then you can always go back to your reading materials or professor for clarity purposes. By the time it comes down to writing, you will have all the relevant information at your fingertips.
9. They Work the System
Education environments have a sheer number of resources at your disposal. These are some of the benefits that smart students enjoy. Be it taking advantage of an instructor after school, or using the writing center, make sure that you make the most of your learning environment.
10. They do a lot of Practice
Practice makes perfect. Every human skill that we possess gets better with frequently doing the same action again. You should start practicing your writing skills if you want to join in on the league of smart students. You can have a writing session every day. If you make it a habit, you will be surprised by how quickly writing will come to you.
Conclusion
Writing is not rocket science. As stated above, it’s a skill that you can excel in when you practiced to perfection. If you follow the above guidelines, then you will also turn out to be among the smart students in your school.
Sophia Clark graduated from the University of the City of New York with B.A. in Journalism, 2011. She is a creative writer from New York who loves to share her thoughts with readers. In her free time, she enjoys writing fiction as well as reading it. Her big dream is to publish a novel one day.