How College/School Students Can Improve Their Essay Writing Skills?

Writing skills are a necessity for many niches and industries. But how can college student improve their essay writing skills?

Essay writing is one of the essential processes of academic life. It teaches students a lot of skills, including the most important one of writing. But, besides teaching them an understanding of content, it also teaches a student a lot of patience.

Today, we’re exploring the role of essay writing and how students can improve their skills at it—and writing in general. So, let’s dive right into it and explore some tips and tricks.

Why are Writing Skills Important?

Writing skills allow a person to portray their ideas much better. In essay writing for schools or colleges, students need all the skills they can muster to stand out among others. That’s why the importance of writing skills cannot be overemphasized.

This is because it is a skill that has the potential to make or break one’s career. It is also a skill that can help one understand and learn other subjects more easily, especially in the sciences. Writing skills are important for students for various reasons. For instance,

• they are important in order to be able to express their thoughts coherently and logically;
• allows students to write persuasively;
• earn good grades in assignments;
• make a career path and build a reputation as a writer.

They are also important for students who want to pursue careers in law or journalism, where good writing skills are needed. That’s why it’s important to focus on writing skills and improve them using whatever means necessary.

What Counts As Writing Skills?

The definition of writing skill is that someone knows how to write properly. This could be writing for college, schools, or for a professional organization. Today, writing is divided into many aspects and forms, but that wasn’t always the case.

In the past, writing skills were a must-have for every job. Nowadays, it is not so much of a requirement. The skills that are necessary are more varied. They include but are not limited to:

• Communication skills (both verbal and written);
• Knowledge of grammar;
• Ability to research and find information;
• Ability to analyze data and come up with conclusions;
• Ability to understand the audience and niche;
• Ability to understand the topic or task is given.

Writing is a skill that can be learned and improved upon. It is not something you are born with but can be developed over time. The most important thing to remember about writing is that it takes practice and revision. Practice often makes perfect, so keep practising to improve your writing skills.

7 Tips For College Students To Improve Essay Writing Skills

This section explores the seven essential tips a student can use to improve their essay writing. So, let’s dive right into it.

1.   Researching More, Write More

The research process is the foundation of any good writing. It is the process of gathering and analyzing information to provide a solid understanding of a subject. Depending on the writer, it can take days or even weeks to complete. Researching can be done in many different ways, including:

• reading books and articles;
• conducting interviews;
• listening to podcasts;
• and watching videos.

Thus, researching is an important part of the writing process because it provides writers with an understanding of the topic they are writing about and ensures that they are not making any factual errors in their work. So, make sure you research a lot.

2.   Writing In Active Voice

Active voice text is a style of writing that is used in the English language. It is used to emphasize the subject of the sentence. The most common use of active voice text is in declarative sentences, which make statements about something.

The following sentence uses active voice:

“I ate my breakfast.”

Whereas the following sentence uses passive voice:

“My breakfast was eaten by me.”

It’s important to note that the active voice is the preferred way of writing. It’s more direct, more concise, and more personal. However, there are exceptions when the passive voice is accepted.

The passive voice is often used when we want to emphasize the receiver of the action rather than the performer of it. But, you should always try to focus on writing actively rather than passively.

3.   Simplicity Over Complexity

Simplicity goes a long way in writing, so you need to avoid being overly technical. Granted, there are times when a research paper, thesis, dissertation or other technical content of the sort requires complex writing.

But at all times, you should think you’re writing for a common reader. So, writing casually and avoiding jargon should be your priority. This will give your content a simpler look to it and make it easier for any type of reader to understand.

4.   Learning Better Vocabulary

A writer should be able to use a wide variety of words in order to create an engaging, informative and captivating piece. Vocabulary is the key to successful communication. In order to get your message across, you need to use words that are appropriate for the audience and context.

The following are some of the ways in which vocabulary can be used:

• To express an opinion or feeling. For example: “I am so excited!” or “I am not happy”, use “I’m delighted” instead.
• To describe a person, place, thing, event or action. For example: instead of “running fast,” try using sprinting or rushing.
• To make comparisons. For example: “It is as big as a house!” try “it’s quite vast.”

So, try to expand your vocabulary so you can use better expressions and keep your content concise.

5.   Paraphrase Online

Another thing you can do for improving your essay writing skills is paraphrase online. The reason behind this is simple. Paraphrasing with a tool is much more convenient and time-efficient. In essay writing, you should try and save as much time as possible. And with a paraphrasing tool, you can do that easily.

But besides this, there are many other benefits if you paraphrase online, such as:

• Changing content into various tones, using various content modes;
• Rephrasing quickly and efficiently;
• Avoiding plagiarism;
• Improving content fluency;
• Ensuring that you save a lot of time.

These are some of the most vital reasons a writer needs a paraphrasing tool. So, watch and learn how a tool like this works to improve your writing skills.

6.  Readability Checker Online

Also, after you’ve paraphrased your text, it’s a good idea to check it for readability, as in the process of paraphrasing, you might complicate your text and this may make it less clear. To resolve this issue, use the Readability Checker

7.   Art Of Citation

Citation is one of the key aspects of writing essays. In order to do that, you’d have to learn various citation types and the type of essays that they’re relevant for. Here are the three most used citation styles in academic or essay writing:

• MLA – Modern Language Association
• APA – American Psychological Association
• Chicago

MLA is ideal for literature or communication-based essays like social issues, et cetera. Whereas APA is the right type of citation for medical, education, linguistics, etc., you can use the Chicago style in history or philosophy.

8.   Read More

The more you read, the better you understand the intricacies of the content. That’s why it’s important that you read a lot. But, what exactly should you read? You can read books, as they can improve your vocabulary and understanding.

You can read blogs and articles, as they’re vital in understanding the trends and common content tones. Or, you can read opinions, columns, newspapers, other essays, etc. This allows you to grasp- the content properly in many ways.

Conclusion

These are some of the key aspects of improving writing skills. It all comes down to your preferences, but using these tips and tricks to elevate your essay-writing techniques will grant you better skills and understanding of the craft. So, make sure you tend to each aspect properly.