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A lot of students struggle with essay writing. It is a common form of assignment, but it requires some advanced skills and dedication to nail it.
Mistakes come from a lack of experience, time, or knowledge. Surely, there is always help out there if one finds themselves stuck. A student can decide, “I want to write my term papers online” and get excellent results. It is a professional academic writing service ready to assist any student in need. Experienced authors provide writing, editing, and proofreading of all types of college papers. They also deliver guidance and outstanding advice, which is important to develop those skills for the future. And it is a sure way to eliminate any mistakes or errors before the submission.
Professional writers have years of experience and know all ins and outs of academic papers, from thesis formulation to formatting the bibliography correctly. Collaborating with them is a valuable opportunity to build confidence, keep up with the curriculum, and get some free time as well.
Yet, it is important to know the common mistakes students make in essay writing to avoid them.
Poor Grammar and Spelling
This is a bit of an obvious point; however, a lot of students fail to proofread their writing efficiently. Grammar or spelling mistakes might seem insignificant, but for a professor, they signify a lack of dedication, attention, and effort. If you didn’t make an effort to correct the spelling, it might look like you do not care about the assignment at all.
Also, it just presents the argument in a bad light and diminishes your credibility. To avoid that, one needs to proofread the text a couple of times. You can use spell and grammar checkers like Grammarly. But still do the manual labor of re-reading it yourself because no program is perfect.
Repetition
Repetition might occur in two main forms – repetition of ideas and tautology in the text. Often the reason is that students want to meet the word count but do not know how to do it right. So they just go over and over the same point several times.
This is a crucial mistake that showcases a lack of background knowledge, poor writing, and weak argumentation. It signifies that you have not done your research correctly. To avoid that, read the text several times and note if there is any repetition.
If you cannot meet the word count without it, do some additional research and build a stronger case. Consider using primary or secondary sources as well as quotes to support your evidence.
Passive Voice
It is another pretty common mistake in writing assignments in college. Do not use passive voice. Try to only use the active one.
Passive voice makes sentences long and hard to read. It also weakens the point you are trying to make. It is not straightforward enough. The active one is more direct and has more impact. It makes you sound more confident in your findings and arguments.
Surely, you can let passive voice slip in a couple of sentences but no more.
Plagiarism
This is not only a serious mistake but also an academic offense. Plagiarism can occur accidentally or be deliberate. Students have to avoid it because it is the most serious error one can make. If your work is plagiarized, it will get a low grade immediately.
To avoid that, you can:
- Make sure you cite all the courses correctly;
- Use online plagiarism-checking software;
- Avoid general knowledge statements;
- Make sure all your arguments are yours and not something you heard somewhere else;
- Get professional writing help to ensure the paper is 100% unique.
Whenever you rely on someone’s work, you have to cite and reference it correctly. Do not copy and paste text from the internet. Present your ideas originally and check the uniqueness rate before submission.
No Interpretation
A lot of times, students might present their findings with a lack of analysis and interpretation. For example, you are writing a research paper and have a lot of valuable data. You give it as it is without much commentary on it. This is far from ideal.
Any college paper assesses your critical thinking and interpretation skills. When you give a piece of evidence, data, or quote, it should always be accompanied by your ideas and commentary on that. So when you cite a source, make sure to put it in the context and write how it supports the argument.
Do not just name the sources and citations. They need to illustrate and support your point, not make it for you.
Not Credible Sources
This error can occur during research. When you are looking for sources to support your argument or give background information, focus only on the proper ones. Those are scientific articles, peer-reviewed studies, course materials, and respected scholars.
For instance, Wikipedia is not a credible source. Yet, one can use it to find interesting links in the bibliography to the article. Also, personal blogs might not be a credible source unless you analyze them as a primary source according to the prompt.
Here are several tips on finding credible sources:
- Use scientific search like Google Scholar that shows only peer-reviewed results;
- Check the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) – it has a lot of trustworthy materials;
- Look for sources in course materials and reading lists given by your professor;
- Try specific search engines for different subjects like SciCentral for Science;
- Find statistics and data on governmental sites like US BLS;
- Always check the university’s library online and/or offline;
- Check the publication information of the article to know where it was published and whether it is a reliable institution.
Bad sources can make any argument look weak. Also, they can influence your perspective on the matter.
Repetitive Conclusion
A lot of students treat the conclusion as a reiteration of the introduction. Yes, they do have some similarities, but it is not the same. If you say the same thing but with different words, it is a poorly constructed conclusion.
Besides a summary of the arguments, it needs to explain your observations. It can also suggest further research or additional questions. It can have a new arising question based on your work. Or it can dwell on some intriguing information and new ideas to work on later.
Showing Bias
Unless it is an opinion piece, students should not write with bias. Academic texts need to be precise, factual, and as objective as possible. For example, stick to the third-person narration and avoid emotional statements.
If you criticize a historical figure or particular statement, approach it from a logical perspective. Showcase how it is flawed with evidence instead of personal evaluations. Do not go into personal beliefs and moral judgments unless it is required by the assignment.
In Summary
The majority of mistakes can be avoided with proper preparation, decent research, and careful proofreading. Always take time to read through your paper several times to find any weaknesses or errors. Closely follow the guidelines on the subject, question, and formatting. And do not forget to check the uniqueness of the paper before submission.
