In this blog post, Kate Andersen shares three of her best, professional English major tips for starting an essay, even when it seems impossible.
by Kate Andersen
Almost every student feels overcome with dread when faced with an essay. I have been writing essays for nearly a decade. I even chose to major in English education, so I will eventually assign essays, but I still hate them. For me, the worst part of writing an essay is getting started. We all have experienced that moment of staring at the cursor as Word mocks you with a blank document or needing a break after writing your name. At some point, you just have to bite the bullet and get started. Throughout my years of essay writing, I have found a way to make that easier. These are three tips to make starting an essay a little bit more enjoyable.
Kate Andersen
My first tip is to pick a good location. The University of Iowa has tons of great places to study on campus. My two personal favorite places are the Voxman Music Building and the second floor of the Main Library. But, if you're itching to get off campus, there are plenty of great places in Iowa City and the surrounding areas. I personally recommend the Coffee Emporium in Iowa City and the Coralville Public Library. The most important thing is to find an environment where you can do your best work and focus. Of course, this looks different for everyone. Places like libraries may be best if you prefer quiet, peaceful locations. But, if you enjoy a bustling, coming-and-going atmosphere, I recommend a university building or coffee shop.
Coffee shops bring me to my next essential tip — beverages. I recommend that you have a minimum of two beverages when writing an essay, maybe even three. My perfect formula for essay writing is an energy drink, a fun drink, and water; however, you could do just a fun drink and water, or just an energy drink and water as well. A fun drink is exactly what it sounds like, something that is fun to drink. Maybe a matcha latte, maybe some juice, maybe a smoothie — it all depends on your taste. Like many college students, I am a fan of energy drinks. Even though I can sometimes feel the heart palpitations forming, I often enjoy an Alani or Celsius. But the most important thing one must have while attempting to write a paper is water. Trying to write an essay without water is like trying to run a marathon without water. All of this to say, beverages, and a variety of beverages at that, are essential to starting a paper.
A recent collection of three beverages Andersen enjoyed while writing a paper
My final tip for starting an essay is to free-write. That is, write as much as possible without thinking about grammar or clarity. I know — it sounds impossible and pointless, but try your best to get all of your thoughts on the topic on the page without any concern for being coherent. Something, no matter how bad you think it is, is better than nothing. Even if you have no idea what to write about, you may find that you have a thesis you didn't even know you had if you just word-vomit all of your thoughts.
Overall, it is important to relax and not get too stressed over a paper. You have written papers before, and you can do it again. Just take a deep breath, take a sip of your three different drinks, and start writing.
Author bio:
Kate Andersen is a second-year student from Eldridge, Iowa. She is studying English, with a goal of pursuing a degree in English secondary education and becoming a high school teacher after graduation.
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