How to Write Under Pressure
Analyze the assignment., Establish your deadline., Develop a plan of action., Develop a timetable., Work out your strategy., Remain calm., Prepare your thesis statement., List pros and cons., Create an outline., Write the body of your assignment...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Analyze the assignment.
What is it asking you to do? What is your topic? Who are you writing it for? How long does it need to be? -
Step 2: Establish your deadline.
How much time are you given to finish the assignment? Knowing this will help you manage your time wisely. , Carefully look over your assignment.
Make a list of sections that define what you need to accomplish, questions that need to be answered, and details you need to include.
Brainstorm what steps you need to take to write this assignment as well as possible.
Take these ideas and prioritise the most important things which would stop you from writing the assignment if you didn't do them. , Consider your deadline and what you need to accomplish in that amount of time.
Decide how much time you will spend on each section.
Sections you have a good grasp on should be allowed less time than those you need to think more about.
Divide your time in a way that allows you to complete the assignment on time and answer all sections. , .
What way do you work best when writing.
Do you write best if you develop a really detailed plan then write the essay in one go.
Or does this make you feel overwhelmed and you prefer writing in shorter sections, say 500/700 words and doing this more often.
Do you find your writing is better if you don't write it all in one go? , This is crucial to working efficiently.
Start by creating a calm environment: tidying your study, collecting all your materials together, listening to classical music.
Follow or adapt your timetable.
Using a timetable makes working less stressful as you are less likely to feel overwhelmed by the assignment.
Take time off.
Taking time off to socialise, be with your partner, or do things you enjoy is particularly important when you have a lot of work.
This will make you feel more resourced so you can work more efficiently under pressure.
Exercise.
Stop procrastinating.
Just get on with the work.
Procrastinating can cause more anxiety than simply getting on with your work.
When procrastinating it can be useful to try doing something else.
So if you are stuck writing, try reading, or planning. , This is the statement that expresses your opinion on the topic. , List all the reasons you can think of for having the opinion you expressed in your thesis.
Then list all the reasons you can think of against that opinion.
This will help you find any possible faults in your argument and support your thesis in your writing. , Put your thesis and all other sections or questions that need to be answered in an order that flows well as a whole.
Fill in each section with as many details as you can that help answer the question.
These do not need to be in complete sentences.
If any research sources are used, cite them here. , Now that you have all your ideas organized in a manner that flows well and answers all the questions of the assignment, you can begin writing.
You already have your ideas in order (with citations, if applicable), so all you need to do is make your notes into sentences.
If you are stuck maybe it is because you feel overwhelmed in which case focus on individual paragraphs, rather than trying to tackle the whole essay. , Sometimes the hardest part of writing is getting started.
Don’t worry about your introduction until after you have written the body of your assignment.
Once that is finished, it will be easier for you to pull out the main ideas and put them into an effective introduction that summarizes what you will talk about in your assignment. , When you have finished writing, read over your assignment to make sure there are no mistakes in spelling, grammar, or details.
If you left something out, misspelled something, or need to rearrange a section, this is your chance to revise. , When you have spent so much time writing something it can be hard seeing what final adjustments need to be made.
Send it off to someone who's advice you trust. , If time allows, draft another copy of your assignment, fixing any problems you found during proofreading.
Make it as clear and as polished as you can. , Reading more, especially difficult books can vastly improve the speed you write at. -
Step 3: Develop a plan of action.
-
Step 4: Develop a timetable.
-
Step 5: Work out your strategy.
-
Step 6: Remain calm.
-
Step 7: Prepare your thesis statement.
-
Step 8: List pros and cons.
-
Step 9: Create an outline.
-
Step 10: Write the body of your assignment.
-
Step 11: Write the introduction.
-
Step 12: Proofread.
-
Step 13: Get feedback.
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Step 14: Write your final draft.
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Step 15: Read more.
Detailed Guide
What is it asking you to do? What is your topic? Who are you writing it for? How long does it need to be?
How much time are you given to finish the assignment? Knowing this will help you manage your time wisely. , Carefully look over your assignment.
Make a list of sections that define what you need to accomplish, questions that need to be answered, and details you need to include.
Brainstorm what steps you need to take to write this assignment as well as possible.
Take these ideas and prioritise the most important things which would stop you from writing the assignment if you didn't do them. , Consider your deadline and what you need to accomplish in that amount of time.
Decide how much time you will spend on each section.
Sections you have a good grasp on should be allowed less time than those you need to think more about.
Divide your time in a way that allows you to complete the assignment on time and answer all sections. , .
What way do you work best when writing.
Do you write best if you develop a really detailed plan then write the essay in one go.
Or does this make you feel overwhelmed and you prefer writing in shorter sections, say 500/700 words and doing this more often.
Do you find your writing is better if you don't write it all in one go? , This is crucial to working efficiently.
Start by creating a calm environment: tidying your study, collecting all your materials together, listening to classical music.
Follow or adapt your timetable.
Using a timetable makes working less stressful as you are less likely to feel overwhelmed by the assignment.
Take time off.
Taking time off to socialise, be with your partner, or do things you enjoy is particularly important when you have a lot of work.
This will make you feel more resourced so you can work more efficiently under pressure.
Exercise.
Stop procrastinating.
Just get on with the work.
Procrastinating can cause more anxiety than simply getting on with your work.
When procrastinating it can be useful to try doing something else.
So if you are stuck writing, try reading, or planning. , This is the statement that expresses your opinion on the topic. , List all the reasons you can think of for having the opinion you expressed in your thesis.
Then list all the reasons you can think of against that opinion.
This will help you find any possible faults in your argument and support your thesis in your writing. , Put your thesis and all other sections or questions that need to be answered in an order that flows well as a whole.
Fill in each section with as many details as you can that help answer the question.
These do not need to be in complete sentences.
If any research sources are used, cite them here. , Now that you have all your ideas organized in a manner that flows well and answers all the questions of the assignment, you can begin writing.
You already have your ideas in order (with citations, if applicable), so all you need to do is make your notes into sentences.
If you are stuck maybe it is because you feel overwhelmed in which case focus on individual paragraphs, rather than trying to tackle the whole essay. , Sometimes the hardest part of writing is getting started.
Don’t worry about your introduction until after you have written the body of your assignment.
Once that is finished, it will be easier for you to pull out the main ideas and put them into an effective introduction that summarizes what you will talk about in your assignment. , When you have finished writing, read over your assignment to make sure there are no mistakes in spelling, grammar, or details.
If you left something out, misspelled something, or need to rearrange a section, this is your chance to revise. , When you have spent so much time writing something it can be hard seeing what final adjustments need to be made.
Send it off to someone who's advice you trust. , If time allows, draft another copy of your assignment, fixing any problems you found during proofreading.
Make it as clear and as polished as you can. , Reading more, especially difficult books can vastly improve the speed you write at.
About the Author
Samantha Baker
Enthusiastic about teaching DIY projects techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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