MelFoof
New member
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2026
- Messages
- 10
After two years of college and way too many professors' comments, I've compiled a list of do's and don'ts for essay writing. Wish someone had given me this as a freshman.
DO: Start early. I know, I know, obvious. But starting early means you can let drafts sit, get feedback, and revise. My best essays were the ones I started two weeks before the deadline. My worst were the ones I started two days before.
DON'T: Write the introduction first. It's the hardest part. Write it last, after you know what you're actually arguing. Your thesis will probably change anyway.
DO: Have a clear thesis. Not "this paper will discuss X." But "this paper argues that X because Y." One sentence that says what you're proving. Every paragraph should support this.
DON'T: Use five-dollar words where fifty-cent words work. "Utilize" is not better than "use." "Commence" is not better than "start." Clear beats fancy every time.
DO: Quote then explain. Never leave a quote hanging. After every quote, explain what it means and why it matters. Assume the reader needs help understanding.
DON'T: Assume the reader knows what you know. Define terms. Explain context. Your professor might know the material, but they need to see that YOU know it.
DO: Read your essay out loud. You'll catch awkward sentences, repeated words, and places where you lost the thread. Your ears catch what your eyes miss.
DON'T: Trust spellcheck completely. It won't catch "their" vs "there" or "effect" vs "affect." Proofread manually.
DO: Answer the prompt. Sounds obvious but so many people write a good essay that doesn't actually answer the question asked. Keep the prompt next to you and check every paragraph against it.
DON'T: Introduce new ideas in the conclusion. Conclusion is for wrapping up, not introducing new arguments. Save new ideas for another essay.
DO: Get feedback. Writing center, friends, professors' office hours. Other people see things you miss.
DON'T: Plagiarize. Obviously. But also don't self-plagiarize — reusing your own work from another class without permission is also academic dishonesty.
DO: Cite as you go. Nothing worse than finding a perfect quote at 2 AM and forgetting to save the source. Use Zotero or a similar tool.
That's my list so far. What would you add? What do's and don'ts have you learned the hard way?
DO: Start early. I know, I know, obvious. But starting early means you can let drafts sit, get feedback, and revise. My best essays were the ones I started two weeks before the deadline. My worst were the ones I started two days before.
DON'T: Write the introduction first. It's the hardest part. Write it last, after you know what you're actually arguing. Your thesis will probably change anyway.
DO: Have a clear thesis. Not "this paper will discuss X." But "this paper argues that X because Y." One sentence that says what you're proving. Every paragraph should support this.
DON'T: Use five-dollar words where fifty-cent words work. "Utilize" is not better than "use." "Commence" is not better than "start." Clear beats fancy every time.
DO: Quote then explain. Never leave a quote hanging. After every quote, explain what it means and why it matters. Assume the reader needs help understanding.
DON'T: Assume the reader knows what you know. Define terms. Explain context. Your professor might know the material, but they need to see that YOU know it.
DO: Read your essay out loud. You'll catch awkward sentences, repeated words, and places where you lost the thread. Your ears catch what your eyes miss.
DON'T: Trust spellcheck completely. It won't catch "their" vs "there" or "effect" vs "affect." Proofread manually.
DO: Answer the prompt. Sounds obvious but so many people write a good essay that doesn't actually answer the question asked. Keep the prompt next to you and check every paragraph against it.
DON'T: Introduce new ideas in the conclusion. Conclusion is for wrapping up, not introducing new arguments. Save new ideas for another essay.
DO: Get feedback. Writing center, friends, professors' office hours. Other people see things you miss.
DON'T: Plagiarize. Obviously. But also don't self-plagiarize — reusing your own work from another class without permission is also academic dishonesty.
DO: Cite as you go. Nothing worse than finding a perfect quote at 2 AM and forgetting to save the source. Use Zotero or a similar tool.
That's my list so far. What would you add? What do's and don'ts have you learned the hard way?
