Four Common Mistakes in Writing a Term Paper

In a time crunch students can fall victim to some of the more classic blunders in writing a paper. Below are some of the mistakes that I've made.

1. Mismanage your time. Many students procrastinate in writing. They’re unsure about the project, or what’s entailed. When I was a student, I found that I could quickly push writing off to another day. Even though I enjoyed the process, any other project could easily take its place.

You want to start the writing process as early as you can. The truth of the matter is that once you begin a writing project, your mind won’t stop working on it. Even when you step away, you will think about it passively. Carry a journal and jot down notes when you think about a particular resource or idea. The best ideas hit me at the most inconvenient times; you need to have some type of device to capture these thoughts. The more soak time that you put into a paper, the better product you’ll have. Of course, don't underestimate the power of a deadline.

Some students find themselves writing at the last moment. If this is the case, take inventory of the time you have and allocate the project on a timeline. Stick to the time allocation. And remember, sleep is overrated.

2. Reinvent the wheel. As a student I fell victim to the first mistake and guilt from procrastination kept me from going to the professor to ask for help. When I finally did approach the professor it was often too late.

Most papers in higher education or seminary are template style papers. Your professor has read the same paper over and over again. They have seen successful papers and they’re aware of common mistakes that take students in the wrong direction. 

I’m also willing to bet that they want to help you write a good paper--they have to read it. Chances are the paper deals with a topic that they themselves are interested, and they wouldn't mind a coffee break. Don't be afraid to talk with your professor about your paper topic. The dialogue that you have with your professor will give you a better sense of direction for your paper.  

3. Start writing without a thesis. I have read papers that sound like conscious streams of thought. Good students can generally bluff their way through a few pages. Though without a good thesis it will fall flat.

A thesis will help guide your paper. Everything in your paper should support your thesis. If you can’t make a clear connection between your thesis and what you’re writing, then your grader won’t be able to make it either. Seriously consider deleting it.

Here are some tips on developing a strong thesis. The thesis is only about thirty words, but its probably the most important part of your paper. You should carefully craft it. Having a strong thesis will help you write much faster and more efficiently.

4. Consider your first draft as your final draft. After you have spent several days, several weeks, an all nighter on particular issue, you may not feel like reviewing what you just wrote. Its only going to a grader, right?

Its best to put the paper down for a day or two and review it later. Your mind is more objective. The connections that were clear as you formed the argument may need to be tightened up a bit. You may consider a writing group where you can exchange papers with a friend to read.

Typos, grammatical errors, logical errors will get in the way of your argument. It will cause most graders to miss the forest because they have to focus on the errors of the individual trees. You’ll always have mistakes, but make the paper as clean as you can.

When I was in school and I anticipated an all-nighter, I would adjust my schedule so that I pulled the all-nighter a few days prior to the due date. This at least created some time that I could review the paper after getting some sleep.
What are some steps that you might have taken to make the writing process more successful? What mistakes are you finding that you are making this semester, that you’ll vow to correct in the spring?