#theworststudent

1. T h i n k and outline This may seem super obvious, but sometimes I want to make a deadline so badly that I forget to think about what I’m trying to say. Then I get frustrated because nothing’s coming out of my hands and I’m stuck (/defeated). So think! Close your eyes if that helps you. If you’re not writing in your first language, it may help you to think about things in your native language first, and then translate them (no matter how fluent you think you are!!). 

Then I usually create an outline. It may be obvious and kind of boring, but I think teachers want you to do this for a reason. Think about each paragraph you’re going to write, maybe give it a one-sentence-summary. Make it as concise or as detailed as you want! I’ll include an example of my introduction outline here. 

2. Parts of a whole So, what I mean by this is, sometimes we can see a task or project as a whole. It’s enormous and terrifying, and we don’t know where to start. What helps me is to break it down. Forget about the whole, and focus on the parts.  If you’re currently working on the introduction, then focus on that. In fact, introduction is still kind of a whole, so focus on that one paragraph you’re currently writing. Then on a specific part of the paragraph, then on a sentence, a word, etcetera.  Think like Neil Armstrong: a small step in your thesis writing process (like making a bridge sentence to connect two articles) can be a giant step for your whole.

3. Let your creativity flow That being said, I believe that creativity is a process, and that all writing - including academic - is creative. So if you suddenly get inspiration for your discussion, or your abstract, then just go work on that! This can also increase your confidence. If you show yourself that you can write something, it can get you out of that ‘oh my god, I suck and can’t do anything’ vibe (which we all get from time to time, believe you me!) Be mindful, however, and catch yourself procrastinating. If instead of writing, you’re meticulously editing your references (guilty), gently bring your attention back to the task at hand. It may also be a sign that you need a break. Move around & eat something & the usual tips. 

4. Inspiration can come at the weirdest times Like when you’re on the toilet (gross, maybe, but very true!!), or when it’s two am and you’re kinda tipsy. So my advice is to carry a notebook wherever you go. Okay, maybe not to the toilet, but you get the idea.  Wait a sec, I’m actually being super old-fashioned, because you’ll probably have your phone on you!! Use it to make notes! Sometimes I just get a word in my head, and I think “ooh I want to use that word”, so I jot it down somewhere. Or I suddenly have a brilliant comment about a certain author’s thoughts. Et cetera..

5. Allow for change & don’t cramp up As I’ve tried to make clear, writing is a process. Don’t be afraid to change things. Don’t think of things as final, at least not for a while. Heck, I think I’ve changed every sentence of the prologue of my novel a couple of times, and I’ve been working on it for a week.  Give yourself time. Write something, write something else on a different topic (I usually work on something new, and then review something I’ve already written), and come back to it the next day. Think of your thesis as an ugly, pink, wrinkly baby panda that’s slowly morphing into a cute black-and-white cub, and then into a majestic grown beast.

6. Steps, not leaps Again with the Neil Armstrong vibe, what!!  I think it’s better to write too much, and give it a good edit after a couple of days, then to write too simplistically and be unclear. Feedback is super helpful for this (see next point), because often something is obvious in your head but not to the reader. Take the reader by hand, and tell your tale step by step. I take a lot of inspiration from Haruki Murakami on this. He’s the king of writing three sentences on the same subject. Try that! If you paraphrase an author, try writing that sentence in your own words. And then in slightly different words. And again. Maybe work those three into one or two new sentences. Again, your draft doesn’t have to be perfect, and it will always need editing. 

7. Ask for help I always let my boyfriend read my stuff, because he is kind, but picky, and I can immediately give comments on his comments. So find a friend/relative/classmate/person and ask them to read your thing and point out things that are unclear to them (it helps if they are outsiders). If they say ‘I don’t get what you’re trying to say here and here’, your reaction will probably be ‘what I’m trying to say is ....’, and that’s what we want!! That right there is super valuable. Write that down and use it.

TOP TIP: Freewriting is da best My first ever university teacher taught me this. If you kind of have a vague idea about what to write, but are not sure, then freewrite. Take pen and paper, and don’t look directly at the page, but at the table/wall/your non-writing-hand/whatever. Close your eyes if you can. Or type on your laptop or pc, with the brightness waaay down low, so that you can’t see what you’re typing. And then just write away! This is daunting and kind of scary, but as Nike said, just do it. Don’t worry about capital letters or punctuation. In fact, don’t worry about making sense. I’ll give you an example. 

okay i just half closed my laptop and now im freetying which is always kind of weird at first but you have to get into it and ust let your fingers go whetever aaargh im making so many typos. so anyway if you dont know what to type about you literally type that, and then wait until you get a thought doesnt have to be on topic or whatever can be about that song thats been in your head for days

Kind of like this ;) It’s nice to do this when you know you have to write about something, but you don’t know exactly what to say. I do this when I have to write a bridge between two paragraphs, when making connections, when I have doubts about an author’s statements.

Sorry this turned out freaking long, but I hope it helps some of you!