Tips for How to Write Your Class Assignment the Day Before

There it is-the assignment is due, you have no idea where to begin, you put it off for a few weeks, you are in a hole. It can sometimes come out like a mess, taking huge quotes from text or just bringing up countless examples. Writing it will be tough, but there are some answers, some ways to make that last-minute assignment a 3.0 or higher grade. The basics of all this are the now common note card strategy for developing ideas, developing a strong thesis and supporting argument, and lastly knowing how to beat the huge middle.

The Situation:

Burning the midnight oil, you are ready. Sure, the assignment is due in eight hours, you have to submit it on the dot, otherwise you get a late grade. Yet there is something within you that tells you, though you won't do this again, it can still be done. Forget about leaving the TV on, the music playing, or the email open. That's the hard part.

Basics:

The basics of any school essay are simple: thesis, observation, support, evidence, concluding theory. There is so much more. But say you are writing a five paragraph essay, the most common assignment you will get. All you really need is a thesis composed with three points (one opening paragraph, three paragraphs and three points, then wrap it up) However, you're scared because this late night assignment is 4 pages. Sure, it's double spaced, but you haven't read the book-all you have is the Sparknotes or a textbook. Buy some note cards. This will be simple.

Study:

Start studying the subject, looking to develop your own opinion on it. This is all opinion, therefore your thesis statement is rarely considered wrong. It may not be what the teacher likes, but again, this is opinion. You can come up with something on the first page of the study and something from the last. Usually you are only talking about a few points of the text. Sometimes you can get the point by reading very little. The teacher is supposed to encourage you; writing an assignment is really just a learning experience. So don't make your thesis perfect-it can be changed as many times as your major. Time is of the essence.

Hopefully you have a pack of note cards. Many school teachers like the idea of using note cards. You can state one idea on each card, then add to it. If you did this in a notebook, it would all be scattered, making it hard to relate one point to another. Write your thesis on the note card. By reading the first and last pages of the text come up with some sort of theory on what your opinion will be. This isn't cheating-you want a beginning and an ending, the middle is the hard part.

Cumbersome Middle:

The next step is that huge, cumbersome middle. This takes some imagination. And it all depends on where you are. If you did read the text, it can be fairly simple to develop a middle with perfect examples. Or you read only pieces of it, so you develop the middle by reading up on examples from other texts, like a Sparknotes or online sites, and adding these to your notecards. Almost any thesis can be backed up in some way; again, we are dealing in opinion. The majority of what you will be writing has been said before, so copying really isn't a problem. As long as you get the all-important thesis statement, backing up your thoughts, you're fine. Take a similar strategy if you have read nothing, leaning on the works of others, online and in books, on developing enough examples and discussion in that big middle. The trick is to make online sources reputable. Teachers are used to students rushing through assignments with online sources, so try to go to the books if possible. Many college libraries are open late.

Long Distance Runner, Or Sprinter?

This is not going to be a 4.0 essay if you read nothing. Who knows, you might get close, but you're a sprinter in a long distance race. You're not going to look too good out there.

This is going to be a rush to the finish. The faster you go the better. Realize that you can edit the draft as many times as need be, but time is short. On the worse cases, be frank with your teachers, telling them the honest truth. It depends on the teacher. I have had teachers extend assignments for weeks at a time, which helped with the pressure. This all sounds simple, because it is. You have put yourself in a bad situation, but there have been plenty worse.

From now on try to be a long distance runner, preparing for the school assignment earlier.