how to be successful in school essay

Daniel Wong

How to Be Successful in School: 40 Practical Tips for Students

Updated on June 6, 2023 By Daniel Wong 169 Comments

Do you think of yourself as a smart student?

Probably not.

If you’re like most students, you probably feel as if you take some time to grasp new concepts.

Or that you don’t perform up to expectations because of exam stress .

It seems as if success at school comes to some students naturally. These students always get good grades, no matter what else is going on in their personal lives or extracurricular activities.

I was a straight-A student throughout my academic career, and I was obsessed with how to do better in school.

But I’ll be the first one to say that grades aren’t everything. Grades are only one part of your education.

I now realise that successful students aren’t necessarily more intelligent than other students. They’re just more disciplined and focused, and they’ve developed winning study habits .

So if you don’t feel as if you’re a smart student, don’t worry.

In this article, I’m going to share with you how to be successful in school, even if you don’t think of yourself as a top student .

(Download the free bonus below to learn 10 bonus tips too!)

Enter your email below to download a PDF summary of this article. The PDF contains all the tips found here, plus  10 exclusive bonus tips that you’ll only find in the PDF.

1. rely on systems, not motivation.

How can students do better in school? By being methodical and systematic, instead of waiting to feel motivated.

Students who do well in school don’t wait until they’re in the mood to do a focused study session before they get down to work.

Neither do they wait until they feel motivated before they start preparing for an exam.

Instead, successful students rely on systems to ensure that they get the work done, even when they don’t feel like it.

(Keep on reading to find out what some of these systems are.)

2. Review any new information you’ve learned on the same day

This daily review won’t take long to complete, but it’s a vital step that ensures you stay on top of the material.

Applying this tip will also help you to move the information to your long-term memory more quickly.

3. Write everything down

To be an effective student, write everything down.

This includes homework to be completed, test and exam dates, project deadlines, competition dates, school and family events, etc.

Don’t assume that you’ll be able to remember anything; write it all down to stay organised.

This tip might sound extreme, but life only gets busier as you get older.

Good organisational skills are the basis for achieving success at school and beyond. So this tip will serve you well for the rest of your life.

4. Create a rough weekly schedule

It’s impossible to follow a schedule down to the minute, but it’s still helpful to create a schedule.

Write down your rough weekly schedule based on your recurring commitments, e.g. school, extracurricular activities, family and social events, religious activities.

Then block out regular time each week for homework and studying.

For example, your rough weekly schedule might state that you’ll do work on:

• Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 7pm to 9:30pm
• Tuesday and Thursday: 4pm to 7pm
• Saturday and Sunday: 2pm to 5pm

5. Get rid of distractions before they become distractions

The biggest obstacle to doing well in school is distractions.

To overcome distractions, you can’t only depend on willpower. Few of us have the willpower necessary to fight off all the distractions that surround us in this digital era.

Here are some ways to eliminate distractions before they become distractions:

• Turn off notifications on your phone/tablet
• Delete all the apps that distract you
• Put your phone/tablet in another room before you start work
• Set a really, really long password to unlock your phone/tablet
• Restrict your Internet access
• Have only one tab open in your browser at any one time
• Find an accountability partner as you make these changes

6. Develop good posture

Good posture improves your mood, and also enhances your memory and learning .

So sit up straight, pull your shoulders back, and lift up your chin – and you’ll perform better in school.

For more tips on improving your posture, check out this detailed article .

7. Don’t multitask

It’s a fact: There’s no such thing as multitasking .

Whenever you’re multitasking, you’re actually just switching between tasks. This reduces your studying efficiency.

So don’t multitask when you’re studying or doing your homework. Instead, focus on one task at a time, and you’ll find that you get your homework done faster .

8. Cultivate the belief that intelligence isn’t a fixed trait

Research has proven that students who believe that they can become smarter actually do become smarter.

Belief is that powerful.

In other words, intelligence is a trait that you can develop over time.

Don’t ever label yourself as “dumb” or “not academically inclined”, because with the right mindset you can become more intelligent.

How can you do better in school? It starts with believing that you can. By telling yourself that you’re incompetent before you even try, you’ve already lost the battle.

Develop a can-do attitude and your grades will naturally improve.

9. Work in short blocks of time

I’ve found that most students can’t maintain a high level of focus for more than 45 minutes at a go.

As such, I generally recommend working in 30- to 45-minute blocks, followed by a 5- to 10-minute break.

Working in shorter blocks of time is more effective for the majority of students, rather than struggling to focus for a couple of hours straight.

10. Exercise regularly

Regular exercise helps you to remember information better , enhances your concentration, and makes you more creative.

This is in addition to the other health benefits of exercise.

What does this mean for students who want to be successful in school?

Make exercise a fixed part of your weekly routine. Exercise three to four times a week, for at least 20 to 30 minutes each time.

11. Be organised

Students who aren’t organised end up wasting precious time looking for items or notes, or doing last-minute work they forgot about.

Here are some ways to become more organised :

• Set a daily reminder to check if there’s any homework due the following day
• Set reminders to start preparing for tests and exams
• Use the MyStudyLife app
• Use a planner or Google Calendar
• Clear your desk at the end of every day
• Use an app like Google Keep to do a “brain dump”

12. Break big tasks into smaller ones

Big tasks seem complicated and overwhelming, which is why many students procrastinate .

Break every big task down into smaller tasks. For instance, instead of deciding to work on your history paper, you might break the task down into the following smaller tasks:

• Read Chapter 3 (notes)
• Read Chapter 3 (textbook)
• Do online research (5 to 10 articles)
• Develop thesis statement
• Write outline
• Write introduction
• Write main paragraph #1
• Write main paragraph #2
• Write main paragraph #3
• Write main paragraph #4
• Write main paragraph #5
• Write conclusion
• Proofread and edit

When you work on the history paper, focus on completing one task at a time. This will make it less likely that you’ll procrastinate.

13. Get at least 8 hours of sleep every night

Students who perform well are effective learners. As the research shows , sleep is a vital part of becoming an effective learner.

Sleep boosts memory and enhances learning. So go to bed at roughly the same time every day, and make it a priority to get 8 hours of sleep a night.

If you do this, I’m sure you’ll see an improvement in your academic performance.

Pulling all-nighters definitely isn’t how to do better in school. It might enable you to get some last-minute work done.

But over time, your performance in school will decline.

14. Create a conducive studying environment

Here are some tips to do this:

• Tidy your desk daily
• Ensure that you have all the stationery, notebooks, etc. that you need
• Ensure that the lighting in the room is suitable
• Use earplugs to block out noise if necessary
• Put up one or two motivational quotes at your study area
• Get a comfortable chair
• Remove all distractions from the room

15. Keep track of important dates, deadlines, etc.

This is related to Tip #3, but it’s more specific.

I’ve worked with many students who try to keep track of important dates by storing them in their brains.

Needless to say, these students occasionally forget about upcoming tests or deadlines. This results in panic – and low-quality work too.

Use Google Calendar or Google Keep (an old-fashioned planner works too) to keep track of important dates, and you’ll become a more effective student.

16. Take notes during class

I’m always surprised by how many students tell me that they don’t take notes in class. This is despite the fact that taking notes is vital to your success at school.

It’s important to take notes in class because it helps you to pay attention and to learn the concepts better.

I prefer taking notes in a linear, sequential manner. But there are several other note-taking systems that you can learn about here .

17. Ask lots of questions

Asking your friends and teachers questions about what you’re learning is a great way to stay engaged. It also ensures that you understand the new material.

Don’t be afraid of asking silly questions. Besides, if you pay attention in class, your questions will likely be logical and insightful.

18. Eat healthily

Research shows that the better your nutrition, the better your brain function.

And the better your brain function, the better your performance in school.

Here are some basic tips to eat more healthily:

• Eat vegetables and fruit
• Eat meat and fish
• Avoid processed foods
• Avoid sugar
• Avoid trans fats
• Avoid artificial sweeteners
• Drink plenty of water
• Avoid sugary beverages

So, if you’re wondering how to do well in school, one thing you can do right away is to change your diet.

19. Do consistent work

Don’t do last-minute work, and don’t cram for exams.

Easier said than done, I know.

But if you do consistent work, you won’t even need to study that hard for your final exams. You’ll naturally do better in school because you’ll retain the information more effectively.

(By applying the rest of the tips in this article, you should be well on your way to doing consistent work.)

20. Manage your thoughts and emotions

Students who lose focus or motivation are typically discouraged. They’re often discouraged because they feel as if they won’t do well academically, so they lose hope.

The question you probably still have on your mind is…

How to be a good student?

By managing your thoughts and emotions effectively – especially when faced with disappointment.

To do so, take a step back and ask yourself the following questions:

• Are these thoughts true?
• Are these thoughts helpful?
• Am I taking things too personally?
• How can I view the situation more positively?
• Do I need to forgive the other person?
• Do I need to forgive myself?
• How can I be more compassionate toward myself?
• What productive actions can I take to improve the situation?

Through answering these questions, you’ll adopt a more positive and resilient mindset.

21. Take a few minutes to prepare for each class

As Benjamin Franklin once said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

Preparing for class is something every student should do.

Every night, think about the classes that you’ll be having the following day in school.

Take a few minutes to skim the textbook or notes, so that you’ll be familiar with what your teacher will cover the next day.

In addition, do a quick recap of the previous topic, because the new topic will likely build on what you’ve already learned.

This process won’t take long, but it will pay off in the long run.

22. Give yourself rewards

To keep yourself motivated, give yourself small rewards whenever possible.

For example, you might decide that after 45 minutes of work, you’ll reward yourself with a 5-minute YouTube video.

Or if you enjoy exercising, you might decide that after you finish your math and science homework, you’ll get to do a 30-minute workout.

Rewards are a simple way to encourage you to get to work, even when you don’t feel like it. That’s a useful strategy for how to do better in school.

23. Manage your stress

Students who don’t manage their stress well are more likely to experience performance anxiety and get worse grades.

To manage your stress levels:

• Perform deep breathing exercises
• Listen to music
• Spend time with friends on a regular basis
• Read a book
• Keep a gratitude journal
• Take a few minutes to reflect at the end of each day

24. Do and submit your homework on time

This tip might sound like common sense, but a large proportion of the students I work with don’t do this.

Make it a non-negotiable to submit your homework on time, and give a good effort for each assignment.

This is the foundation of how to be a good student.

25. Challenge yourself

Taking it one step further, don’t just do the assigned homework.

Challenge yourself and do extra questions that require deep thinking. Look for online resources. Learn information that’s outside the syllabus.

This will help you to see the wonder and beauty in all that you’re learning. You’ll also be reminded that getting better is its own reward.

26. Make time to relax

Doing well in school isn’t about getting good grades and outperforming your classmates. It’s about leading a balanced life that’s focused on contributing to others.

To lead a balanced life, it’s important to set aside time for relaxation.

Block out time for relaxation in your weekly schedule to ensure that you don’t burn out.

27. Be consistent about your study time

This is a follow-up to Tip #4. In addition to having a regular weekly schedule that you stick to, it’s important to be consistent about your study time.

The more consistent you are, the less likely it is that you’ll need to feel “inspired” to get down to work.

On the contrary, you’ll get down to work out of habit and routine. This is crucial if you want to manage your time as a student effectively .

28. Have a specific plan or objective for each study session

Many students share with me that their mindset toward studying is that they’ll “study hard”. This might sound good, but it actually means that they don’t have a specific objective or plan.

They’re interested in attaining success at school and getting good grades, but they’re not clear about what positive actions they’re going to take in particular.

This vague approach isn’t the one that effective students take toward their academics.

For each study session, set a clear objective as to what you intend to achieve. This might be to read through a set of notes thoroughly or complete 30 multiple-choice questions.

29. Use memory techniques

Memory techniques are powerful ways to learn information more quickly.

Here are some of the most useful ones I’ve come across:

• Visualisation
• Association

30. Test yourself periodically

Don’t assume that just because you’ve read the notes and looked through some examples that you understand the material well.

For all you know, you might have been daydreaming during those study sessions.

What else should you do to be a good student, if reading your notes doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get better grades?

Test yourself periodically. Do plenty of practice questions and keep a list of the mistakes you’ve made, so that you won’t repeat those mistakes in the exam.

31. Take practice exams under exam conditions

It isn’t practical to do too many practice exams under exam conditions, because it’s time-consuming.

But before every exam, I recommend that you do at least two to three practice exams under exam conditions.

This will help you to prepare adequately, and will train you to deal with the time pressure of the exam too.

32. Start studying for tests at least one to two weeks in advance

Cramming for tests is always a bad idea. It won’t enable you to achieve long-term success at school.

I recommend that you set a reminder on your phone (or make a note in your planner) one to two weeks before every scheduled test, so that you’ll start preparing for the test.

For big exams, I recommend that you start studying four weeks in advance or more.

This study tip is a vital one for students to implement.

33. Find ways to help others and contribute

Students often lose motivation when they focus too much on achievement and too little on contribution.

After all, the aim of education is to become equipped with skills and knowledge so that you can help others.

When students lose sight of this, they sometimes feel as if school is meaningless.

To keep things in perspective, find simple ways to contribute in your capacity as a student, e.g. volunteering, fundraising, solving problems in your school, serving the underprivileged.

These types of activities will teach you to have a heart of service and humility. They’ll empower you as you discover how to do better in school and life.

34. Develop a sense of purpose

Few students can maintain a consistent level of concentration and drive if they lack a sense of purpose.

If students feel as if their school life is just about striving to get straight A’s, they will likely run out of steam.

How can you develop a sense of purpose?

Think about…

• What values you want to live by
• What long-term goals would be meaningful to you
• How you’d like to contribute to the good of others
• What your duties and responsibilities are
• What relationships you’d like to nurture
• What kind of person you’d like to become

As you reflect on these aspects of your life, you’ll have a clearer idea about how to do well in school in light of the purpose you’re living out.

This clarity will help you to be more successful in school.

35. Don’t blame others

The key to developing resilience is to take full responsibility for your life.

This means that you refuse to blame others for anything that’s going on in your life.

No blaming your teachers, parents or friends.

No blaming the school principal or the government.

No playing the victim.

When you take this approach toward your student life, you’ll see that there’s always something you can do to improve the situation.

36. Hang out with people who are motivated and focused

No matter how much we’d like to think that we’re immune to peer pressure, we’re most definitely not.

Peer pressure affects people of all ages . This means that we must be intentional about the people we surround ourselves with.

Do you hang out with people who are pessimistic?

Are they always complaining?

Do they pursue excellence, or do they try to find shortcuts?

Spend time with people who are positive, motivated, focused, kind, generous and hardworking. You’ll find yourself developing those traits as the days and weeks go by.

As a result, you’ll become more successful in school.

37. Analyse the mistakes you make in tests and exams

It might not be a pleasant experience, but I encourage you to go through every mistake you make in tests and exams.

Analyse why you made each mistake. Ask yourself questions such as:

• Was the mistake due to carelessness?
• Did I forget a key fact?
• Did I have a poor understanding of a certain concept?
• How can I make certain that I won’t repeat the mistake?
• What do I need to do to be better prepared for future tests?

This analysis will help you to make continual progress in your academics.

38. Pre-commit to specific behaviours and habits

Pre-commitment is a strategy in which you commit in advance to certain desirable behaviours. This way, you won’t be tempted to do otherwise in the future.

Here are some examples:

• Use the StayFocusd Chrome extension to restrict the amount of time you spend on certain websites
• Ask your parents to change the password on your tablet, so that every time you want to use your tablet you need them to unlock it
• Tell a friend that you’ll delete all your social media apps on your phone by the end of the day – if not, you’ll give your friend $100

Pre-commitment is a powerful strategy that all good students use.

39. Keep a “done” list

Just as important as keeping a to-do list is keeping a “done” list.

Write down all the things you’ve accomplished at the end of each day. This will help to remind you that you’ve indeed been productive, even if you don’t feel so.

In the long run, keeping a “done” list will help you to stay positive and motivated.

40. Don’t try to remember to do things; make it impossible to forget

Some examples of these “things” might be:

• Studying for tests
• Bringing your textbook to school
• Bringing your water bottle to school
• Bringing your calculator into the exam hall for a math exam

The list goes on.

To be successful in school, don’t just try to remember to do these things. Rather, make it impossible to forget to do these things.

There’s a huge difference between these two approaches.

To make it impossible to forget to do something, you might need to stick a Post-it note on the front door. Or set an alarm (or two alarms). Or create a daily reminder to check your calendar or planner.

As you adopt this approach, you’ll become a more reliable and effective student!

If you apply all the tips in this article, it’s almost impossible that you won’t become a better student. (To get 10 more bonus tips, enter your email in the box at the end of this article.)

Of course, it’s neither reasonable nor practical to expect you to implement all the tips at once.

After all, the road to success is built one step at a time.

Success – as a student and in life in general – is about daily choices and habits.

Implement one or two tips in the coming week, and get some like-minded friends to join you.

As you gain momentum, implement more tips as the weeks go by. (You can try applying my rules for success in life too.)

You’ll soon find that you’re becoming a more successful student who’s leading a more balanced life too.

Wishing you all the best – I’m excited about this journey that you’re about to embark on!

Like this article? Please share it with your friends.

February 6, 2018 at 5:19 am

February 6, 2018 at 9:36 am

You’re welcome, Jessie.

August 10, 2018 at 9:06 pm

August 11, 2018 at 8:21 am

You’re welcome.

February 2, 2019 at 2:39 am

April 23, 2019 at 3:14 am

November 12, 2019 at 10:13 pm

So happy🤗 Thanks alot

August 3, 2020 at 4:19 pm

Here’s everything you want in your student life! I loved it and all of you should apply these steps 😆

August 8, 2020 at 11:32 pm

Excellent tips and very true and practical in fact these will help every one not only just in academic but later at carrier too. Really appreciated for providing such a entire gamate of tips for any one. Keep it up!

August 23, 2020 at 3:24 am

March 22, 2021 at 4:19 am

May 31, 2021 at 8:38 pm

Thanks so much. I really Appreciate this.

October 25, 2019 at 10:48 pm

Awesome ! You have a good brain for achieving success in education !

April 13, 2020 at 7:38 pm

THANKS FOR THE LESSON.

May 19, 2020 at 8:13 pm

Thanks alot Daniel Wong

October 9, 2020 at 8:20 am

As a child, how would I assure my parents that I’m doing well in school?

September 11, 2023 at 3:22 pm

Am very appreciated, thanks u so much

April 25, 2020 at 7:48 pm

Thanks so much Daniel Coz i know this article of your will help me in my study so much

August 19, 2020 at 11:15 pm

This was really berry berry helpgull

January 17, 2021 at 9:16 pm

Thanks so much for the tips

February 8, 2018 at 1:11 pm

Hi is it possible to have an exact copy of the article and not the pdf sheet of concise tips as I would like my students to read with the detailed explanation.

February 8, 2018 at 3:03 pm

Hi Evelyn, sure I’ve just emailed you the PDF version.

January 31, 2019 at 10:04 pm

Dear Daniel.

I absolutely love the article.

Would it be okay if I include this as part of my notes for my students. I have decided to start a consultancy business, where I consult schools.( Strategy Savvy Consultancy). This is to help students by developing and implementing Learning Strategies which are designed to improve the student’s achievements in all subject areas by focusing on:

organizational skills, time management, study and test-taking skills, goal setting and self-assessment.

February 1, 2019 at 11:20 am

Hi Bianca, sure feel free to include this as part of your notes, but if you do so please include the link to this original article with due credit. Thank you, and wishing you all the best!

March 15, 2021 at 4:29 am

Hello, I’m interested in the PDF as well for my special ed study strategies students. Thank you for all your insight!

February 23, 2024 at 4:14 pm

February 13, 2018 at 4:14 pm

A very informative article. Thank you.Your ideas are very helpful.

February 13, 2018 at 4:32 pm

You are welcome, Charles.

February 13, 2018 at 9:17 pm

You are welcome

April 10, 2019 at 10:34 am

I really like your article. It has helped me a lot. Thank you

October 8, 2019 at 5:20 am

Are these quotes from one of your books

December 3, 2019 at 2:02 am

thank you so much Daniel Wong for this lovely information my brain has expanded a lot while i was reading this article. I would like to meet you one day and award your successful achievement in life.

April 20, 2020 at 6:07 pm

Hi,After I’v found this website i have a lot of successful thanks.

February 17, 2018 at 8:32 am

Hello Dany Wong

you killed it here, great article for students, to be serious I learnt some facts here which I will implement on myself and others.

February 18, 2018 at 2:08 pm

Great to hear!

February 28, 2018 at 9:20 pm

Thank you daniel!! Hope so this tips will work for me

March 1, 2018 at 7:33 am

I’m confident that the tips will work for you!

January 8, 2020 at 8:45 pm

Thanks itbwill help me alot

December 18, 2020 at 1:55 am

Hey I’m really not doing good in school

May 22, 2021 at 5:47 am

December 10, 2022 at 2:25 am

well if u read this you might be better?!

August 15, 2018 at 5:41 pm

Hlw daniel!… I’m feeling so depressed because recently I have participated in 2 competitions but got no prizes while my classmate has received prizes in both.

August 25, 2018 at 4:15 am

Thanks for elaborating on the different things you can do to be successful in school. I agree that setting out a schedule for the week is important because it helps you get the week in line. I would imagine things can get pretty hectic if you don’t have it written down somewhere.

August 27, 2018 at 1:20 am

Fascinating article! These tips are helpful not only to students, also for people who want to be successful in life. Thanks for sharing such a nice article Wong!!

August 27, 2018 at 8:45 pm

omg thanks so much for your artical i really feel impressive right now i appriciate that ..

August 30, 2018 at 3:33 pm

wow !! thnx for sharing this article. i can’t stop to share this post. keep sharing

August 31, 2018 at 3:32 am

i lovz it i am gretfull

September 10, 2018 at 7:04 pm

hello, thanx for sharing such wonderful info

October 1, 2018 at 9:35 pm

just love this article…can’t Wait to share…..

October 10, 2018 at 10:23 am

Hello. Im really hoping this will help me. right now I might get kicked out of my school because im struggling so much! But if this helps.. im sure ill give you credit! this is really helpful for after school too. Im a seventh grader who just happened to go to a smart kid school. Its really hard and stressful. I just worked out and I feel great! Thank you. I need as much help as possible right now.

March 6, 2019 at 5:17 am

October 11, 2018 at 5:50 am

Thank you so much for this article.. At a moment j felt I could no longer become the smart student j used to be. I am in the university now and a lot of distractions have made me fall back on my studies but after going through this article, I would say I have hope again and after j apply the tips I know I am heading to be better and contribute greatly to my family, friends and society at large.. THANK YOU SO MUCH And please I’ll love to have the PDF of the article

October 14, 2018 at 3:29 am

thank you for the tips.Hope they will work….

October 16, 2018 at 7:19 pm

Best article I ever read…. I like this article …..good job Daniel wong. ..👍👍

October 17, 2018 at 2:00 am

Hello Daniel Wong Your tips are inspiring very much,i gonna apply them

October 19, 2018 at 10:27 pm

Great tips. Some of them actually go beyond students and can be applied to areas of our lives even as adults.

October 20, 2018 at 12:38 am

Thank you so much

October 27, 2018 at 1:20 am

I feel motivated more than normal Thank you very much Daniel……..i am sure this wil be very effective to me and get good grades

#Brian from Kenya

November 8, 2018 at 7:09 pm

I read through your article and some of your readers’ comments. Yours is the only one that really made sense to me. Thanks a bunch. Your article has sparked a lot of thought for me. I share your views.

November 11, 2018 at 12:36 pm

Thank you very much

November 19, 2018 at 10:11 pm

These are actually helpful, compared to laughable social media tips. Thank you Daniel. As a college student who has lots on her shoulders, I can’t wait to get on with these.

November 21, 2018 at 10:38 pm

December 6, 2018 at 2:39 pm

Excellent article Daniel! I loved this point “Hang out with people who are motivated and focused” because I missed this in my schooling. After a long time, I realized that I have wasted my time by hanged out with some other guys. My advice is also the same “Be with motivated people”.

May 15, 2021 at 3:52 am

Very insightful. I read through it all and took some notes. i really really appreciate this. thanks again

December 17, 2018 at 3:02 am

Hey Daniel! Can i translate your article and show the article to my student i think this article is great for my student

December 17, 2018 at 9:56 am

Hi Trung, sure that would be fine. Can I ask what language you’ll be translating the article into?

December 18, 2018 at 12:57 pm

Sure think Daniel, I want to translate this article into Vietnamese

December 18, 2018 at 1:02 pm

Sure, thanks for letting me know.

December 29, 2018 at 7:08 pm

how come i feel i am going to rock it in school aftr reading this article,,,thanx daniel

January 5, 2019 at 11:49 am

Hi , Thanku For Such wonderful article as it is very useful for school students.

January 6, 2019 at 5:34 pm

mr.Daniel thank you,like God show me this article.stay blessed.

January 17, 2019 at 6:19 am

January 28, 2019 at 4:08 am

Hello Praisy. Please do not feel disheartened that you didn’t get any prizes. It is just a competition. There are people who win and people who don’t win. It’s okay to not win or get prizes. Better luck next time .

January 31, 2019 at 9:19 am

It interests me, how u are able to show people the right way to succeed, and that’s one thing that lifts me and my heart up, to succeed in life. Your words inspire me, as they inspire myself. I appreciate your help, and I hope I become better in the future.

February 3, 2019 at 3:31 am

I love this article. God bless you for it.

I will be glad if I can get some motivational articles from you. I will like to use it to reach students and every other youth around me.

February 21, 2019 at 8:42 pm

Thank you in advance for the marvelous articles

February 22, 2019 at 6:26 am

February 25, 2019 at 4:30 pm

i really liked the article it is really educative thanks

February 27, 2019 at 11:49 am

Danial can you help me with something I am not succeeding. in kindergarten I really was confident about learning. but in third grade NO like I’m being disrespectful and not following directions Doing what I want to do If you Found a way to help me please let me know THANKS

March 2, 2019 at 1:35 pm

What can you do if you feel like you have studied everything you can possibly study for an exam. Like for a psychology midterm I thought I studied everything in the book and then I only got an avg score on the midterm? How can I prepare myself For anything I could be asked?

March 10, 2019 at 7:22 pm

its the best i have come acroosed so far

March 21, 2019 at 5:56 pm

Hi I really love your article! It’s exactly what I need right now. Honestly I’ve been failling a lot of my exams lately. I know this is not me. Due to many out school activities I tend to forget to studying. Right now I’m handling online business, serving to church, and taking care of my siblings. It’s really hard to do all things simultaneously. Oh! By the way, i just received my score in one of my subjects and it’s so sad to know that I failed. Then, I searched for tips and I saw this! Thank you. You helped me have positive attitude towards this problems I’m facing.

Anyways, I cant download the pdf file for unknown reason. Can I ask you a favor to send it to me in my email? Thank you! Looking forward your response. 😊

March 22, 2019 at 10:47 am

This helped me with school work because we had a project thank this helps so MUCH!!!

March 24, 2019 at 5:34 pm

Thank you a lot for your information

March 29, 2019 at 3:01 am

I like the tip that you gave to focus on one thing at a time in school. My wife and I have been thinking about finding a school for us, and it would be important for us to know that we can be successful. If we choose to go to school, I will be sure to focus on one thing at a time.

March 31, 2019 at 5:25 pm

I am so glad I found out about your blog. I am usually a hardworking student but lately I’ ve felt really demotivated and stressed. I lost control over my emotions. My performance was really bad for my final exams. I’ve been searching for ways to get me back on track and reading your blog helps me a lot. I feel like you understand teenagers well and your methods work. Thank you!

April 7, 2019 at 2:15 pm

Hey, I am in grade-12. I am an A student. No one beats me when it comes to getting good grades. There is this girl I like, she is also in grade 12, its just that I feel my grades will drop if I start dating. So please just help me out on that one .

April 8, 2019 at 2:49 pm

Fantastic list! Thank you for this.

April 9, 2019 at 9:06 am

Great article with the information I needed to get on and stay on the right track. Thank You

April 23, 2019 at 3:38 am

This i did not try yet but i cannot try them all because I’m in a Spanish school and things work out differently. BTW: nobody in my school has an attitude like you said. 🙁

April 26, 2019 at 2:14 pm

Thank’s wong for your wisely tips. I am not doing well during examination becouse i lack the skills you have mentioned, i hope i will have a change in my performance. Thanks may God grand with more wisdom to improve peoples performance in the world.

April 30, 2019 at 3:40 pm

Yes, the student will only adopt proper strategies that will help you reach your end goal. Thanks for sharing valuable information.

May 11, 2019 at 2:10 pm

thanks for sharing this tips

May 12, 2019 at 10:17 am

Thanks It’s Helpful

May 15, 2019 at 3:46 am

Mr Daniel, you indeed know the needs of students. Your article is very helpful, thank you sir.

May 21, 2019 at 8:59 pm

Thanks for this advice for being in school. You mentioned that you should try to test yourself every now and then, like through practice questions and make a list of mistakes you’ve made. This sounds helpful if it can let you know what topic you should spend additional time researching and learning about.

June 1, 2019 at 3:26 pm

hi, this is a very helpful list! For the exercise part, however, could you please suggest some apps we could use?

June 26, 2019 at 11:16 am

I love this article. Thank you.

July 22, 2019 at 7:54 pm

your word is a big contribution to humanity we are grateful and more grace sir.

August 4, 2019 at 6:18 am

Thanks daniel wong.. Its really a big help! 😊

August 10, 2019 at 9:11 pm

You are the man of God thank you.I used this article to my form six exam i made wonders as i was to lose hope.I thank yo daniel come inTANZANIA STAY BLESSED.I FAIL TO PRAISE YOU MR.DANIEL.YOU SAVED ME

August 30, 2019 at 7:48 pm

This is beautiful!

September 16, 2019 at 2:17 pm

Daniel Wong, this is just good, wow thanks.

September 27, 2019 at 1:43 am

I don’t know who prepared this article… But it is damn inspiring… I felt like I got all the motivation I needed just to stay focused abt my goal and worry abt ntng else

October 16, 2019 at 11:25 am

what do i do if I’ve tried all of these things and I’m still not doing well in school? i don’t want to blame my teacher or anything but i can’t help but feel like I’m a lost cause. School was easy for me in past grades but I’m already really struggling this year. what can i do?

October 23, 2019 at 7:34 am

Dear Daniel Wong, Thankyou very much for this artical.Im a seventh grade student and all my term report àre really bad and my parents are dissapointed in me but i know that through this tips i’ll try my best.One more thing im not One of the smartest students in class but I can do it.💖💖💖👍👍👍👍

November 27, 2019 at 2:17 am

Dear Mr. Wong, ever since i moved to Canada, almost 10 years ago now i have been experiencing difficulty with being successful in my school years. My parents have lost hope in me and i about to lose hope in myself and on life. I decided that i wanted to make a change before I would now be classified as a first year college drop out. As i myself would like to tell a great story to my future family of how i went from a slacker to a successful student. My journey begins here because of these wise words spoken to me through you.

P.S. Email this list to school email down below.

December 3, 2019 at 12:26 am

Thanks for the help

December 3, 2019 at 4:53 am

you are a vary kind person. and my colleague will soon send you a email and u will be getting our latest book for free.

December 3, 2019 at 8:16 pm

Hi Mr Wong,you Did Develop A Success Formula For Scholars.Thanks Much Papa

December 3, 2019 at 10:20 pm

Thank you so much, this was helpful

December 21, 2019 at 6:11 am

Could you please email me this article in pdf

December 21, 2019 at 7:44 am

Hi Bright, you can use this free service ( https://www.printfriendly.com/ ) to convert the article into a PDF. Hope this helps.

December 25, 2019 at 3:36 am

wow I really love this thank you so much

February 16, 2020 at 1:44 am

Thanks for the piece of advice

February 17, 2020 at 12:30 pm

Thanks Daniel.

February 20, 2020 at 4:45 am

February 26, 2020 at 1:31 am

March 10, 2020 at 2:38 pm

I really loved and did all your steps of being successful in life❤it really helped me allot in my time management and studies👍thank you very much sir and May You Have a wonderful life🌟

March 11, 2020 at 12:05 am

Great article sir, loved it .A request maybe if you could also guide us on how to deal with school politics (drama with teachers peers) and how important is our participation in it.

March 17, 2020 at 1:03 am

Hi thank you soooooooooo much for this article I am a student and am not doing well in school this really is helping me a lot is it’s possible that I ge.t the full original artical thank you 🌹🌹♥️♥️♥️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

April 4, 2020 at 5:49 am

Dear Daniel, Greetings from Kenya in East Africa. My name is Victoria and I’m a form four student. I’ve read your article and its like you were reading my mistakes. I have now learnt what to do to improve myself and my grades. My final exam will be at the end of this year. I will follow your tips and hopefully I will get a good grade. Thank you so much and I’ll be sure to send my end year results. Yours faithfully, Victoria Mukami.

April 19, 2020 at 4:06 pm

Hello Daniel, thanks for the .l have liked it and I will always follow the stated tips of being successful in school.

May 22, 2020 at 5:11 am

It’s really motivating. I will definitely put these advice in practice. God’s willing. Thanks a lot once again.

May 31, 2020 at 7:10 pm

I love this tip’s and I would practice it

June 18, 2020 at 1:53 am

Thank you for the advice; very informative and helpful

June 30, 2020 at 6:14 pm

Thank a lot.A. great advice

July 19, 2020 at 7:48 pm

thanks alot daniel may God bless you

July 30, 2020 at 3:11 pm

Thank you for the great tips. Every point is explained well and somehow can be applied throughout adulthood.

August 11, 2020 at 3:00 pm

August 18, 2020 at 2:00 pm

Thank you for your tips 🧡

August 18, 2020 at 3:06 pm

Thank you so much my grade improved a lot 🧡

August 21, 2020 at 2:05 pm

I believe that after this article I will achieve the best score ever ,thank you

October 6, 2020 at 12:21 am

Mr. Wong, I appreciate your help and the 40 tips that you provided.

October 8, 2020 at 9:41 pm

Mr. Wong, you did a great work here.

And I will also ask for app suggestion for the exercise part. Thanks

October 23, 2020 at 7:07 am

Thank you for making an amazing article! It really helps me to be motivated and realize the other things that I’m not doing, like sleeping at least 8 hours every night hehe. When I read it, I feel guilt and I hope I can do it little by little. Thanks again Mr. Wong 😀 !

October 29, 2020 at 6:15 pm

November 5, 2020 at 4:24 pm

Thanks a lot this was very insightful. I used to be a straight a student but along the way my grades started to suffer as family problems and mental health issues started coming up. I want to now get back in the track again to my old self, who was always intelligent. I wouldn’t say I’m not intelligent, all I’m saying is that for the past years I always looked at the mirror and said the school system is not made for me, of course that’s a lie and I have to change it! As a parkour athlete I understand that hard work does equal great results and that mentality can be applied anywhere and you reminded me of that! Thank You!

November 13, 2020 at 8:23 am

Thank you so much for this. I need it. I’m almost failing french currently. I’m bookmarking every article I read. I am going to try everything I’ve read.

November 17, 2020 at 1:43 am

this helped a lot thank you so much

January 7, 2021 at 9:10 am

I am currently doing a hybrid schedule at school due to Covid, so on Fridays I don’t have school until 11:40 not counting yearbook, but I never got assignments done because I was procrastinating. I did the rough schedule and it helped so much because I knew I needed to get that assignment done around that time. I tried to beat the due time that I set and I got so much done. I felt so good afterwards especially because they work was FINALLY done on time and I got good grades on them. I’m so happy. Thank you so much! These tips helped me so much.

January 20, 2021 at 11:22 am

very informative

January 23, 2021 at 10:49 am

thanks a ton it was so helpful

January 29, 2021 at 4:49 pm

Splendid one

January 31, 2021 at 9:51 pm

This is great and really helpful, thanks…

February 9, 2021 at 1:32 am

Thanks Danny👊

February 9, 2021 at 2:13 pm

This was very helpful Thank you

February 25, 2021 at 3:24 am

Thanks, this was very helpful and it will help me a lot.

March 17, 2021 at 1:58 pm

Great read! I will definitely benefit from a lot of these valuable points.

March 18, 2021 at 8:43 am

Very helpful!

March 25, 2021 at 8:29 pm

let’s see if all this helps.

March 29, 2021 at 6:46 am

This was very good read and I have see that this has some very good information and will definitely incorporate into my routine. Thank you for sharing.

March 29, 2021 at 7:23 am

good helpful tips

April 20, 2021 at 2:18 pm

Thank u so much for the tips and strategies. This is the best article I’ve found on how to excel academically. I like the tip of not just aiming for grades but helping schoolmates as well but all in all the tips are so good

May 7, 2021 at 12:45 am

May 17, 2021 at 1:24 am

wow! What good ideas are they ….I just feel like applying them now …. thanks so much Wong!

May 24, 2021 at 9:52 am

Thanks a lot, so helpful

August 11, 2021 at 3:44 am

I am marvelously enlightened

September 9, 2022 at 11:05 pm

these were very helpful tips.

September 21, 2022 at 3:11 am

Incredible….just Incredible

October 25, 2022 at 12:46 am

THE TIPS ARE GREAT….

February 16, 2023 at 3:41 pm

This a nice article.

February 17, 2023 at 1:49 am

It is a good learning opportunity.

March 2, 2023 at 9:21 pm

thank you for sharing

April 4, 2023 at 2:57 am

thanks for sharing

April 4, 2023 at 2:59 am

Very helpful points.

June 1, 2023 at 6:05 am

this was helpful

December 21, 2023 at 4:41 am

Thank you Mr. Daniel Wong. I know with these ideas listed in your article I’ll be able to achieve my dreams of becoming a successful Robotics Engineer.

December 21, 2023 at 4:46 am

Hi again it’s me Machi Cynthia. I hope you got my comment and thanks again for this article , just so you know it helped me in preparing for my exam and am proud to say I made an A in 10 of my courses. Thanks so much Mr Wong.

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How to Write the Perfect Essay

06 Feb, 2024 | Blog Articles , English Language Articles , Get the Edge , Humanities Articles , Writing Articles

You can keep adding to this plan, crossing bits out and linking the different bubbles when you spot connections between them. Even though you won’t have time to make a detailed plan under exam conditions, it can be helpful to draft a brief one, including a few key words, so that you don’t panic and go off topic when writing your essay.

If you don’t like the mind map format, there are plenty of others to choose from: you could make a table, a flowchart, or simply a list of bullet points.

Discover More

Thanks for signing up, step 2: have a clear structure.

Think about this while you’re planning: your essay is like an argument or a speech. It needs to have a logical structure, with all your points coming together to answer the question.

Start with the basics! It’s best to choose a few major points which will become your main paragraphs. Three main paragraphs is a good number for an exam essay, since you’ll be under time pressure. 

If you agree with the question overall, it can be helpful to organise your points in the following pattern:

• YES (agreement with the question)
• AND (another YES point)
• BUT (disagreement or complication)

If you disagree with the question overall, try:

• AND (another BUT point)

For example, you could structure the Of Mice and Men sample question, “To what extent is Curley’s wife portrayed as a victim in Of Mice and Men ?”, as follows:

• YES (descriptions of her appearance)
• AND (other people’s attitudes towards her)
• BUT (her position as the only woman on the ranch gives her power as she uses her femininity to her advantage)

If you wanted to write a longer essay, you could include additional paragraphs under the YES/AND categories, perhaps discussing the ways in which Curley’s wife reveals her vulnerability and insecurities, and shares her dreams with the other characters. Alternatively, you could also lengthen your essay by including another BUT paragraph about her cruel and manipulative streak.

Of course, this is not necessarily the only right way to answer this essay question – as long as you back up your points with evidence from the text, you can take any standpoint that makes sense.

Step 3: Back up your points with well-analysed quotations

You wouldn’t write a scientific report without including evidence to support your findings, so why should it be any different with an essay? Even though you aren’t strictly required to substantiate every single point you make with a quotation, there’s no harm in trying.

A close reading of your quotations can enrich your appreciation of the question and will be sure to impress examiners. When selecting the best quotations to use in your essay, keep an eye out for specific literary techniques. For example, you could highlight Curley’s wife’s use of a rhetorical question when she says, a”n’ what am I doin’? Standin’ here talking to a bunch of bindle stiffs.” This might look like:

The rhetorical question “an’ what am I doin’?” signifies that Curley’s wife is very insecure; she seems to be questioning her own life choices. Moreover, she does not expect anyone to respond to her question, highlighting her loneliness and isolation on the ranch.

Other literary techniques to look out for include:

• Tricolon – a group of three words or phrases placed close together for emphasis
• Tautology – using different words that mean the same thing: e.g. “frightening” and “terrifying”
• Parallelism – ABAB structure, often signifying movement from one concept to another
• Chiasmus – ABBA structure, drawing attention to a phrase
• Polysyndeton – many conjunctions in a sentence
• Asyndeton – lack of conjunctions, which can speed up the pace of a sentence
• Polyptoton – using the same word in different forms for emphasis: e.g. “done” and “doing”
• Alliteration – repetition of the same sound, including assonance (similar vowel sounds), plosive alliteration (“b”, “d” and “p” sounds) and sibilance (“s” sounds)
• Anaphora – repetition of words, often used to emphasise a particular point

Don’t worry if you can’t locate all of these literary devices in the work you’re analysing. You can also discuss more obvious techniques, like metaphor, simile and onomatopoeia. It’s not a problem if you can’t remember all the long names; it’s far more important to be able to confidently explain the effects of each technique and highlight its relevance to the question.

Step 4: Be creative and original throughout

Anyone can write an essay using the tips above, but the thing that really makes it “perfect” is your own unique take on the topic. If you’ve noticed something intriguing or unusual in your reading, point it out – if you find it interesting, chances are the examiner will too!

Creative writing and essay writing are more closely linked than you might imagine. Keep the idea that you’re writing a speech or argument in mind, and you’re guaranteed to grab your reader’s attention.

It’s important to set out your line of argument in your introduction, introducing your main points and the general direction your essay will take, but don’t forget to keep something back for the conclusion, too. Yes, you need to summarise your main points, but if you’re just repeating the things you said in your introduction, the body of the essay is rendered pointless.

Think of your conclusion as the climax of your speech, the bit everything else has been leading up to, rather than the boring plenary at the end of the interesting stuff.

To return to Of Mice and Men once more, here’s an example of the ideal difference between an introduction and a conclusion:

Introduction

In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men , Curley’s wife is portrayed as an ambiguous character. She could be viewed either as a cruel, seductive temptress or a lonely woman who is a victim of her society’s attitudes. Though she does seem to wield a form of sexual power, it is clear that Curley’s wife is largely a victim. This interpretation is supported by Steinbeck’s description of her appearance, other people’s attitudes, her dreams, and her evident loneliness and insecurity.

Overall, it is clear that Curley’s wife is a victim and is portrayed as such throughout the novel in the descriptions of her appearance, her dreams, other people’s judgemental attitudes, and her loneliness and insecurities. However, a character who was a victim and nothing else would be one-dimensional and Curley’s wife is not. Although she suffers in many ways, she is shown to assert herself through the manipulation of her femininity – a small rebellion against the victimisation she experiences.

Both refer back consistently to the question and summarise the essay’s main points. However, the conclusion adds something new which has been established in the main body of the essay and complicates the simple summary which is found in the introduction.

Hannah is an undergraduate English student at Somerville College, University of Oxford, and has a particular interest in postcolonial literature and the Gothic. She thinks literature is a crucial way of developing empathy and learning about the wider world. When she isn’t writing about 17th-century court masques, she enjoys acting, travelling and creative writing. 

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How to Write Any High School Essay

Last Updated: March 22, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Emily Listmann, MA and by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising . Emily Listmann is a Private Tutor and Life Coach in Santa Cruz, California. In 2018, she founded Mindful & Well, a natural healing and wellness coaching service. She has worked as a Social Studies Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, and an SAT Prep Teacher. She received her MA in Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. Emily also received her Wellness Coach Certificate from Cornell University and completed the Mindfulness Training by Mindful Schools. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 564,392 times.

Writing an essay is an important basic skill that you will need to succeed in high school and college. While essays will vary depending on your teacher and the assignment, most essays will follow the same basic structure. By supporting your thesis with information in your body paragraphs, you can successfully write an essay for any course!

Writing Help

Planning Your Essay

• Expository essays uses arguments to investigate and explain a topic.
• Persuasive essays try to convince the readers to believe or accept your specific point of view
• Narrative essays tell about a real-life personal experience.
• Descriptive essays are used to communicate deeper meaning through the use of descriptive words and sensory details.

• Look through books or use search engines online to look at the broad topic before narrowing your ideas down into something more concise.

• For example, the statement “Elephants are used to perform in circuses” does not offer an arguable point. Instead, you may try something like “Elephants should not be kept in the circus since they are mistreated.” This allows you to find supporting arguments or for others to argue against it.
• Keep in mind that some essay writing will not require an argument, such as a narrative essay. Instead, you might focus on a pivotal point in the story as your main claim.

• Talk to your school’s librarian for direction on specific books or databases you could use to find your information.
• Many schools offer access to online databases like EBSCO or JSTOR where you can find reliable information.
• Wikipedia is a great starting place for your research, but it can be edited by anyone in the world. Instead, look at the article’s references to find the sites where the information really came from.
• Use Google Scholar if you want to find peer-reviewed scholarly articles for your sources.
• Make sure to consider the author’s credibility when reviewing sources. If a source does not include the author’s name, then it might not be a good option.

• Outlines will vary in size or length depending on how long your essay needs to be. Longer essays will have more body paragraphs to support your arguments.

Starting an Essay

• Make sure your quotes or information are accurate and not an exaggeration of the truth, or else readers will question your validity throughout the rest of your essay.

• For example, “Because global warming is causing the polar ice caps to melt, we need to eliminate our reliance on fossil fuels within the next 5 years.” Or, “Since flavored tobacco appeals mainly to children and teens, it should be illegal for tobacco manufacturers to sell these products.”
• The thesis is usually the last or second to last sentence in your introduction.

• Use the main topics of your body paragraphs as an idea of what to include in your mini-outline.

Writing the Body Paragraphs

• Think of your topic sentences as mini-theses so your paragraphs only argue a specific point.

• Many high school essays are written in MLA or APA style. Ask your teacher what format they want you to follow if it’s not specified.

• Unless you’re writing a personal essay, avoid the use of “I” statements since this could make your essay look less professional.

• For example, if your body paragraphs discuss similar points in a different way, you can use phrases like “in the same way,” “similarly,” and “just as” to start other body paragraphs.
• If you are posing different points, try phrases like “in spite of,” “in contrast,” or “however” to transition.

Concluding Your Essay

• For example, if your thesis was, “The cell phone is the most important invention in the past 30 years,” then you may restate the thesis in your conclusion like, “Due to the ability to communicate anywhere in the world and access information easily, the cell phone is a pivotal invention in human history.”
• If you’re only writing a 1-page paper, restating your main ideas isn’t necessary.

• For example, if you write an essay discussing the themes of a book, think about how the themes are affecting people’s lives today.

• Try to pick the same type of closing sentence as you used as your attention getter.

• Including a Works Cited page shows that the information you provided isn’t all your own and allows the reader to visit the sources to see the raw information for themselves.
• Avoid using online citation machines since they may be outdated.

Revising the Paper

• Have a peer or parent read through your essay to see if they understand what point you’re trying to make.

• For example, if your essay discusses the history of an event, make sure your sentences flow in a chronological way in the order the events happened.

• If you cut parts out of your essay, make sure to reread it to see if it affects the flow of how it reads.

Community Q&A

• Allow ample time to layout your essay before you get started writing. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• If you have writer's block , take a break for a few minutes. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 2
• Check the rubric provided by your teacher and compare your essay to it. This helps you gauge what you need to include or change. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1

• Avoid using plagiarism since this could result in academic consequences. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 1

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/types-of-essays/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/thesis-statements/
• ↑ https://guides.libs.uga.edu/reliability
• ↑ https://facultyweb.ivcc.edu/rrambo/eng1001/outline.htm
• ↑ https://examples.yourdictionary.com/20-compelling-hook-examples-for-essays.html
• ↑ https://wts.indiana.edu/writing-guides/how-to-write-a-thesis-statement.html
• ↑ https://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/five_par.htm
• ↑ https://learning.hccs.edu/faculty/jason.laviolette/persuasive-essay-outline
• ↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/paragraphs/topicsentences
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/transitions/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/ending-essay-conclusions
• ↑ https://libguides.newcastle.edu.au/how-to-write-an-essay/conclusion
• ↑ https://pitt.libguides.com/citationhelp
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/revising-drafts/

About This Article

Writing good essays is an important skill to have in high school, and you can write a good one by planning it out and organizing it well. Before you start, do some research on your topic so you can come up with a strong, specific thesis statement, which is essentially the main argument of your essay. For instance, your thesis might be something like, “Elephants should not be kept in the circus because they are mistreated.” Once you have your thesis, outline the paragraphs for your essay. You should have an introduction that includes your thesis, at least 3 body paragraphs that explain your main points, and a conclusion paragraph. Start each body paragraph with a topic sentence that states the main point of the paragraph. As you write your main points, make sure to include evidence and quotes from your research to back it up. To learn how to revise your paper, read more from our Writing co-author! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Write a Successful Essay

Last Updated: March 9, 2022 References

This article was co-authored by Jake Adams . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. This article has been viewed 68,759 times.

No matter whether you're working on a college research paper or a middle school essay, you can boost your writing skills and make your essay even more successful. A good essay has a convincing argument, evidence to back up the main points, and clear writing. Ready to take your writing from good to great? We'll give you clear-cut writing tips to create a successful essay.

Writing the introduction

• Make sure that your topic relates to the assignment, and that you can support it using various mediums, such as the internet or a book.

Writing the body of the essay

Finishing the essay

• For your conclusion, state your thesis in a different, unique way. Summarize your whole paper, and leave a lasting impression on your readers.

Essay Template and Sample Essays

Expert Q&A

• Never repeat what you've already said. If you do, it'll sound less interesting. Thanks Helpful 7 Not Helpful 0
• Remember to use transitions. Transitions connect ideas and establish a flow to your paper. Like the thesis, transitions are a necessary part of all papers. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
• Don't go overboard on the appearances of your essay. It'll look cheesy and plus it'll cost a lot of money. Remember, after your current school year is over, your teacher will just throw it away, so it isn't smart to load up on the pictures and ribbons. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 1

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• ↑ https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/writing/how-to-write-an-essay.html
• ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/mar/07/how-to-write-an-essay
• ↑ Jake Adams. Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist. Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.
• ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zv7fqp3/articles/znvn92p
• ↑ https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/ending-essay-conclusions

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Feb 16, 2018

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• What is an essay? 

What makes a good essay?

Typical essay structure, 7 steps to writing a good essay, a step-by-step guide to writing a good essay.

Whether you are gearing up for your GCSE coursework submissions or looking to brush up on your A-level writing skills, we have the perfect essay-writing guide for you. 💯

Staring at a blank page before writing an essay can feel a little daunting . Where do you start? What should your introduction say? And how should you structure your arguments? They are all fair questions and we have the answers! Take the stress out of essay writing with this step-by-step guide – you’ll be typing away in no time. 👩‍💻

What is an essay?

Generally speaking, an essay designates a literary work in which the author defends a point of view or a personal conviction, using logical arguments and literary devices in order to inform and convince the reader.

So – although essays can be broadly split into four categories: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive – an essay can simply be described as a focused piece of writing designed to inform or persuade. 🤔

The purpose of an essay is to present a coherent argument in response to a stimulus or question and to persuade the reader that your position is credible, believable and reasonable. 👌

So, a ‘good’ essay relies on a confident writing style – it’s clear, well-substantiated, focussed, explanatory and descriptive . The structure follows a logical progression and above all, the body of the essay clearly correlates to the tile – answering the question where one has been posed. 

But, how do you go about making sure that you tick all these boxes and keep within a specified word count? Read on for the answer as well as an example essay structure to follow and a handy step-by-step guide to writing the perfect essay – hooray. 🙌

Sometimes, it is helpful to think about your essay like it is a well-balanced argument or a speech – it needs to have a logical structure, with all your points coming together to answer the question in a coherent manner. ⚖️

Of course, essays can vary significantly in length but besides that, they all follow a fairly strict pattern or structure made up of three sections. Lean into this predictability because it will keep you on track and help you make your point clearly. Let’s take a look at the typical essay structure:  

#1 Introduction

Start your introduction with the central claim of your essay. Let the reader know exactly what you intend to say with this essay. Communicate what you’re going to argue, and in what order. The final part of your introduction should also say what conclusions you’re going to draw – it sounds counter-intuitive but it’s not – more on that below. 1️⃣

Make your point, evidence it and explain it. This part of the essay – generally made up of three or more paragraphs depending on the length of your essay – is where you present your argument. The first sentence of each paragraph – much like an introduction to an essay – should summarise what your paragraph intends to explain in more detail. 2️⃣

#3 Conclusion

This is where you affirm your argument – remind the reader what you just proved in your essay and how you did it. This section will sound quite similar to your introduction but – having written the essay – you’ll be summarising rather than setting out your stall. 3️⃣

No essay is the same but your approach to writing them can be. As well as some best practice tips, we have gathered our favourite advice from expert essay-writers and compiled the following 7-step guide to writing a good essay every time. 👍

#1 Make sure you understand the question

#2 complete background reading.

#3 Make a detailed plan 

#4 Write your opening sentences 

#5 flesh out your essay in a rough draft, #6 evidence your opinion, #7 final proofread and edit.

Now that you have familiarised yourself with the 7 steps standing between you and the perfect essay, let’s take a closer look at each of those stages so that you can get on with crafting your written arguments with confidence . 

This is the most crucial stage in essay writing – r ead the essay prompt carefully and understand the question. Highlight the keywords – like ‘compare,’ ‘contrast’ ‘discuss,’ ‘explain’ or ‘evaluate’ – and let it sink in before your mind starts racing . There is nothing worse than writing 500 words before realising you have entirely missed the brief . 🧐

Unless you are writing under exam conditions , you will most likely have been working towards this essay for some time, by doing thorough background reading. Re-read relevant chapters and sections, highlight pertinent material and maybe even stray outside the designated reading list, this shows genuine interest and extended knowledge. 📚

#3 Make a detailed plan

Following the handy structure we shared with you above, now is the time to create the ‘skeleton structure’ or essay plan. Working from your essay title, plot out what you want your paragraphs to cover and how that information is going to flow. You don’t need to start writing any full sentences yet but it might be useful to think about the various quotes you plan to use to substantiate each section. 📝

Having mapped out the overall trajectory of your essay, you can start to drill down into the detail. First, write the opening sentence for each of the paragraphs in the body section of your essay. Remember – each paragraph is like a mini-essay – the opening sentence should summarise what the paragraph will then go on to explain in more detail. 🖊️

Next, it's time to write the bulk of your words and flesh out your arguments. Follow the ‘point, evidence, explain’ method. The opening sentences – already written – should introduce your ‘points’, so now you need to ‘evidence’ them with corroborating research and ‘explain’ how the evidence you’ve presented proves the point you’re trying to make. ✍️

With a rough draft in front of you, you can take a moment to read what you have written so far. Are there any sections that require further substantiation? Have you managed to include the most relevant material you originally highlighted in your background reading? Now is the time to make sure you have evidenced all your opinions and claims with the strongest quotes, citations and material. 📗

This is your final chance to re-read your essay and go over it with a fine-toothed comb before pressing ‘submit’. We highly recommend leaving a day or two between finishing your essay and the final proofread if possible – you’ll be amazed at the difference this makes, allowing you to return with a fresh pair of eyes and a more discerning judgment. 🤓

If you are looking for advice and support with your own essay-writing adventures, why not t ry a free trial lesson with GoStudent? Our tutors are experts at boosting academic success and having fun along the way. Get in touch and see how it can work for you today. 🎒

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The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay | Steps & Examples

An academic essay is a focused piece of writing that develops an idea or argument using evidence, analysis, and interpretation.

There are many types of essays you might write as a student. The content and length of an essay depends on your level, subject of study, and course requirements. However, most essays at university level are argumentative — they aim to persuade the reader of a particular position or perspective on a topic.

The essay writing process consists of three main stages:

• Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline.
• Writing : Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion.
• Revision:  Check your essay on the content, organization, grammar, spelling, and formatting of your essay.

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Table of contents

Essay writing process, preparation for writing an essay, writing the introduction, writing the main body, writing the conclusion, essay checklist, lecture slides, frequently asked questions about writing an essay.

The writing process of preparation, writing, and revisions applies to every essay or paper, but the time and effort spent on each stage depends on the type of essay .

For example, if you’ve been assigned a five-paragraph expository essay for a high school class, you’ll probably spend the most time on the writing stage; for a college-level argumentative essay , on the other hand, you’ll need to spend more time researching your topic and developing an original argument before you start writing.

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Before you start writing, you should make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to say and how you’re going to say it. There are a few key steps you can follow to make sure you’re prepared:

• Understand your assignment: What is the goal of this essay? What is the length and deadline of the assignment? Is there anything you need to clarify with your teacher or professor?
• Define a topic: If you’re allowed to choose your own topic , try to pick something that you already know a bit about and that will hold your interest.
• Do your research: Read  primary and secondary sources and take notes to help you work out your position and angle on the topic. You’ll use these as evidence for your points.
• Come up with a thesis:  The thesis is the central point or argument that you want to make. A clear thesis is essential for a focused essay—you should keep referring back to it as you write.
• Create an outline: Map out the rough structure of your essay in an outline . This makes it easier to start writing and keeps you on track as you go.

Once you’ve got a clear idea of what you want to discuss, in what order, and what evidence you’ll use, you’re ready to start writing.

The introduction sets the tone for your essay. It should grab the reader’s interest and inform them of what to expect. The introduction generally comprises 10–20% of the text.

1. Hook your reader

The first sentence of the introduction should pique your reader’s interest and curiosity. This sentence is sometimes called the hook. It might be an intriguing question, a surprising fact, or a bold statement emphasizing the relevance of the topic.

Let’s say we’re writing an essay about the development of Braille (the raised-dot reading and writing system used by visually impaired people). Our hook can make a strong statement about the topic:

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

2. Provide background on your topic

Next, it’s important to give context that will help your reader understand your argument. This might involve providing background information, giving an overview of important academic work or debates on the topic, and explaining difficult terms. Don’t provide too much detail in the introduction—you can elaborate in the body of your essay.

3. Present the thesis statement

Next, you should formulate your thesis statement— the central argument you’re going to make. The thesis statement provides focus and signals your position on the topic. It is usually one or two sentences long. The thesis statement for our essay on Braille could look like this:

As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness.

4. Map the structure

In longer essays, you can end the introduction by briefly describing what will be covered in each part of the essay. This guides the reader through your structure and gives a preview of how your argument will develop.

The invention of Braille marked a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by blind and visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

Write your essay introduction

The body of your essay is where you make arguments supporting your thesis, provide evidence, and develop your ideas. Its purpose is to present, interpret, and analyze the information and sources you have gathered to support your argument.

Length of the body text

The length of the body depends on the type of essay. On average, the body comprises 60–80% of your essay. For a high school essay, this could be just three paragraphs, but for a graduate school essay of 6,000 words, the body could take up 8–10 pages.

Paragraph structure

To give your essay a clear structure , it is important to organize it into paragraphs . Each paragraph should be centered around one main point or idea.

That idea is introduced in a  topic sentence . The topic sentence should generally lead on from the previous paragraph and introduce the point to be made in this paragraph. Transition words can be used to create clear connections between sentences.

After the topic sentence, present evidence such as data, examples, or quotes from relevant sources. Be sure to interpret and explain the evidence, and show how it helps develop your overall argument.

Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from social participation (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely dependent on sighted people for information and education.

See the full essay example

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The conclusion is the final paragraph of an essay. It should generally take up no more than 10–15% of the text . A strong essay conclusion :

• Returns to your thesis
• Ties together your main points
• Shows why your argument matters

A great conclusion should finish with a memorable or impactful sentence that leaves the reader with a strong final impression.

What not to include in a conclusion

To make your essay’s conclusion as strong as possible, there are a few things you should avoid. The most common mistakes are:

• Including new arguments or evidence
• Undermining your arguments (e.g. “This is just one approach of many”)
• Using concluding phrases like “To sum up…” or “In conclusion…”

Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille’s innovation was to reimagine existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required sighted teachers to adapt to their students’ reality instead of the other way around. In this sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.

Write your essay conclusion

Checklist: Essay

My essay follows the requirements of the assignment (topic and length ).

My introduction sparks the reader’s interest and provides any necessary background information on the topic.

My introduction contains a thesis statement that states the focus and position of the essay.

I use paragraphs to structure the essay.

I use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph.

Each paragraph has a single focus and a clear connection to the thesis statement.

I make clear transitions between paragraphs and ideas.

My conclusion doesn’t just repeat my points, but draws connections between arguments.

I don’t introduce new arguments or evidence in the conclusion.

I have given an in-text citation for every quote or piece of information I got from another source.

I have included a reference page at the end of my essay, listing full details of all my sources.

My citations and references are correctly formatted according to the required citation style .

My essay has an interesting and informative title.

I have followed all formatting guidelines (e.g. font, page numbers, line spacing).

Your essay meets all the most important requirements. Our editors can give it a final check to help you submit with confidence.

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An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

• An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
• Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
• A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

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