To some students, writing just comes naturally. But to a bunch of others, yay, writing is just one boring, massive task that they’d rather not deal with. So, as class assignment, where they must write a short essay, a literature review, research paper on, say “Civil Organizations and their Roles in our World”, they write really badly- poor organization, poor syntax and bad grammar, poor writing standards, poor linking verbs and transitions between paragraphs, bad mechanics, including other “externalities” that botch up an otherwise great contents.

It makes me pretty sad. But here, I thought it would be a great idea if I talked a little bit about how we may best write ordinary essays for school work and assignments; nothing substantial, nothing professional. I’m not interested in stretching you to write scholarly. I am interested in simply helping you to be a better tertiary student or a soon-to-be graduate.

If you follow up on these rules, next time you have to do schoolwork, you would do a really good one, one that shows incredible flow, great clarity, and seamless fluidity and confidence, but importantly, you would demonstrate that you know the standards by which it is done and that you know what you are doing.

Like Mark Zuck, (though I am no Zuckerberg, and I do not code☺), I also like breaking complex problems into bits. These rules and guidelines are going to be released on this platform one after one, following which there may be a discussion.

Rule Number 1: Unless Otherwise Indicated, You Should Write Your School Assignment in APA Style.*

The American Psychological Association (APA) Style or Format is the universal manner writings are carried out everywhere- every field, every profession, every discipline, name it.

✅ Your title should be short (a sentence is just fine). You do not need to repeat the assignment question over again. Look at the whole assignment problem, improvise, and place a cute heading at the top of the paper.

✅ 12-point font, double-spaced, and with one-inch margins all around.

✅ In a standard essay, no such thing as INTRODUCTION, BODY, AND CONCLUSION, each written as a subheading. That’s not how to write an essay, please. Instead, excellent paragraphing would take care of those. Note that every paragraph contains wholly new ideas. Paragraphing is used to separate ideas from ideas, say, from the introduction to the body, and from the body to conclusion. You do not need to indicate that as a subheading on the left. But the ability to cleverly transition between them is yet another thing, perhaps for some other time.

NOTE

That is a sanitized, scale-down version. I am really simplifying. For those whose projects and graduate-level research papers are in progress, I encourage you to carry out further research on APA Style. It’s probably what you need to know and incorporate to have your supervisor get off your back. I know how hard it is. But you have got to really work it.

I wish you the greatest success.
Raji Ade Oba (rajioba.com)

Need I take you back a little bit? Probably yes. In the first segment of this article, I said it was important to, not only as a dedicated writer, or an academic but also as a tertiary student to be able to write essays and school work in a truly standard manner, in APA Style.

We should employ the guidelines developed by the American Psychological Association (APA) to achieve consistency, clarity, and a shared understanding in our schoolwork. Please, that’s important. With that, you not only earn great grades but also, with every nicely-written, well-structured work, you inch closer to obtaining that scholarship that a lot of people who are as sharp and as hungry as you are are on the lookout for. Understanding how to write great essays is an excellent competitive advantage you have over others. Nothing would be impossible for you.

Rule Number 2: Use Concise and Smart Remarks as Introduction Without Actually Writing “Introduction” at the top. This is probably the most difficult part- Getting started. I have found, through my own experience that the first lines to put down are usually the hardest part in writing fine essays. For even professional, hardcore writers, it hardly gets any easier. In the introductory paragraph, you need a palpable introduction because you want to give your readers a taste of what’s about to come. But you also want to make sure you keep ‘em hooked without practically laying it all on them so soon.

Here is a case study: Civil Societies and Their Roles in Our World.

You cannot begin mentioning the roles of civil societies right off the bat. NO! that’s not how to write an essay. Like I said, you got to start smart, and hold 'em there, steady till you get to the best part, the body.

You might just begin by mentioning a long-established, iconic civil organization that transformed the trajectory of the world. Certainly, that creates further curiosity and interest in readers. They’re like, “what’s he going to talk about?”. See, people like secrets. And then you might just, with brevity, describe civil societies, and work it down or up or whatever way from there.

It is important to know that introduction is the “map” or “outline” of the essay/paper. This will offer your reader context and reference in the subsequent discussion of the paper regarding your topic and its eventual application or consistency.

However, you should make sure you do not let it all out. Otherwise, you’d be putting your professor to sleep and botching it up, right from the very beginning. I’m afraid, you would be flunking that essay be that.

NOTE

I understand that writing may not be your thing. but whether you're ghostwriting for your CEO, updating a corporate blog, selling a product, working at a corporate department, or finishing your graduate-level, or doctoral thesis, you are going want to write- it is inevitable! Then, you not only want to keep your readers engaged or blow your supervisors away but just as important, you want to make sure you are using the right tool for the job.

In an academic setting, writing an excellent essay requires time, research, and critical thinking. However, resorting to pay for essay services from platforms like Assignment Desk undermines the integrity of learning. These services may promise convenience, but they compromise the fundamental purpose of education: to cultivate independent thinking and scholarly skills. Instead, prioritize authentic learning experiences, honing your writing abilities through practice, feedback, and engagement with course materials. Remember, the true value of education lies not in shortcuts but in the journey of intellectual growth.