Oh, coursework.

Essays, research papers, presentations – writing coursework takes up a lot of your time and it seems like the professor enjoys giving you as much work as they possibly can.

Well, imagine what reading all those assignments is like. You’ve got a bunch of essays that you need to grade and most of them are written in pretty much the same way.

But can you make your work stand out among the other papers? What should you do to ensure that the professor reads you essay first?

Well, here are the ways.

  1. Think about the Reader

Regardless of who will be reading your college papers, you should always consider their interest. For example, a professor reads a lot of works written by other students and can get a bit bored before he or she begins to read yours, so it’s critical to keep them interested by:

  • Using the “hook” sentence. Include a bold statement, a shocking statistic, or controversial argument in the first sentence to attract their attention.
  • Choose interesting topics. If you’re given the freedom of selecting a topic for your academic work, make sure the one you select is unique, interesting, and is also not chosen by three other students.
  1. Use Three-Act Structure

This is actually a writing device from modern novel writing, but it’s also applicable to academic works. An essay that uses this device has the following outline:

  • Set-up. The introduction gives the information on the topic, introduces “the exciting incident” (this could be evidence contradicting a common knowledge), and highlights the central argument (which is a “main character” of the essay).
  • Confrontation. This is the body of the work that develops the central argument using credible evidence and moving towards a logical conclusion.
  • Resolution. Summarize the main points in this part and clearly state your position.
  1. Include Interesting Details about Location and Setting

This tip works the best for creative and scientific coursework. Creative writers often use it to keep the audience engaged, but you can also use it as an essay writer. Think of it like this: most college writers tend to focus on academic problems that have been reviewed many times in the past, but you can focus on something more interesting.

For example, if you’re writing an essay about Abraham Lincoln, research his biography to find lesser known facts about him. For example, the site called Constitution Center says that he was an animal lover so he didn’t fish or hunt.

Isn’t it interesting to write? Especially when most of your classmates write about his role as the President of the United States.

  1. Edit, Edit, Edit

Your first draft is nothing more than a draft, so take some time to rest, then read it again and make revisions where needed. Remember: few writers get it right the first time, so it’s perfectly okay to make changes to improve your work.

Over to You!

Writing coursework doesn’t have to be boring. Using tips like the ones above will certainly make your work stand out among others and increase the interest of anyone reading it.

Lucy Benton is a writing coach, an editor who finds her passion in expressing own thoughts as a blogger. She is constantly looking for the ways to improve her skills and expertise. Also Lucy has her own writing blog https://prowritingpartner.com where you can check her last publications. If you’re interested in working with Lucy , you can find her on Twitter.