So you've left your 3,000 word essay until the last minute? Not ideal, but don't stress. You can make it happen by following our steps.
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We know. You had every intention of getting your essay done before the deadline, but sometimes life can get in the way.
We wouldn't recommend writing an essay in such a short period of time, but the good news is that 3,000 words in a day is totally doable. Get your head down and you could meet the deadline, and even produce an essay you are proud of.
Take a deep breath. Remain calm. Here's how to write an essay fast!
How to write an essay quickly
"Fail to prepare? Prepare to fail". We've all had it said to us, whether it be from a lecturer or a well-meaning parent.
If you're reading this guide, we suspect you haven't entirely embraced that mantra – but there are a few things you can do the morning before deadline day that will make your day of frantic essay-writing run smoothly.
Eat a good breakfast
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Fuel your body and mind with a healthy breakfast, like porridge. Its slow-release energy means you won't have a mid-morning slump over your laptop – something you really can't afford right now!
Not into porridge? Don't worry, it's far from the only brain food that'll help you write an essay. Check out our list of the best foods for brain fuel to see what else will get you off to the best start (and keep that flying start going).
Although you might be tempted to mainline coffee into your veins, try to avoid too much caffeine early on. Caffeine is basically the opposite of slow-release energy, and you'll find yourself crashing after a few hours.
Pick your workstation and equipment
Choose a quiet area where you know you won't be disturbed. You'll know whether you work better in the library or at home, but don't choose somewhere you've never been before. You need to be confident that you'll be comfortable and able to focus for as long as possible.
Be organised and come equipped with two pens, a bottle of water, any notes you have and some snacks to use as mini-rewards. These will keep you going without having to take your eyes off the screen (apparently dark chocolate is a great option for concentration!).
Get rid of social media and other distractions
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Procrastination is a student's worst enemy (besides a hangover). Turn off your phone (or place it face down on silent) and resist the urge to check social media.
Don't trust yourself? Temporarily deactivate your accounts or get a friend to change your passwords for 24 hours.
Plan a schedule and set yourself time management goals
Time management is pretty important when you have 24 hours before a deadline.
Assign yourself chunks of time to reach certain milestones, as this breaks down the big daunting task and provides extra motivation every time you tick off one of the relatively easy mini-tasks.
Let's say it's 9am and your essay is due first thing tomorrow morning. If you're wondering how to write essays faster, here's a feasible 14-hour timeline that you can follow (remember this is just a brief summary of each stage – we go into more detail below):
- 9am – 9.30am: Choose your essay question and decide on your overall argument
- 9.30am – 11am: Write a plan and outline of your essay (breaking it into mini-essays)
- 11am – 11.45am: Flesh out your introduction
- 11.45am – 1pm: Research quotes and references to back up your arguments
- 1pm – 1.45pm: Lunch break
- 1.45pm – 6pm: Write the body of the essay
- 6pm – 6.45pm: Dinner break
- 6.45pm – 10.30pm: Edit, improve and meet the word count
- 10.30pm – 11pm: Print (if needed) and get everything ready for the morning.
Remember to schedule in a few short 10-minute breaks (one every 45–60 minutes or so should do the trick). Giving your brain a rest is key to keeping your overall productivity levels up, and stretching or doing some brief exercises will also help.
Choosing a question and planning your essay
Choosing an essay question and how to answer it
Time: 9am – 9.30am
If you've been given a choice of essay questions, you should choose the one you have the most knowledge about, or have some strong opinions on.
After all, this isn't the time to learn a new topic from scratch – no matter how much easier the question seems, 24 hours isn't long enough to learn anything in detail.
What's more, questions that seem easy at first glance are often the hardest of all.
The very fact that they're short and worded in a very straightforward way means you're probably expected to construct a much more original and complex essay to respond to it
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