Academic Writing Habits

Found a great idea over here and decided to create a list of useful exercises for those who have to deal with academic writing every day. I mean, most writers who write non-fiction or fiction can allow themselves to rely on inspiration. We, academic writers, cannot. So, how can one get used to daily academic writing?

Tip #1: pick yourself a set of short assignments for a week and get them done. Don’t start with writing course works or thesis papers: you will get bored. Small essays on different topics are exactly what you need. You won’t get tired, because there will be no need to accomplish a tremendous research, and you won’t get bored, because it won’t be necessary to concentrate on the same topic for a long time. Such practice could also be entertaining, if you choose a set of topics you are interested in.

Tip #2: learn to think in a proper way. The easiest way to do it is… to visit a library. So, all you need to do is to come to the library and to choose any scientific field you wish. Go to the section where you can find information on the chosen subject. Pick any book, the cover or the name of which looks interesting to you. Look it through – you don’t have to read it, just take a look in order to realize what topics are described there. Then just pick any topic you like, sit down and try to make a plan for different types of essays on this topic – a plan for an argumentative essay, a research paper or a thesis paper. This exercise will help you cope with academic writing in different scientific fields. It will also allow you to learn the difference between different essay types.

Tip #3: make a list of your most and least favorite topics. Define the directions and topics you would love to explore. If you want to get used to daily academic writing, forget about uninteresting themes at least for a month. Work with the matter you like. It will make your process of adaptation to academic writing easier.