Common Mistakes to Avoid in Essay Writing

[vtorosort]

Last semester, I completely tanked a paper because I misunderstood what "critical analysis" actually meant. I thought I was supposed to just summarize the texts and give a few opinions, but turns out, I barely scratched the surface. The feedback said I wasn't connecting the sources or showing any real argument. Honestly, I just panicked and listed everything I could find. Looking back, that was a classic rookie mistake—but it cost me big time.

[Pelfox]

I used to do the same—just piling up sources without really weaving them together. What helped me shift was learning how to actually synthesize ideas instead of just stacking them. I got a clearer sense of how to do that after going through this guide: https://www.ozessay.com.au/blog/how-to-write-a-literature-review/. It's technically about lit reviews, but a lot of the advice works for essays too. Helped me stop writing like I was just checking boxes.

[augustusxgermanicus]

I feel like one of the biggest problems with essays is when people try to write them all in one go. Like, there's this idea that inspiration will hit and you'll just know what to say. Never worked for me. The best stuff I've written came from breaking it into smaller bits—notes, rough paragraphs, even voice memos. Way less pressure that way. The whole "perfect first draft" thing is a total myth.