I hate writing academic papers
I look in every different direction to avoid writing academic essays and papers. I procrastinate until the last possible minute, avoid research, and consider every avenue to not have to do them. I hate researching topics I am not interested in. I hate making citations. I hate having to argue my case if it's something I care little about. Reading the material required to complete it angers me and depresses me even further.
I have a paper due tomorrow that has been torturing me the past week. It only has to be 5 pages double spaced. Everyone says "you could get this done in like 2-3 hours" but It has been the only thing on my mind for 7 days. I've lost sleep, missed out on great social opportunities, and avoided any exercise every evening I have had to work on this. I consider all avenues to get out of it. Dropping the class. Dropping out of university. Turning it in blank and taking an F. Turning in my case in my own words and opinions off the cuff without references. Trashing my computer. Quitting my job and leaving town. Killing myself. I keep imagining the gun in my hand and pulling the trigger and feeling peace.
I don't hate all writing. I like creative writing. I don't mind the online discussion board posts that the professor makes us do, because I feel unrestricted. But I'd take 30 consecutive exams over writing a single paper.
the worst part is having no interest then trying to make it sound like you’re interested
I relate to this so much. I fucking hate research papers and essays.
All the restrictions on it is what I hate. It's so filtered and altered from what I want to say it doesn't even feel like my writing
Do you mind sharing what the paper is supposed to be about?
bruh you put this into words I can relate to but I recommend starting very small towards completing your paper. For example you can read the assignment, look for 1 source etc..
writing papers I dont care for is like hell on earth for me. But I gotta get it done
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If you Hate Writing Papers or Essays, Here’s what to Do
Hate Writing Papers or Essays
It is very common for students to hate writing papers and even avoid writing college essays. Some students perceive writing as a laborious task that takes a lot of time to complete.
For a student to write a complete paper, they must first understand the various components of writing, making the whole process difficult.
I have been there when I was a student. I used to hate writing essays. However, I am now a seasoned writer and do offer academic writing services here at Grade Bees, which you can hire if you need it. However, I will teach you how to handle the problem and practice what I did to become a good writer.
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What to do if you Hate Writing College Papers
As noted, some students hate writing papers because of the process and the time used to complete them. Since writing papers is inevitable for students, there are some things you can do if you hate writing papers.
If you hate writing papers or college essays, you can hire writers to do it. The other best approach is to plan your work, write informally, try using pen and paper first, creating your own deadlines, and avoid distractions that take you away.
1. Use Informal Language
One of the things you can do if you hate writing papers is to use informal language. What this means is that you should write the same way you talk. Do not try forcing yourself to write using a formal communication style that you are not used to.
This will make you hate the writing process even more. Once you are done with putting words into a page, you can formalize the language as you proofread and edit your paper.
Another tip is to record yourself talking about the contents of your paper and then write a transcript based on what you have said.
2. Start writing with a Pen and Paper
Another thing you can do if you hate writing papers is to start with pen and paper. You can write your work on paper and later type what you have written by hand.
The good thing about starting with pen and paper is that it allows your thoughts to flow freely.
This is because writing using a computer makes the process feel official hence creating a tense atmosphere. You will feel at ease when using pen and paper.
3. Create your own Deadlines
You can also create an artificial deadline if you hate writing papers. There is a tendency for students to procrastinate until the due date reaches.
It is best to create artificial deadlines by which you will be tackling your paper in parts. You can set a timer whereby you will have to complete a paragraph or a subtopic within the allocated time.
When the designated time is over, you can give yourself a break and continue later. Try to write something even when it is not perfect.
4. Plan in Advance
Planning in advance can also help if you hate writing papers. For example, if you are required to come up with a formal paper, it is best to create an outline before you write.
Just imagine staring at a blank screen that you will have to populate with, let’s say, 5 pages of content.
5. Create an outline
Creating a comprehensive outline for the different sections of your paper will help you know exactly what to do and what will follow next. Let the outline be your starting point.
6. Avoid social media
Another thing you can do if you hate writing papers is getting rid of anything that distracts you, especially social media and the internet.
While the internet is a valuable source of research for papers, it can also divide your attention. When writing, stick to the internet sources that provide content for your paper and avoid wandering into other websites.
It is also important to avoid visiting social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Instagram while writing your papers. Also, silence your phone to avoid further distractions.
7. Start with the End in Mind
Finally, do not start at the beginning if you hate writing papers. Though your paper should be structured in such a way that it begins with an introduction, followed by body paragraphs, and finally a conclusion, there is no rule that you should begin with an introduction while writing.
You can start with the body paragraphs followed by an introduction. However, do not start with a conclusion.
Ghostwriting Service for College Research Papers and Essays
Why Students Hate Writing Papers and Essays
When a student says that ‘I hate writing,’ he or she means that they are not motivated and are negative about the writing process . Well, there are several reasons why students hate writing essays. Let us explore each of these in detail.
Writing Papers is uncomfortable
One of the reasons is that students may feel uncomfortable while writing. The writing process that includes reading, researching, typing, creating citations and references, formatting, editing, and proofreading can be taxing to students.
Students who lack the proper writing skills will find the process uncomfortable and therefore hate it.
The second reason why students hate writing essays is that they lack proper spelling and grammar skills.
Students’ writing skills are put to test when they are instructed to write essays and they may be afraid to look bad if they possess weak spelling and grammar skills.
They are afraid to look stupid thus the reason they may hate writing essays.
However, the good thing is that writing programs such as MS word and online editing platforms such as Grammarly can help students correct their spelling and grammar.
Do not see the Purpose of writing papers
Another reason why students hate writing essays is that they do not see the need to write. This especially applies to students who are pursuing technical subjects such as mathematics, chemistry, and so on.
They perceive writing as irrelevant to their career paths. Students pursuing subjects that require writing essays may end up loving writing.
However, those dealing with statistics, data, or numbers may find writing unnecessary and therefore decide that they hate it.
Some topics are irrelevant
Another reason why students hate writing essays is that some essay topics may feel irrelevant. Most essay topics given to students may be boring and completely irrelevant to students’ day to day lives. Again, those topics may deviate from the topics or issues that students love and can relate to.
Students view writing as Subjective
Students hate writing essays because it is subjective. There are no right or wrong answers. Students have to present arguments and support them in writing.
It is up to the instructor to decide which paper presents the best argument. Finally, the editing and revising process is boring and repetitious. This attitude of viewing writing as a subjective task makes students hate writing essays.
Why I Hate Writing College Essays
One of the reasons why I hate writing papers is that I have a hard time starting the whole writing process. This especially applies to papers that are long or they require a lot of background information and content.
This is very overwhelming. When it comes to actual writing, I find it difficult to organize my thoughts and utilize writing mechanisms. In fact, I prefer to use legal ghostwriting services , which in reality leaves me with more time to do my chores.
A good paper should be organized in such a way that the reader understands what the writer is trying to communicate. Organizing a paper to appeal to the reader is difficult hence the reason why I hate writing papers.
Another reason why I hate writing papers is finding the most appropriate words to express myself. This is a slow process that requires much thought and practice.
At times, I may be stuck trying to find the right words or phrases to communicate my thoughts. This brings in the issue of developing ideas. I find ideation to be a very difficult process.
At the same time, keeping track of those ideas is a struggle. I might forget some ideas while writing. I realized that the best remedy to that is to create an outline of the different ideas to avoid forgetting them.
How to Love Writing College Essays
Now that we have discussed what to do if you hate writing papers, let us explore how to love writing papers. As noted, writing papers is inevitable for students because writing papers is part of the curriculum. The following are some strategies you can utilize to help you love writing papers.
One of the strategies to help you love writing papers is to ensure that you do not worry about other things during the writing process.
When you begin writing, it is imperative to clear your mind and focus on your writing objectives and goals.
To achieve this, you should sit silently and meditate about the paper for a few minutes. Ensure that whatever you think about and do is centered on the topic at hand.
The next strategy you can utilize to help you love writing papers is to discover the style of writing you love and the topics that interest you.
However, the topics administered to write about may not be in line with the topics you love. In such cases, you should stick to the writing style you love.
If, for instance, your instructor has given you several topics to choose from, select the topic containing the areas and genres you love.
Various writing formats are used in writing papers. Select the format you are most comfortable with and one that you love to avoid boredom. You can learn how to select research topics and know how to pick the one that interests you and has content.
Another method to help you love writing papers is to come up with a reward system when you achieve your writing goals. For example, if you are required to submit a 10-page paper within a week, you can decide to divide the task as per the deadline.
You can decide to write 2 pages every day. If you achieve the goal of writing the two pages, reward yourself. The reward does not have to be something big.
It can be, for example, taking a walk, laying down, taking your favorite snack or drink, and so on. By doing so, you will subconsciously connect writing with something you look forward to and love.
The next strategy you can use to help you love writing papers is to put on the music of your choice while writing. This especially applies to students who prefer some background music while performing other tasks.
Your favorite music can help put you in the correct mindset and even act as an inspiration to your thought process. However, you should avoid loud or distracting music.
To sum up, it is undeniable that writing papers and essays are sometimes a pain in the ass for some students. Writing essays presents a job that requires writing competencies and skills.
Because of this, students tend to have and even avoid the writing process. Since writing is inevitable for students, it is important to embrace it and find ways to love it. If you still cannot like it, think of ways to escape doing your homework and still manage to ear the grade.
Jessica Kasen is experienced in academic writing and academic assistance. She is well versed in academia and has a master’s degree in education. Kasen consults with us in helping students improve their grades. She also oversights the quality of work done by our writers.
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How to Write a Killer Research Paper (Even If You Hate Writing)
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Research papers.
Unless you’re a weirdo like me, you probably dread them. When I was in college, depending on the class, I even dreaded these.
It’s the sort of project that can leave even the most organized student quaking in their boots, staring at the assignment like they’re Luke Skywalker and it’s the Death Star.
You have to pick a broad topic, do some in-depth research, hone in on a research question, and then present your answer to that question in an interesting way. Oh, and you have to use citations, too.
How on earth are you supposed to tackle this thing?
Fear not, for even the Death Star had weaknesses. With a well-devised plan, some courage, and maybe a little help from a few midichlorians, you can conquer your research paper, too.
Let’s get started.
1. Pick a Topic
And pick one that interests you. This is not up for debate.
You and this topic are going to be spending a lot of time together, so you might as well pick something you like, or, at the very least, have a vague interest in. Even if you hate the class, there’s probably at least one topic that you’re curious about.
Maybe you want to write about “mental health in high schools” for your paper in your education class. That’s a good start, but take a couple steps to hone your idea a little further so you have an idea of what to research. Here’s a couple of factors to look at when you want to get more specific:
- Timeframe : What are the most important mental health issues for high schoolers that have come up in the last five years?
- Location : How does the mental health of students in your area compare to students in the next state (or country) over?
- Culture or Group : How does the mental health of inner-city students compare to those in the suburbs or places like Silicon Valley?
- Solution : If schools were to make one change to high schools to improve the well-being of their students, what would be most effective, and why?
It’s good to be clear about what you’re researching, but make sure you don’t box yourself into a corner. Try to avoid being too local (if the area is a small town, for example), or too recent, as there may not be enough research conducted to support an entire paper on the subject.
Also, avoid super analytical or technical topics that you think you’ll have a hard time writing about (unless that’s the assignment…then jump right into all the technicalities you want).
You’ll probably need to do some background research and possibly brainstorm with your professor before you can identify a topic that’s specialized enough for your paper.
At the very least, skim the Encyclopedia Britannica section on your general area of interest. Your professor is another resource: use them! They’re probably more than happy to point you in the direction of a possible research topic.
Of course, this is going to be highly dependent on your class and the criteria set forth by your professor, so make sure you read your assignment and understand what it’s asking for. If you feel the assignment is unclear, don’t go any further without talking to your professor about it.
2. Create a Clear Thesis Statement
Say it with me: a research paper without a thesis question or statement is just a fancy book report.
All research papers fall under three general categories: analytical, expository, or argumentative.
- Analytical papers present an analysis of information (effects of stress on the human brain)
- Expository papers seek to explain something (Julius Caesar’s rise to power)
- Argumentative papers are trying to prove a point (Dumbledore shouldn’t be running a school for children).
So figure out what sort of paper you’d like to write, and then come up with a viable thesis statement or question.
Maybe it starts out looking like this:
- Julius Caesar’s rise to power was affected by three major factors.
Ok, not bad. You could probably write a paper based on this. But it’s not great , either. It’s not specific, neither is it arguable . You’re not really entering any sort of discussion.
Maybe you rework it a little to be more specific and you get:
- Julius Caesar’s quick rise to power was a direct result of a power vacuum and social instability created by years of war and internal political corruption.
Better. Now you can actually think about researching it.
Every good thesis statement has three important qualities: it’s focused , it picks a side , and it can be backed up with research .
If you’re missing any of these qualities, you’re gonna have a bad time. Avoid vague modifier words like “positive” and “negative.” Instead use precise, strong language to formulate your argument.
Take this thesis statement for example:
- “ High schools should stop assigning so much homework, because it has a negative impact on students’ lives.”
Sure, it’s arguable…but only sort of . It’s pretty vague. We don’t really know what is meant by “negative”, other than “generically bad”. Before you get into the research, you have to define your argument a little more.
Revised Version:
- “ High schools in the United States should assign less homework, as lower workloads improve students’ sleep, stress levels, and, surprisingly, their grades.”
When in doubt, always look at your thesis and ask, “Is this arguable?” Is there something you need to prove ? If not, then your thesis probably isn’t strong enough. If yes, then as long as you can actually prove it with your research, you’re golden.
Good thesis statements give you a clear goal. You know exactly what you’re looking for, and you know exactly where you’re going with the paper. Try to be as specific and clear as possible. That makes the next step a lot easier:
3. Hit the Books
So you have your thesis, you know what you’re looking for. It’s time to actually go out and do some real research. By real research, I mean more than a quick internet search or a quick skim through some weak secondary or tertiary sources.
If you’ve chosen a thesis you’re a little unsteady on, a preliminary skim through Google is fine, but make sure you go the extra mile. Some professors will even have a list of required resources (e.g. “Three academic articles, two books, one interview…etc).
It’s a good idea to start by heading to the library and asking your local librarian for help (they’re usually so excited to help you find things!).
Check your school library for research papers and books on the topic. Look for primary sources, such as journals, personal records, or contemporary newspaper articles when you can find them.
As you’re starting your research, create some kind of system for filing helpful quotes, links, and other sources. I preferred it to all be on one text document on my computer, but you could try a physical file, too.
In this text document, I start compiling a list of all the sources I’m using. It tends to look like this:
Remember that at this point, your thesis isn’t solid. It’s still in a semi-squishy state. If your research starts to strongly contradict your thesis, then come up with a new thesis, revise, and keep on compiling quotes.
The more support you can find, the better. Depending on how long your paper is, you should have 3-10 different sources, with all sorts of quotes between them.
Here are some good places to look for reputable sources:
- Google Scholar
- Sites ending in .edu, .org, or .gov. While it’s not a rule, these sites tend to represent organizations, and they are more likely to be reputable than your run-of-the-mill .com sites
- Your school library. It should have a section for articles and newspapers as well as books
- Your school’s free academic database
- Online encyclopedias like Britannica
- Online almanacs and other databases
As you read, analyze your sources closely, and take good notes . Jot down general observations, questions, and answers to those questions when you find them. Once you have a sizable stack of research notes, it’s time to start organizing your paper.
4. Write an Outline
Even if you normally feel confident writing a paper without one, use an outline when you’re working on a research paper.
Outlines basically do all the heavy lifting for you when it comes to writing. They keep you organized and on track. Even if you feel tempted to just jump in and brain-dump, resist. You’ll thank me later.
Here’s how to structure an outline:
You’ll notice it’s fairly concise, and it has three major parts: the introduction , the body , and the conclusion . Also notice that I haven’t bothered to organize my research too much.
I’ve just dumped all the relevant citations under the headings I think they’ll end up under, so I can put in my quotes from my research document later as they fit into the overall text.
Let’s get a little more in-depth with this:
The Introduction
The introduction is made up of two main parts: the thesis and the introduction to the supporting points. This is where you essentially tell your reader exactly what sort of wild ride they’re in for if they read on.
It’s all about preparing your reader’s mind to start thinking about your argument or question before you even really get started.
Present your thesis and your supporting points clearly and concisely. It should be no longer than a paragraph or two. Keep it simple and easy to read.
Body Paragraphs
Okay, now that you’ve made your point, it’s time to prove it. This is where your body paragraphs come in. The length of this is entirely dependent on the criteria set by your professor, so keep that in mind.
However, as a rule, you should have at least three supporting points to help defend, prove, or explain your thesis. Put your weakest point first, and your strongest point last.
This doesn’t need a lot of outlining. Basically, take your introduction outline and copy it over. Your conclusion should be about a paragraph long, and it should summarize your main points and restate your thesis.
There’s also another key component to this outline example that I haven’t touched on yet:
Research and Annotations
Some people like to write first, and annotate later. Personally, I like to get my quotes and annotations in right at the start of the writing process.
I find the rest of the paper goes more smoothly, and it’s easier to ensure that I’ve compiled enough support for my claim. That way, I don’t go through all the work of writing the paper, only to discover that my thesis doesn’t actually hold any water!
As a general rule, it’s good to have at least 3-5 sources for every supporting point. Whenever you make a claim in your paper, you should support it with evidence.
Some professors are laxer on this, and some are more stringent. Make sure you understand your assignment requirements really, really, really well. You don’t want to get marked down for missing the correct number of sources!
At this stage, you should also be sure of what sort of format your professor is looking for (APA, MLA, etc.) , as this will save you a lot of headache later.
When I was in college, some professors wanted in-text parenthetical citations whenever I made a claim or used my research at all. Others only wanted citations at the end of a paragraph. And others didn’t mind in-text citations at all, so long as you had a bibliography at the end of your entire paper.
So, go through your outline and start inserting your quotes and citations now. Count them up. If you need more, then add them. If you think you have enough (read: your claims are so supported that even Voldemort himself couldn’t scare them), then move on to the next step:
5. Write the First Draft
Time to type this thing up. If you created a strong enough outline, this should be a breeze. Most of it should already be written for you. All you have to do at this point is fill it in. You’ve successfully avoided the initial blank-screen panic .
Don’t worry too much about grammar or prose quality at this point. It’s the rough draft, and it’s not supposed to see the light of day.
I find it helpful to highlight direct quotes, summaries, paraphrases, and claims as I put them in. This helps me ensure that I never forget to cite any of them.
So, do what you’ve gotta do . Go to a studious place or create one , put on an awesome playlist, close your social media apps, and get the work done.
Once you’ve gotten the gist of your paper down, the real work begins:
6. Revise Your Draft
Okay, now that you’ve word-vomited everywhere in a semi-organized fashion, it’s time to start building this thing into a cohesive paper. If you took the time to outline properly, then this part shouldn’t be too difficult.
Every paper has two editing stages:the developmental edit , and the line edit.
The developmental edit (the first one, at least) is for your eyes only. This is the part where you take a long, hard look at your paper and ask yourself, “Does this make sense, and does it accomplish what I want it to accomplish?” If it does, then great. If it doesn’t, then how can you rearrange or change it so that it does?
Here are a few good questions to ask yourself at this stage:
- Is the paper well-organized, and does it have a logical flow of thought from paragraph to paragraph?
- Does your thesis hold up to the three criteria listed earlier? Is it well supported by your research and arguments?
- Have you checked that all your sources are properly cited?
- How repetitive is the paper? Can you get rid of superlative points or language to tighten up your argument?
Once you’ve run the paper through this process at least once, it’s time for the line edit . This is the part where you check for punctuation, spelling, and grammar errors.
It helps to let your paper sit overnight, and then read it out loud to yourself, or the cat, or have a friend read it. Often, our brains know what we “meant” to say, and it’s difficult for us to catch small grammatical or spelling errors.
Here are a couple more final questions to ask yourself before you call it a day:
- Have you avoided filler words , adverbs , and passive voice as much as possible?
- Have you checked for proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation? Spell-checker software is pretty adept these days, but it still isn’t perfect.
If you need help editing your paper, and your regular software just isn’t cutting it, Grammarly is a good app for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Chrome that goes above and beyond your run-of-the-mill spell-checker. It looks for things like sentence structure and length, as well as accidental plagiarism and passive tense.
7. Organize Your Sources
The paper’s written, but it’s not over. You’ve still got to create the very last page: the “works cited” or bibliography page.
Now, this page works a little differently depending on what style your professor has asked you to use, and it can get pretty confusing, as different types of sources are formatted completely differently.
The most important thing to ensure here is that every single source, whether big or small, is on this page before you turn your paper in. If you forget to cite something, or don’t cite it properly, you run the risk of plagiarism.
I got through college by using a couple of different tools to format it for me. Here are some absolute life-savers:
- EasyBib – I literally used this tool all throughout college to format my citations for me, it does all the heavy lifting for you, and it’s free .
- Microsoft Word – I honestly never touched Microsoft Word throughout my college years, but it actually has a tool that will create citations and bibliographies for you, so it’s worth using if you have it on your computer.
Onwards: One Step at a Time
I leave you with this parting advice:
Once you understand the method, research papers really aren’t as difficult as they seem. Sure, there’s a lot to do, but don’t be daunted. Just take it step by step, piece by piece, and give yourself plenty of time. Take frequent breaks, stay organized, and never, ever, ever forget to cite your sources. You can do this!
Looking for tools to make the writing process easier? Check out our list of the best writing apps .
Image Credits: featured
Aug 31, 2020
I’m an Academic who Hates Writing
Pardon me for me a minute but I HATE writing. There I said it. But I don’t really believe it since I also tend to believe that hatred is a secondary emotion . In this case my hatred is really unexamined fear. So let me revise that: I’m absolutely TERRIFIED of writing. It makes me uptight, it’s hard, it takes up significant amounts of the brain’s resources , and it doesn’t always work out the way you want it to — thus opening yourself up to tons of criticism. IT SUCKS. It engenders strong feelings of anxiety in the depth of my soul.
There’s tons to fill us with anxiety and dread at the moment, and I do not want to minimize that. The pandemic sees no signs of slowing. Our original sin of racism and our obsession with violence on black bodies continues to haunt us. As a black man this is an especially traumatic and complicated period to be living through. To top it all off, we’re in the midst of an extremely important, but unusual election.
And yet, I’m still putting writing at the top of my list of things that fill me with anxiety every single day because it is a part of my career — many would say the most important part. For some that’s enough: writing is required at work so write. But writing is not survival to me — yes, my job depends on it — but it’s still not at that food, shelter, clothing, staying black, paying taxes, and dying level of importance. And I cannot trick my brain into thinking it is.
What I have found out in the past year is that I have had a lengthy (three decade long) toxic relationship with writing. I won’t detail the reasons but in listing a couple of them I acknowledge that they are not new or unique. Lots of individuals have faced this and worse:
1. Perfectionism borne out of the fact that I know what good writing looks like and I often have felt mine would fall short.
2. I grew up in a bilingual household but when I moved to NYC at 9, I had to contend with a new language at school. I had never written in English. I naturally took to math and science because those were less language intensive.
3. Fears about length! The longer the papers got at school, the scarier the prospect of writing them became.
Part of the problem is that the scars built up over so many years. One of my main strategies to deal was avoidance, so you can imagine how difficult it is to get your arms around a fear that you’ve been running away from quite successfully for such a long time.
That part about success is quite important as well because my writing phobia (sometimes called graphophobia ) has nothing to do with my lack of success: I’d always gotten good grades on papers and essays. I also didn’t have a monster teacher in the past who told me my writing was horrible. To the contrary I had very encouraging teachers throughout. I became an English major because of my teachers. It was never about them, but rather an irrational fear of rejection or ridicule. Writing feels very vulnerable and it’s something you work hard at, so there is no way to hide from the rejection.
And that’s another tough thing I’ve been dealing with: there’s no one to blame. My parents never discouraged me from writing, and I walked, completely voluntarily, into a life of writing. In college, I had two honors theses and a capstone project to complete before I could graduate. In law school, I took 10 classes that required me to write a long paper (20–30 pages long), and I left 8 of those until my last quarter. In my Masters program, I chose an independent study that required me to write a paper, and found it next to impossible to write. There’s a strange masochism to this. (Here it makes me feel better that someone as accomplished as Andre Agassi hated the thing at the center of his livelihood for most of his career).
At the law firm there was writing (and fake deadlines). And when I was finally at a government job that did not require a lot of lengthy writing, I left it for my dream job: academia. Let me explain. People’s dreams are different, and my dream was never that everyone would be reading my papers (I thought it unlikely since most people stay away from academic writing). The dream was to be in front of the class leading the discussion and having an impact on student’s lives. That doesn’t mean I didn’t know what I signed up for. Believe you me, EVERYONE told me this was a writing job. (No one to blame).
And yet hope springs eternal and one expects that things will change without deep examination. I figured the ideas would take me through. And I really do love ideas and immersing myself into new subjects. I also thought the atmosphere would get my writing juices flowing. Everyone (well not everyone) around me was writing. If nothing else I felt that my internal motivation, my fear of looking bad, and the prospect of tenure denial would keep me honest.
I can now testify that if you’re scared enough of something and your brain is determined enough, you can avoid it. The momentum that I gained from my first published paper was zapped by my mother’s illness and death. Any productivity gains that I was hoping for at the beginning of my tenure track career had to be placed on hold for something far more important: taking care of my father (zero regrets). Oh, and even after my father died and I finally got something going with my writing, microaggressions and a toxic work environment (something that played out over the course of 3 years) kept me from putting my writing first.
Turning the Page
But I wouldn’t be writing about this if I was still stuck. I’m actually in the midst of a very scary/uneasy experiment. I’m taking on all of my baggage and making a new future happen. Here I get to step into a space of gratitude. One does not get to work on higher order concerns like writing unless the basics are taken care of. After a lengthy process I was able to escape my dysfunctional work situation. Three years after my father’s death I’m feeling stronger. It also helps that I’m over 40 now, and I do not care nearly as much about being embarrassed.
A lot of my newfound confidence came from an unexpected place: Twitter.
Without meaning to I became much more active on Twitter in 2019. I have learned a couple things from the experience: (1) Tweeting IS writing, (2) I have no problem tweeting long threads, and thus have no problem with writing itself, (3) You need rewards and motivation to keep writing. It’s amazing that something as simple as a like and some social interaction can make a difference, and (4) Twitter breaks things up into manageable units that I can wrap my head around.
All of the necessary conditions have come together for me to finally try to form a new, healthy relationship with my writing. Remember that early 2000s show, Fear Factor , where contestants would eat disgusting things, etc.? That’s me right now. I’m currently in search of two things that are beneficial in the way that horrible tasting medicine are good for you: structure and accountability. My university is paying several thousand dollars for me to go to school again . I’m in a writing bootcamp. And no professor should feel any shame about doing the same. Most of us are not trained to write, to teach, or to manage organizations: three things required for the job that we’re just expected to be really smart and figure out. But many of us have sat through enough terribly taught university classes to know that figuring it out does not always work and is often not advisable.
I’ve only completed one week of the boot camp and I’m loving it and despising it all at the same time. This program is coming for my fears in every way. I keep joking that I feel very attacked. This week I’m doing a strategic plan. We have to write down our goals, break them down into tasks, and (gasp!) put them on our calendars. For normal people this sounds like nothing. For those of us terrified of writing this makes our stomachs churn.
But I’m doing it. I’m trusting this process that has worked for many others. Putting me in class is always a good idea because I can’t help but to try to be a good student. I think it’s smart for institutions to remember that a lot of academics love learning, and as such should encourage more training and development. I’m open and willing and currently I’m in the right environment. My new department has assigned me no teaching or service duties this semester: they’re really letting me do this. Resources are being spent on me. I’m a priority. Everyone is excited to have me along. That’s huge for a minority in academia .
We should consider just how culturally informed our learning systems are. Researchers have shown how US higher education is dominated by a very individualistic German model. One of the reasons I have always been very successful at school is because that model agreed with me. I work well alone, and I know what it takes to please teachers. However, the overwhelming focus on one model is harmful to students who respond to other ways of learning. There are more collaborative, group-based, and/or student-centered based models that are just as legitimate.
With writing I have found an area of the German model that does not work for me at all. I do not thrive with such a structureless environment. I know there is some overriding structure of having to produce academic articles and submitting them during a certain season, but note how empty that feels compared to something like teaching where you have a syllabus, dates when you have to be there, and students waiting to call you on any mistakes. It is also solitary in the worst way: I love alone time to write but ideas are meant to be discussed and enjoyed.
The next twelve weeks are just about implementing that structure and working in an environment where I can thrive. I’ve doubled up on structure and accountability this Fall. I am also in a faculty writing group this semester . This is based on a soft accountability model where faculty agree to be present and to participate fully, but we do not review each other’s work. We’re writing among friends. From the testimonials, it has been transformative on the IU Bloomington campus.
And so I continue along on this very scary but exciting journey:
1. I write everyday now.
2. I have a to do list.
3. I’ve broken down my writing process into smaller chunks.
4. I have calculated just how much time I should give myself to write an academic article (a lot more time than I was giving myself before).
5. I give myself treats each day.
6. I’m making this into a toothbrushing habit part of my life. The kind of I-don’t-want-to-do-it-right-now-but-it’s-a-habit kind of activity that is not anxiety inducing.
I’ll be writing more about this journey and my thoughts on how it’s progressing in coming weeks. I would love to have some of you share your experiences. Do you have writing anxiety stories? Have you found some particular strategies helpful? Are there other fears you’re facing during these difficult times? Please share them in the comments. I feel extremely vulnerable writing this, but it will be worth it if it helps others.
More from Goldburn P. Maynard Jr.
I’m a professor of business law & ethics. I teach ethics and I research wealth inequality and taxation. I’m also very interested in matters of race and gender.
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5 Reasons for a Student Not to Hate Writing Research Papers
You’ve heard it many times: “Wait till you start working. You will know what it is to have no time for partying”, “High school/college/university is the best time of your life!” The high pitched voices echoing in our tired head. Red faces, or worse: those smirk smiles, you want to wipe out using a chalky blackboard wiper. They have no clue. In reality, a student’s life is hectic and demanding. And then, it’s paper time…
Why students hate writing papers
Once you get the hang of it, you will open your eyes to the fun of writing. Come again? Fun? Sure, everybody loves doing something they’re good at. Because you are in control. Let’s say you have two right hands when it comes to playing your favorite game. You sweep through the levels.
An important element of writing is reading. So, keep reading because there are…
Grammarly checks grammar, spelling, punctuation, word choice, and style. Hemingway bores you to death with his dragged out stories about hunting elephants. Joking. Why is this editor called Hemingway? Because our hero was a master in writing short sentences.
We can keep this brief. Becoming a good writer who enjoys writing is very feasible. As a bonus – we may call it the 6 th reason – an emergency plan is available. If you can afford to hire a professional academic writer, by all means, pay a little money. You will get a written essay tailored to your guidelines.
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What to do if you dislike writing research or academic papers.
BY DAVID GUTIERREZ
Unfortunately, even if you hate writing academic papers more than anything else in the world, you still have to do it if you want to graduate successfully. However, it is possible to alter one’s attitude towards something – often to a greater degree than you may believe. Here are some techniques that can make writing your next academic assignment bearable, if not outright pleasant.
1. Take breaks
Taking regular breaks is important in any kind of work, and writing is no exception. Divide your assignment into a number of reasonably small parts and promise yourself to take a break after you successfully complete each of them. Both the parts and the breaks may be as large or small as it is useful for your situation. For example, if you write an essay, you can take 5-minute breaks every 200 words. If you write something more substantial, both the parts and the breaks can be larger. Do something pleasant in the course of your breaks – this will motivate you to complete each part faster.
2. Eliminate distractions
When you do something you hate, every potential distraction is twice as enticing as it usually is. This means that if you are surrounded by distractions while you write your academic paper, you are likely to get distracted all the time. To prevent this, single out the things that are likely to attract your attention as you work and remove them from you. If it is structure and general layout of the paper that give you trouble, consider custom term papers for sale. Block distracting websites using Leechblock or RescueTime, turn off notifications, switch off your smartphone, block out the external noises by some music in your earphones.
3. Find a writing place that works for you
If you do something you hate, you should at least do it somewhere you feel comfortable. Where it exactly depends on your preferences: some like to work at home, others prefer a nice café; still others find it inspiring to work in the park. Take your pick.
4. Don’t try to write like somebody else
One of the reasons why you may hate writing is because you believe that you shouldn’t write in your own voice. You think you need to imitate either someone else or to write in an affected manner that has little in common with your own way of thinking and writing. Most likely, you are wrong, and your writing will only be improved if you choose to follow your heart and write the way you like.
5. Practice
Another reason why students hate writing academic assignments is that they are not very good at writing. The reverse is true as well – once you learn how to write more or less well, you start feeling pleasure doing it. Do a bit of practice writing assignments of the type you have to write most often. Who knows? Perhaps, it will grow on you.
6. Don’t be perfectionistic
Perfectionism is equally deadly both for enjoyment received from writing and the results achieved. Don’t try to make every sentence perfect – it is impossible. Write reasonably well, don’t go crazy correcting what you’ve already written because you will never finish doing it.
Learning to love writing is hard and long work, and we don’t claim that everybody is capable of doing it at first attempt. But making writing pleasant is achievable – and you can do it.
David Gutierrez has worked in the field of web design since 2005. Right now he started learning Java in order to get second occupation. His professional interests defined major topics of his articles. David writes about new web design software, recently discovered professional tricks and also monitors the latest updates of the web development.
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Reasons Students Hate Writing Essays or Term Papers
Three term papers due tomorrow with three major tests from three of the classes as well as a long math assignment. What should a student do ? This problem while in exaggeration often happens to students. It is like all the teachers decide to overwhelm the students in their classes with not only tests on the same day but also term papers, essays, or other writing assignments. This is the reason most students hate writing term papers or other types of writing. Other reasons for disliking writing assignments are poor English classes in high school, often instructors fail to explain different writing styles, unsure of topics to write, and instructors fail to read the writing assignments.
While students hate writing essays and term papers when there are several due at the same time sometimes it is a matter of timing and preparation. If the syllabus tells when different term papers are due, then begin preparing as early as possible. When more than one instructors assign term papers that will be due at the same time, try talking to the instructors and asking for different due dates will help. Many instructors do not purposely assign term papers to be due on the same day. Talking to them can often make a difference. Try preparing for term papers as far ahead as possible. For instance, begin research several days before it is due. Begin writing note cards a couple of weeks before the term paper is due .
Often high school English classes fail to explain the tasks involved in writing successful research papers, term papers, or essays. Often students fail or make low grades on these high school English papers and the students develop hatred toward any type of writing assignments. Many high school teachers assign writing assignments for every chapter of their text. Boredom leads to hate. While nothing can be done to change high school or college teachers, instruction on how to write successful term papers and essays does help. The first step to a great term paper is a hook with an interesting anecdote, statistic, or fact. The next steps are similar to any five-paragraph essay of introduction, body, and conclusion. Check the Internet for more directions on how to custom write a great essay.
Many instructors do not thoroughly explain the different styles of writing. APA, MLA, or other styles are usually explained on the Internet. Many successful sample or custom papers are available free of charge on the Internet. Explanations of these take the fear out of the writing of essays.
Students often lack self-confidence in their writing abilities or they do not know how to pick a topic. Brainstorming will help in finding interesting topics. Write down everything you know about a topic . Use this to select and write about a topic. The best way to gain self-confidence is to practice writing essays and then have someone proofread it for you.
Students often feel writing custom term papers or essays are a waste of valuable time. The reason they feel this way may be for two reasons: first, they know the teacher will not read the essay or they know the teacher will not give them feedback about the essay. This makes the student angry and causes them to hate essays. Discuss your feelings with your instructor and ask if he/she cannot tell you what they liked or disliked about the essay. Sometimes teachers do not feel they have the time but if they know a student wants the information they might take a little more time reading and giving feedback. Secondly, sometimes the grade on an essay seems unfair. Talk to the instructor about how the essay was graded.
Students dislike writing term papers, essays, or other writing assignments for a number of valid reasons. Knowing why the student hates writing term papers, research papers, or essays is often the first step in correcting problems to help the student become more equip in writing assignments . Often time is a key reason students hate writing term papers, essays, or writing assignments. Begin preparation as early as possible on any writing assignment.
Homework Writing Torture
Students have hated homework for as long as there has been such a thing. From their viewpoint, no other population group is forced to work all day and then again for nearly all of the rest of their waking hours. They are also quite aware that most of what passes for homework is merely busywork that has little or no value to them. Dry as dust and virtually useless, homework sits in the backpacks of students everywhere, just waiting to insult their intelligence and waste the precious few hours of the best years of their lives.
In general, students are painfully correct in their belief that homework, as it now exists, puts them in a captive, tortured class of people. However, it must also be remembered that students are, for the most part, minors or very young adults. Their language is peppered with absolutes, such as always and never, and, because of their youth and inexperience, they have no frame of reference for "this too shall pass." Parents and teachers must deal with the realities of life for students. Even if the student is older and returning to school, it must be remembered that they have family, community, and employment responsibilities during their hours away from school. Finding a way to structure homework so that it not only fits into a productive life, but also adds value to the lives of everyone it affects.
Students are not the only ones who hate homework. Their parents hate it too. The constant stress of trying to find a way to force students to get their homework done can, and often does, do a significant level of damage to the fabric of the family itself. No one wants to be a jailer, and no one volunteers to be a prisoner. There is nothing worse than turning every dinner hour and weekend into a contest to put as much pressure on students as possible without breaking their spirits completely. The situation is even worse if there has been a divorce and parenting attitudes toward homework are not consistent.
This brings us to the topic of the quality of homework. The stuff of nightmares is copying questions from the textbook, then skimming for the answer and copying that as well. This sort of thing goes on from elementary school right on through college. It infuriates students and is the quickest way to send them to someone, anyone, who will do it for them - for free or for money. A much better tack would be for teachers to take advantage of academic themed computer graphics and game programs for younger children and "Write me the story of..." for older students. For example, high school and college students could be asked to "Write the real story of Helen of Troy, including all of the soap-opera themes running through it." A great homework assignment would be to ask students to find the best online resource for teaching any particular topic, including mathematics and the sciences. Students would love it and would be far more likely to find real meaning in their homework.
If homework is supposed to be an enhancement of what was discussed in class, then the activities described above fill that bill perfectly. To continue with homework as it has traditionally been used is to condone the very reasons students ultimately give up and turn away from higher education. With the recent growth of academic resources on the Internet, there is no excuse for teachers, parents, and students not taking full advantage of the opportunity to have a great time with exciting and relevant homework assignments.
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The End of the College Essay
llustration by Robert Neubecker
E verybody in college hates papers. Students hate writing them so much that they buy , borrow , or steal them instead. Plagiarism is now so commonplace that if we flunked every kid who did it, we’d have a worse attrition rate than a MOOC . And on those rare occasions undergrads do deign to compose their own essays, said exegetic masterpieces usually take them all of half an hour at 4 a.m. to write, and consist accordingly of “arguments” that are at best tangentially related to the coursework, font-manipulated to meet the minimum required page-count. Oh, “attitudes about cultures have changed over time”? I’m so glad you let me know.
Nobody hates writing papers as much as college instructors hate grading papers (and no, having a robot do it is not the answer). Students of the world: You think it wastes 45 minutes of your sexting time to pluck out three quotes from The Sun Also Rises , summarize the same four plot points 50 times until you hit Page 5, and then crap out a two-sentence conclusion? It wastes 15 hours of my time to mark up my students’ flaccid theses and non sequitur textual “evidence,” not to mention abuse of the comma that should be punishable by some sort of law—all so that you can take a cursory glance at the grade and then chuck the paper forever.
What’s more, if your average college-goer does manage to read through her professor’s comments, she will likely view them as a grievous insult to her entire person, abject proof of how this cruel, unfeeling instructor hates her . That sliver of the student population that actually reads comments and wants to discuss them? They’re kids whose papers are good to begin with, and often obsessed with their GPAs. I guarantee you that every professor you know has given an A to a B paper just to keep a grade-grubber off her junk. (Not talking to you, current students! You’re all magnificent, and going to be president someday. Please do not email me.)
When I was growing up, my mother—who, like me, was a “ contingent ” professor—would sequester herself for days to grade, emerging Medusa-haired and demanding of sympathy. But the older I got, the more that sympathy dissipated: “If you hate grading papers so much,” I’d say, “there’s an easy solution for that.” My mother, not to be trifled with when righteously indignant (that favored state of the professoriate), would snap: “It’s an English class . I can’t not assign papers .”
Mom, friends, educators, students: We don’t have to assign papers, and we should stop. We need to admit that the required-course college essay is a failure. The baccalaureate is the new high-school diploma : abjectly necessary for any decent job in the cosmos. As such, students (and their parents) view college as professional training , an unpleasant necessity en route to that all-important “ piece of paper .” Today’s vocationally minded students view World Lit 101 as forced labor, an utter waste of their time that deserves neither engagement nor effort. So you know what else is a waste of time? Grading these students’ effing papers . It’s time to declare unconditional defeat.
Most students enter college barely able to string three sentences together—and they leave it that way, too. With protracted effort and a rhapsodically engaged instructor, some may learn to craft a clunky but competent essay somewhere along the way. But who cares? My fellow humanists insist valiantly that (among other more elevated reasons) writing humanities papers leads to the crafting of sharp argumentative skills, and thus a lifetime of success in a number of fields in which we have no relevant experience. But my friends who actually work in such fields assure me that most of their colleagues are borderline-illiterate. After all, Mark Zuckerberg’s pre-Facebook Friendster profile bragged “i don’t read” ( sic ), and look at him.
Of course it would be better for humanity if college in the United States actually required a semblance of adult writing competency. But I have tried everything . I held a workshop dedicated to avoiding vague introductions (“The idea and concept of the duality of sin and righteousness has been at the forefront of our understanding of important concepts since the beginning of time.”) The result was papers that started with two incoherent sentences that had nothing to do with each other. I tried removing the introduction and conclusion altogether, and asking for a three-paragraph miniessay with a specific argument—what I got read like One Direction fan fiction .
The sliver of the student population that actually reads comments and wants to discuss them? They’re kids whose papers are good to begin with, and often obsessed with GPAs.
Photo by Nick White / Thinkstock
I’ve graded drafts and assigned rewrites, and that helps the good students get better, but the bad students, the ones I’m trying to help , just fail to turn in any drafts at all. Meanwhile, I come up for air and realize that with all this extra grading, I’m making 75 cents an hour.
I’m not calling for the end of all papers—just the end of papers in required courses. Some students actually like writing, and let those blessed young souls be English majors, and expound on George Eliot and Virginia Woolf to their hearts’ content, and grow up to become writers, huzzah. But for the common good, leave everyone else out of it.
Instead of essays, required humanities courses (which I support, for all the reasons William Cronon , Martha Nussbaum , and Paulo Freire give) should return to old-school, hardcore exams, written and oral . You cannot bullshit a line-ID. Nor can you get away with only having read one page of the book when your professor is staring you down with a serious question. And best of all, oral exams barely need grading: If you don’t know what you’re talking about, it is immediately and readily manifest (not to mention, it’s profoundly schadenfroh when a student has to look me in the face and admit he’s done no work).
Plus, replacing papers with rigorous, old-school, St. John’s -style tribulations also addresses an issue humanities-haters love to belabor: Paper-grading is so subjective , and paper-writing so easy to fake, that this gives the humanities their unfortunate reputation as imprecise , feelings-centered disciplines where there are “no right answers.” So let’s start requiring some right answers.
Sure, this quashes the shallow pretense of expecting undergraduates to engage in thoughtful analysis, but they have already proven that they will go to any lengths to avoid doing this. Call me a defeatist, but honestly I’d be happy if a plurality of American college students could discern even the skeletal plot of anything they were assigned. With more exams and no papers, they’ll at least have a shot at retaining, just for a short while, the basic facts of some of the greatest stories ever recorded. In that short while, they may even develop the tiniest inkling of what Martha Nussbaum calls “sympathetic imagination”—the cultivation of our own humanity, and something that unfolds when we’re touched by stories of people who are very much unlike us. And that, frankly, is more than any essay will ever do for them.
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COMMENTS
Because it is multi-day, finicky, detail-oriented work, and often a type of work they are not accustomed to. If they have poor grammar and mechanical skills
I look in every different direction to avoid writing academic essays and papers. I procrastinate until the last possible minute
What to do if you Hate Writing College Papers · 1. Use Informal Language · 2. Start writing with a Pen and Paper · 3. Create your own Deadlines · 4.
Research papers. Unless you're a weirdo like me, you probably dread them. When I was in college, depending on the class, I even dreaded these
Pardon me for me a minute but I HATE writing. ... The longer the papers got at school, the scarier the prospect of writing them became.
Plagiarism free and i hate writing research papers. They came out and overtaking, and role as an of brilliance centered low and shortlived hear.
And you will no longer hate writing papers. How about that? As a side-effect, by making good use of the knowledge and skills of professional academic
1. Take breaks · 2. Eliminate distractions · 3. Find a writing place that works for you · 4. Don't try to write like somebody else · 5. Practice · 6.
This essay answers the question why most students do not like writing essays, research papers, or term papers.
Everybody in college hates papers. Students hate writing them so much that they buy, borrow, or steal them instead.