If you’ve been asked to write a really difficult essay, you can probably already feel yourself filling with dread. No one likes to have to do it, and yet your lecturers and teachers keep asking you to do it. The problem is that it can be so hard to concentrate when you have to juggle comprehending the subject, with actually getting something sensible down on paper.

To get you off to a fast start, we’ve put together a whole host of hints and tips that you can use to breeze through your essay in no time at all. Read them, think about them, and then put them all into practice. Your grades will certainly thank you later!

Put away the digital distractions

Too many of us spend far too long on our phones to be doing anything approaching useful with them. They may seem like they’re the fountain of knowledge thanks to Google and Siri, but 99 times out of a 100 they’re just distracting you from the task at hand.

You may have picked it up to check a definition, but before you know it you’re messaging on WhatsApp, and tagging your friends on Facebook. Putting it away is the best thing to do if you want to get that essay out of the way. This means leaving it in separate room where you won’t be tempted to use it. Leaving it in your pocket doesn’t count.

Don’t try and boost your energy levels with sugary drinks

Sugary drinks may perk you up for a few minutes, which is great, but they’ll soon send you crashing back down to earth at twice the speed. You might think that you can just repeat the trick, but this will cause havoc with your concentration levels. Fast changing blood sugar levels will leave you feeling lethargic and worn out; two things that have never been conducive to writing a great essay.

Get some fresh air half way through 

Taking a break is a great idea, but working outside is a bad idea. In the summer months you’ll see hundreds of people on campus working outside, and they all look like they’re having a great time. The problem with this is that they’re having such a great time they’re just not getting anything done.

If you work intensively indoors, and then go for a quick walk when you’re halfway through, you’ll get far more done. The great thing about this approach is that you’ll get a second burst of enthusiasm when you get back to your desk, and you’ll whizz through the other half of the essay.

Start early in the morning when no one is around to bother you

There’s a lot to be said for working when everyone else is sleeping. If you get up early, have a good breakfast, and then get straight down to work you’ll find you get a lot more done. It’s great when you feel like you’ve already achieved something before anyone else is up. It’ll give you the confidence to power ahead and finish the rest before lunch.

Never try and write straight after a big meal

If you leave it too late to start, you’ll get hungry. And when you get hungry you probably like a nice big lunch. If you eat too much you’ll feel lethargic and sleepy at your desk. Certainly not the state you want to be in when it’s time to put pen to paper.

Set yourself milestones, and give yourself rewards

Anyone who decides to Get Academic Help will be told that they need to set themselves milestone, and rewards. Just deciding to write a big essay isn’t specific enough. You need to break it down into manageable goals, and then recognize when you’ve achieved them by rewarding yourself. It’s what will give you the motivation to finish the job.

Can you outline your argument with a flowchart? 

One of the most common problems with a difficult essay, is that you feel like you don’t really know what you’re talking about. This is probably because you haven’t put your ideas into a cohesive structure. Describing your essay in a flow chart is a great way to see how the various threads of your argument fit together. If you’ve never done it before then you might think it’s just making the job ten times longer. What it’s actually doing is outlining the framework which will become your essay…

Draft your subheadings to bring your argument together

This point follows on naturally from the last, and it’s all about structure. Once you have your flowchart, use it to draft your subheadings. These are then the signposts that tell you when, where, and how much to write. It’ll make even the most difficult of essays so much easier to complete.