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We do not always notice that we plan everything we do in our life: teachers prepare their lessons, surgeons plan their operations, drivers plan their routes, the army plans the battle, and any average person makes plans for the future. Unfortunately, not everything happens as we want. However, a well-planned activity has more chances to succeed than a chaotic set of actions with no certain aim. Therefore, it is a good practice to make students plan their studies, as it presupposes result achievement since a goal without a plan is just a wish!

So, why not start with an essay plan? Paper writing is a weekly assignment for every student and good practice to make them think ahead, considering all possible challenges and unpredictable situations.

How to Write an Essay Plan?

Planning is one of the most important skills of a successful student. When writing a plan, you clearly define a goal you want to achieve and build a step-by-step outline to reach it. Since essay writing is an essential constituent of any educational process, strictly following all the points in your plan may assist in simplification and facilitating the whole process. So, what main steps must each student stick to when planning essay writing?

  1. Define the topic of your essay. This point is rather important as it defines all the issues that must be in your paper. So if you are going to write about challenges and mention them in your topic, you have to indicate all the possible difficulties, not one or two. So, be careful with the topic compliance, and remember that it must reflect the context of your paper but not the separate issues.
  2. Gather the sources and make quick notes. At this stage, collect all the resources you will use in your essay and thoroughly investigate them. Make short notes of the information and facts you want to mention or refer to in your paper. Do not forget to indicate the list of references you used not to do the same work twice.
  3. Brainstorm applying a mind map. Visualization is an effective way to clarify and memorize all the data essential while writing. In making a mind map, you brainstorm not only interesting ideas but also analyze gathered information, its relevance, and informativeness.
  4. Arrange the data. It is the last step in the essay plan before starting writing. At this stage, you have to decide what you will write at the beginning and what will be the last. Do not forget that all the parts must be in a logical order, and try to put the strongest arguments at the beginning and at the end of your paper to engage your reader and leave a positive after-reading impression.
  5. Write topic sentences. Defining the structure, write several strong topic sentences for each part of your essay. Then, develop them into paragraphs with facts, arguments, and outcomes.
  6. Write a short draft. So, start writing your paper. First, begin with a no-pressure draft. Write all the ideas and thoughts that seem relevant and interesting in this case. Do not forget the introductory part and conclusion. Use a mind map and sources prepared before.
  7. Edit your draft. It is the final step, so you must be attentive to all the details, spelling, grammar issues, structure, and format.

Remember that you may edit your essay several times before submission. It is normal to make amendments each time you re-read it. In such a way, you add some bright and fresh ideas. But be careful with too much editing not to spoil it.

What Is an Essay Plan?

The essay plan helps you to organize your thoughts and ideas in a logical order. It is like sorting out what you want and need to include in your essay. Moreover, the well-planned text helps the reader to grasp the main idea from the first lines and be sure of the expert level of the writer.

Remember that the essay assignment may be formulated as a:

So, when making a plan, you should consider it in conclusion. Moreover, do not put in your paper irrelevant information that does not disclose the task and provides additional information only. A good tip is to read the final version of the essay and ask yourself if you have coped with the assignment or asked the question that was presented as a task.

Moreover, do not forget that each work type has a definite structure. Very often, they are similar, but still, all of them must be considered and planned. As a rule, there must be an introduction, body (few paragraphs), and conclusion. Remember not to provide new information as a summing up. Instead, it must be a brief summation of the previously provided data. Mind these when dividing information between paragraphs in your outline.

How to Do an Essay Plan When You Lack Time

Writing a detailed essay plan with strict division and drafts is a rather time-consuming process. Not all the students have an extra hour to outline each writing task they receive. In such a case, they are looking for a shorter way to cope with the assignment with minimal risks and impact on the quality of their writing.

Some helpful tips can save time and give good results:

Remember, you will not receive good results in a hurry or rushing between different ideas. Instead, define the key elements and make a short plan not to let off crucial issues from your essay. Moreover, a calm atmosphere and creative mood assist in creativity. So, do not try to write any paper in a nosy space without a strict outline. It does not lead to success, as a rule.

Moreover, do not be afraid to be self-critical, as we usually learn from our mistakes. Any planning teaches us to think critically and analyze received information. So, even in a hurry, do not hesitate to calm down and re-read the final version with a cool mind.

What Does an Essay Plan Look Like: Ideal Version

So, as was mentioned before, ideal planning is halfway to perfect writing. So, it is better to spend some time considering all the points in your forthcoming paper than get a bad mark or rewrite it several times.

So, what does the perfect essay plan look like?

  1. Study the question and put questions on what you want to get the answer.
  2. Decide on the scope and number of arguments you wish to include.
  3. Write the main parts of your essay and divide the collected information. For instance:

Introduction:

Body:

Conclusion:

  1. List the phrases you need to include in your essay.
  2. Check trustworthy of each fact.
  3. Write drafts and skim them to check the logical presentation of information.
  4. Make a holistic text.
  5. Revise it several times.

Do not forget to be persuasive in your essay and follow one writing style even if you use different sources. Moreover, try to find a good example to prove or illustrate your argument. Try not to repeat the same idea, in other words, several times. In addition, an expert essay contains not only a list of information. Therefore, you must analyze all the facts and give your professional point of view.

Since essay writing is not a strong point for students, they need lots of practice. So, you should not worry that writing a few pages takes some hours and requires preparation. After writing a dozen papers with a good essay plan, you will upgrade your skills and be able to cope with any assignment without a prepared outline since practice makes perfect.