How to be a confident academic writer in 4 steps ✏️

Do you struggle with academic writing in college? If so, this is common. Academic writing is dense and uses high level, infrequently used words.

Indeed, many college freshmen are surprised at how low their grades for writing assignments are. For those used to high marks in high school, this can be especially shocking. 

The good news: you can learn how to be a confident academic writer in just 4 short steps!

Like any skill, it’s always helpful to learn directly from the masters. This means immersing yourself in the world of academic literature. 

As a college student, you likely have required readings. Do these as best as you can. The more you read the work of skilled academic writers, the more you'll learn the style and organization of their writing. You’ll also expand your vocabulary.

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You should also do a little extra reading. Often, professors will include “optional” readings with their courses. While most students ignore these, be the one to actually read them.

This will expose you to more academic writing and provide a deeper knowledge of your field, which can set you apart from your peers.

After completing all required and optional readings, read even more. Take advantage of your institution’s library. As a student, you can access an enormous collection of academic works, including online journal articles.

This part can be uncomfortable. The next time you write an essay for school, ask for feedback from your professor or instructor. Let them know that you're looking for constructive criticism with the goal of improving your academic writing.

Consider specifying which aspects of your writing you’d like examined. For example:

• Academic style

• Essay organization

• Coherence (understandability)

• Cohesion (idea flow)

• Research and citations

Importantly, stay calm and be open to the feedback. Separate yourself from your writing so that criticism is not taken personally. Remember, your goal is to learn and improve — you can only do so with honest feedback from an expert.

Did you know that generative AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, can help you improve your academic writing? 

Generative AI doesn't always have to harm students’ learning. It can also help improve your skills by acting as a tutor. 

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Use a prompt like this:

“I am a college freshman looking to improve my academic writing. Pretend you are my tutor. Based on the following sample of my writing, what advice would you give me?” End by copying and pasting part of one of your essays.

Write prompts that:

• Are clear, specific, and concise

• Tell the AI its role

• Tell the AI what you don't want it to do (ex. don't comment on my citation formatting)

• Give the AI examples of what to do

After reading more, receiving teacher feedback, and using an AI tutor, it’s time to get to work! The only way to improve your academic writing is to actually write.

Complete all of your school essays, but don’t stop there. In order to improve, practice your academic writing outside of school.

Try writing an essay on a topic you love — for example, your favorite sport or video game. Remember, your academic writing should include:

• An introduction section

• A main argument

• Paragraphs that relate to the main argument

• Research that is paraphrased and cited

• A conclusion section

Learn how to be a confident academic writer today!