The semester is drawing to a close, and you realize that you have to complete a term paper for your class. You will have to pull an all-nighter, writing your term paper from scratch, hoping to submit something that resembles quality so that you can get a passing grade.
This is a common occurrence across campuses in the United States and around the world. Students leave assignments to the last minute thinking the sheer force of their will and natural smarts will enable them to produce a quality pieced of written work. It is not by choice this happens, as some students get overwhelmed by the number of assignments in all their classes.
Unfortunately, some professors assign their tasks at the same time, or worse, all due at the same time. A term paper is one of those assignments. Hopefully, your professor was kind enough to assign the task early in the semester, so that you can properly budget your time to complete all your course requirements.
If you have any idea a term paper is required for your course, try to narrow down your topic as soon as possible during the semester. This will give you enough time to conduct all the necessary research, write the paper, and make any alterations or corrections during the proofreading stage of the process. The faster you have an understanding of the number of assignments you need to complete, the better your ability to schedule the time necessary for a particular task.
It is always a good idea to do an outline for your term paper. This will be your guidance as you write the paper throughout the semester. You can write one section, leave it alone for a couple of weeks, and use the outline to get yourself right back into the proper frame of mind. A question is always asked how detailed the outline should be?
That is up to you and your own particular tastes, but the more detailed the better. When you first create the outline, it can be general, with vague concepts and ideas. As you conduct research, you can create more specifics in your outline, giving it greater detail and substance.
If you locate some vital material, you can place it directly into the outline, so as not to forget to include it in your term paper. A detailed outline will keep your mind on track when you are writing. In some cases, when we start to write, we may wander far off topic, wasting valuable and precious time. Your outline can keep your eye on the prize.