How can I write a polished final draft when I feel so pressed for time?

Question

Feeling good about your final draft is important not only for your grade but also for your mental and physical well being. Being up all night the night before a deadline or being crammed inside a library room all day on a Saturday is no fun.

When writing an essay, you want to make sure to take breaks. Get up for water, go to the bathroom, go on walks, or have a conversation with your barista. Taking a break helps you refocus and reimagine your writing task. You are free to do this as much or as little as you need to so that you can get the job done from a clear and focused state of mind.

Work with a buddy who will help you stay on task when you are at your computer. Having an accountability partner, one who is gentle and cheering you on, can help keep you on track. Besides, it's always nice to know there is someone there who knows what you're going through when surviving a challenging task!

Don't go too heavy on the caffeine and choose sleep when you can. Sleep is vital to your brain functioning and you are only going to write that much more soundly when you've had adequate rest.

Finally, hiring a tutor is a great way to make sure you will have time to write not one, but two or more drafts of your essay before handing it in to your teacher or professor. Many people need help even starting a paper, let alone organizing an outline or crafting topic sentences that allow their paper to have flow and coherency throughout itself organizationally. A polished essay also requires pointed introductory and concluding statements that demonstrate a coherent understanding of the topic or topics at hand, as well as grammatically sound writing. Consider hiring a tutor or you need support with any of the above.

Answer 1

The best way to ensure that when you get to the final stages you'll be polishing and not drafting, is to get started early. In other words, it's exceedingly difficult to "write a polished final draft" in one go. You need time! So start early. Jot down thoughts. Freewrite. Put as many nights of sleep between you and your final revisions as you can, because believe it or not, once you've set your intention to developing thoughts on a topic, you'll be working in your sleep!

If you're in a crunch, take breaks. Try to move through the whole essay, illustrate with examples, build your argument, give thought to what you are saying. Then take a walk, throw a ball, listen to your favorite song. Even when you're cramming, take breaks.

I love what Alexandra A. said above about reading your essay aloud, and to a buddy if you can. It also helps to pick an unusual font and larger type to read a final draft—it makes it look new and strange and you'll see new things. Just be sure to return to the font type and size requested by your teacher before you hand it in!

Answer 2

Writing a Final Draft in pressed time is not actually that hard when you have the proper skill. If you are able to ask yourself the right questions and stay on track it can be completed quickly. Especially when you already have a draft.

I have taught and continue to teach students that are English Second Language how to make a Final Paper, Essay, Drafts, Articles, etc... These student's native language isn't English, but I am always happy to teach them the skills to write and produce Final Drafts as good as or even better then some Native Speakers.

I am happy and will kindly help anyone learn the skills they specifically need to write better and faster. And I will teach every student in the best way they can learn.

I am happy to answer questions at anytime with no cost. If anyone is looking for the skills in writing, please free free to message me at anytime.

Answer 3

For me, the key to writing a polished draft is reading my paper out loud. There are a few free websites available that will read your paper to you. You'd be surprised when you hear how awkward some sentences sound out loud even though they looked perfect when you wrote them down!