How to Write a Great Essay Quickly
If you're anything like me, you get stressed when you feel rushed. Sometimes when I feel that I don't have enough time to get something done, I get so frantic that I end up not being able to do anything right. Just last week, I had to get my two young kids to their swim lesson. We were running late, and all I could think about as I drove to the lesson was the clock. Distracted, I ended up missing the right intersection and having to drive far out of our way. Then, as I scrambled to get everyone out of the van, I completely forgot to close the back passenger side door. I left it standing wide open when we went inside. By the end of the day, I felt lucky just to have gotten the right two kids out of the pool and back to the house. If I'd just stopped panicking about the time and paid attention to where I was heading, things would have gone a bit more smoothly.
That awful, rushed feeling also applies in other settings, of course. One of the toughest things about writing a timed essay is the panic we can feel once the minutes start to tick away. And that panicky feeling can wreak real havoc on the quality of what we write. But there's good news: there are four basic steps that can put you on the right track to put together a great essay even in a tight time crunch, all while keeping your cool.
Make Sure That You Understand the Question
First, read and reread the essay prompt a few times before you start to write. Make sure you have a good, clear understanding of what you're being asked. You might think that one quick read-through is enough, but the trouble is that once the clock starts to tick, you might find yourself writing and writing and writing to beat the clock, only to stop and realize that you have gone off on quite a tangent, not really doing what the essay prompt has asked you to do. And when that happens, there may not be enough time to fix it.
So, as you read the essay prompt, really pay attention to what it's asking. For example, if you are presented with a position statement and you're asked to provide your opinion on the expressed position, be sure that you're clear on what you need to write about. Does the prompt ask you whether you completely support or oppose the stated position? Or does it ask to what degree you support or oppose it? Keep in mind that you might be asked not just for a black or white answer but for a shade of gray. You might also be asked, for example, whether the stated position has some merit, even if you don't completely agree with it.
By reading and rereading the essay question, you can avoid running into the problem of finding yourself going down the wrong path with only a few minutes to course-correct before time is called for your essay.
For example, imagine that you've been asked to write an essay dealing with the topic of whether cities should put legal limits on the size of sugary sodas that restaurants and concession stands can serve. Imagine also that you have opinion pieces presented by writers on both sides of the issue. Before you jump in and begin writing your impassioned argument explaining why such legal limits should or shouldn't be put in place, stop and take a minute to go back through the question. Are you being asked to write a persuasive essay in favor of or against the institution of size restrictions on sodas? Or are you perhaps being asked to put together a thoughtful analysis of the strong points presented by both sides?
You might end up writing a brilliant, convincing essay, but if you're not really answering the question that was presented, you'll end up with a problem. So remember to reread the question first thing.
Quickly Outline Your Major Points
Second, you should outline your major points before you begin writing your essay. When you were in junior high, you may have been required to turn in formal outlines with papers that you submitted for a grade.
That extra step, with all of the Roman numerals and letters and indentations, may have seemed like a real pain at the time - just a lot of extra work. But taking the time to sketch out an outline of your major points when you're writing under time constraints can be invaluable. Luckily, you don't have to do anything formal when you're trying to write an essay quickly. Just jot down some points in the order you think that they should be made. No Roman numerals are required; you can just use bullet points if you'd like.
Let's go back to our soda law example. If you've been asked to put together an argument about whether or not cities should place legal limits on the size of sugary sodas that restaurants and concession stands can serve, you should first sketch out a few major, distinct points that you want to make. If you're using the five-paragraph essay structure, it would make sense to make three major points, for example.