One of the biggest challenges when working on a writing project is how to get started? An empty document can seem like a huge barrier to overcome. Our mind will often try and block us from writing. Sit down to write and watch your mind suddenly come up with many other things that need doing or thinking about. Suddenly you need to do a chore, check social media, or make yourself a coffee. Assuming that you have already done your research and have some idea about what to write about, then realise that those random thoughts popping into your head are avoidance strategies. You just need to focus and make a start. If these distraction tasks really need to be done at some point, add them to a list, and then get back to the writing project.

Having distractions in sight or within earshot can add to problems when faced with a writing task. Try putting your phone on silent and storing it out of sight. Sometimes people talking and other similar noises can disrupt concentration, try listening to instrumental music in the background to mask them out, but avoid music that is too loud or distracting. Don’t listen to music with lyrics as your concentration will easily shift to the lyrics.

When it comes to writing the draft, if the task is broken down into small manageable chunks, that’s a lot less intimidating than tackling a whole 1500 or 2500-word essay with no outline. Use the outline and focus on a paragraph at a time, and the essay will become a lot easier. If even producing a complete paragraph is too tough, start by jotting down ideas. These can later be expanded into proper paragraphs.

Aiming to write for hours at a time is going to be discouraging and lead to procrastination. Instead, aim to write for 20 minutes and then take a short break. Once you’ve got started on the project, writing becomes easier and ideas start to flow. It is important to set aside regular blocks of time to work on the project. Sometimes students have a busy schedule packed with other assignments, part-time work, and extracurricular activities. Without having time set aside to work on your written assignment, it is going to be hard to start because other tasks get in the way as does fatigue. When you are working on a project, taking regular short walks can help with staying alert.

The first draft of your writing assignment is inevitably going to be not that great. Professional writers spend a lot of time polishing their drafts. Nobody creates great writing on the first draft. Everyone has their own preference, but in most cases it is better to just push forward to the end of the essay rather than trying to perfect any given paragraph. The draft can be polished later, but if you do run out of time, at least you have something to submit.

Especially for first year writing assignments, markers are relatively forgiving. Assuming you don’t need an A+ grade for some reason, focus on producing an acceptable essay rather than an outstanding one. Even just reading the question properly, structuring the essay, and including a proper reference list will put you ahead of many first year students. Trying to produce an outstanding essay will be intimidating and stressful. Every sentence will seem imperfect and the overall task much harder. Remember, this is a university assignment, in most cases only you and the marker are ever going to read it. A decent essay is good enough. Even if becoming a great essay writer is important to you, this ability will develop over time through regular practice. Trying to write the perfect essay early in your time at university is likely to just cause stress and not be successful anyway.

University writing assignments can be intimidating. Sometimes it helps to talk with a friend or someone who has done a lot of essays before. They can often give you helpful pointers and assist with clarifying your ideas. There are various social media platforms with students either from the same university, or from other universities who are doing a similar course, who can be a source of useful suggestions.

Leaving the essay till the last minute will be stressful and can prevent focus. If you are new to large assignments, then everything will take longer than planned. Start early so you don’t feel like you have to accomplish too much under pressure. Students may justify leaving things to right before the deadline by saying, "I work better under pressure", but that is rarely true. Your future self will thank you if you get the essay done sooner, and it isn’t hanging over your head right before the deadline.

If you have left the essay till the last minute, don’t be too hard on yourself. Lots of students make that mistake. Accept that you procrastinated, forgive yourself and then try to do better next time. Focusing too much on mistakes is likely to lead to negative emotions which in turn will reduce motivation on future writing projects.