How to Write a University Paper

Updated: June 14, 2023
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Writing a university paper isn’t a walk in the park. True.

It takes a lot of time, energy, and precision to draw up a superb essay. Due to a shortage of free time, having to go to work, or family-related issues, students might need some help on how to write a uni essay.

That being said, we’d like to share some basic university paper guidelines that will help you kickstart the writing process and wrap up doing the task on time.

What is a University Paper?

A university paper definition is of a writing assignment that uni-level students get from professors who’d like to examine your knowledge of a learned subject in a written form.

A paper can be either an essay, term paper, course work, or case study. And although these types of assignments are different in terms of length, purpose, and research depth, our writing tips could be applied to any of them, making our guidelines truly universal.

University Paper Outline Example

This is how a common university paper outline looks like:

Introduction

  • Introductory phrase
  • Hook
  • Thesis statement
  • Main body transition

Main body

  • Introductory phrase
  • Point 1
    • Topical sentence
    • Quote
    • Evidence
  • Point 2
    • Topical sentence
    • Quote
    • Evidence
  • Point 3
    • Topical sentence
    • Quote
    • Evidence
  • Transition to the conclusion

Conclusion

  • Summary
  • Research results (rephrased)
  • Food for thought
  • Recommendations for further topic studying

Please make note that in the main body you can interchange the position of your pieces of evidence and quotes, it doesn’t make a big deal. Just make sure they are present and give 100% valid info.

University Paper Structure

A university paper format is the same for all types of assignments. Should it be an essay or a term paper, there still has to be the introduction, main body, and conclusion.

What you’ve learned in high school about a paper writing structure remains the same when you enter a college or study in a university. In case you need a trip down the high school essay writing memory lane, let’s do it quickly!

University Paper Introduction

A paper introduction is a piece of academic text that readers check out first. Basically, you have 10 seconds to pick the reader’s interest. An introductory phrase and the hook play a major role in drawing the interest of readers.

In an introduction, you also have to state your topic, offer some background, and explain, in a few words, why anyone should study your work in the first place.

After that, you’ll have to write your thesis statement – the central sentence of the whole paper that highlights your take on a topic and makes a claim. Make your thesis statement short, personal, and on-point.

Did it already? Then a smooth transition to the main body has to be written.

University Paper Body

This is the heart of your paper – the main body. It’s a part of a document that’s the largest in terms of length and consists of the main information and findings that you’ve chosen to share with the audience.

The main goal of the main body is to convince readers that your point of view regarding a topic is right. Moreover, the main body provides all the relevant data, facts, figures, and quotes in support of your claim made with the help of a thesis statement in your introduction.

Never bring up fake information in your main body and the entire paper. Do your research well and never try to cheat. Mainly, because most professors will notice it, and you will probably get into trouble.

Besides hard data and solid facts, you might also want to use emotions. As we all know, for most people, the decision-making center is located in their hearts, not minds. So you might want to play with the emotions of your readers a little bit to create the maximum persuasive impact.

University Paper Conclusion

Why do we have to write a conclusion?

Its key purpose is to draw a bottom line under your research and provide some final food for thoughts.

In a paper conclusion, you might want to feature some information on a topic that hasn’t been mentioned in the main body. There are students who prefer to keep this ace up their sleeve right until it’s time to write a conclusion so that the readers have no other choice but to agree to your position on a topic and arguments in its favor.

Providing readers with a summary of a paper is the main goal of a conclusion. The secondary goals are sharing additional data regarding the subject, offering materials for self-study, or even leaving an open question for the readers to think about in the future.

How to Write a Good University Paper?

Writing a university paper isn’t a quick sprint. However, you shouldn’t make it a marathon either.

As they say, time is money, so you should mind your deadlines and try to wrap up the assignment quickly, delivering a solid paper in the meantime.

To write an A-level essay fast, you should adopt a professional mindset. It revolves around such principles as efficiency and agility. A student who can deliver a great paper fast wins the race. Remember, your goal isn’t to write the best essay in the whole world.

Your goal, in reality, is to finish the task as quickly as possible and get back to the stuff that matters for you as a university student. Getting an excellent grade after the work is done is also your primary objective.

To succeed, you’ll need to split up the writing process into smaller sub-processes. One small task after another, your university paper will get ready quicker than you anticipated.

  1. PREPARATION – Think of a topic, find relevant sources, create an outline, brainstorm a thesis statement.
  2. ACTUAL WORK – Step by step, write your paper from the ground up. You might want to start with the main body, then do a conclusion, and then write an introduction last.
  3. EDITING & PROOFREADING – Correct texts score better than those with lots of grammar mistakes and typos. Get a separate day to edit and proofread your paper.
  4. PLAG CHECK – In a university, submitting a plagiarism-free paper is imperative. Even when you know who did the whole thing from scratch, it’s always a good idea to confirm. Things happen…
  5. REVISION – Such papers as dissertations are sent for revising often. Even you, at some point, can decide that your paper is no good and decide to re-work it. Make sure the time allows you to.

Tips for Writing a University Paper

  • Study the instructions carefully.
  • Brainstorm a topic that you actually enjoy working on.
  • Gather background sources and quotes. Choose the most relevant ones.
  • Think through the structure of your paper in advance.
  • Reach out to your instructor if you don’t know how to proceed with your paper.
  • If an instructor is too busy or reluctant, seek writing help online.
  • Decide where reference sources will be used in-text and which exactly.
  • Start writing when you’re well-rested and inspired.
  • Write as you think.
  • Make sure there’s plenty of time until the submission. Don’t put a task in cold storage.
  • Separate the research, writing, proofreading, and plagiarism check stages. Do it all on a different day if the time allows.
  • Editing and proofreading should be done separately from the actual writing.
  • Never plagiarize when writing a university paper – it will be noticed right away!
  • Use Grammarly to check the quality of your content.
  • Use Copyscape to make sure your texts are genuine.
  • Use Essay Writer service to add some finishing – professional – touches to your final draft.

How to Start a University Paper?

There are 9 tried-and-true ways to start an essay.

  1. Start with telling your hypothesis.
  2. Reveal your rationale.
  3. Tell a joke or a short story.
  4. Provide a peculiar fact or figure.
  5. Offer an insightful quote.
  6. Get to the chase right from the start.
  7. Address any previous research on a topic.
  8. Simply introduce a topic and state the reason why it’s important.
  9. Offer historical background.

Be creative, don’t limit yourself to these points only. If you came up with a great way to start your essay, and you know readers will like it, then do it!

How to End a University Paper?

There are 7 proven ways to end an essay.

  1. Provide a summary of the key points.
  2. Rework your thesis statement.
  3. Offer one final – the most decisive! – piece of evidence.
  4. Give a really insightful quote on a topic.
  5. Take an unexpected turn with your research.
  6. Suggest materials for further topic study.
  7. Offer a subject-relevant quiz.

Ending your paper, you are free to do it by the book. Or, if you’re really into a topic, you could opt-in for some creative ways of ending a paper, such as quizzes or anecdotes.

Need Any More Practical Help?

Knowing university paper tips is one thing while being able to use them in practice is completely another.

If you’re either lacking time, skills, or a simple commitment to work on a research paper (we all were students, we know how it is in a university!), then we offer you a real university paper writing service.

Give us the instructions, and pay for an essay while our topic-savvy writer will fulfill your paper from scratch.

Enjoy a top grade and save your evening for more important things than writing a paper.

George Lynch
George Lynch
Literature, Psychology, Religion
Experience: 3+ years
I’ve been enjoying academic writing since day one in college. Today, having a full-time job, I’m still looking forward to writing essays and research papers online for others.
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