“Good writing is clear thinking.” – Max Lucado

Once upon a time there was a student who needed help writing a paper. Although typically a very nice student, on this particular day the very nice student was very frustrated. By the end of the session, the reason became clear. The very nice, yet very frustrated student was attempting to write a paper without reading any of the source materials, and without attending class.

It seems preposterous, but how many of us attempt to write a paper before researching and outlining ahead of time? No stone throwing here – guilty as charged. I have re-read my own work, paused, and thought, what in the world am I talking about? But the paper gets turned in anyway, hoping to dazzle the professor with big words and long sentences, believing he or she will realize how brilliant I am and be able to figure out what I really meant. This is the case of muddled thinking.

Many times, the “arch enemy” is time. Or should I say, the lack of time management. Have you tried to meet last-minute deadlines by staying up all night on a caffeine buzz? Most of us experience this wretched night at least once while pursuing higher education. But if we will begin to train ourselves to work on projects ahead of time, it will give us the opportunity to process the material. This will generate clear thinking and result in good writing.